Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Recipe
Posted: 10/02/2017
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Made in one bowl, healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread is moist and decadent but full of whole grains and natural sweetness.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Pumpkin bread makes a great snack or lunchbox treat. Since this recipe makes 2 loaves, it’s fun to brighten up someone’s day with a gift of fresh-baked bread.
How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 1 hour to bake
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, 2 loaf tins
Servings: makes 2 large loaves
Life Lesson: If you’re going to make one loaf of bread, make two.
If you’ve been following my site, you probably have learned that many of my life lessons revolve around making life easier for myself, and for you. I try to simplify life with easier-to-make recipes that don’t require tons of ingredients or dishes to wash.
That’s why I like this recipe for pumpkin bread. It makes two large loaves of bread. Why not make two loaves, taking the same time you would spend to make one? Same amount of time, twice the return! I love that math for sure.
The only extra work when you bake two loaves of bread instead of one is washing an extra pan. And you can handle that, I know you can.
I highly recommend making this recipe this fall. Michigan is finally showing us what a beautiful fall looks like, beautiful orange-hued pumpkins are turning up everywhere, and I can’t wait to enjoy a slice of this bread with my coffee in the morning with gingerbread butter slathered on top!
About This Recipe
You’ll appreciate that the recipe uses the whole can of pumpkin purée so there’s no waste or leftovers sitting in your fridge. The bread is made with whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt so you can feel good about serving it to your family.
This scrumptious healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe is based on my original healthier pumpkin bread but I changed it up just a bit. Instead of sweetening the bread with sugar, this recipe calls for maple syrup. Natural maple syrup adds a more subtle sweetness and the added bonus is the yummy maple flavor.
The bonus is the chocolate chips. In my opinion, everything’s better with chocolate chips! My kids would agree. They think it’s a holiday anytime I give them anything with chocolate chips.
What’s Pumpkin Pie Spice?
In this recipe, I use my homemade pumpkin pie spice. It’s a blend of warm spices: cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
Certainly you use store bought spice but you all know how much I love my homemade spice blends!
FAQs
Why is pumpkin bread good for you?
Pumpkin bread is made with unsweetened pumpkin purée which is 100% pure pumpkin. Pumpkin, along with other winter squashes, is very nutritious. It’s low calorie, has lots of fiber, and boasts an impressive amount of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. It’s especially high in vitamin A (Healthline).
Note: Not all pumpkin breads are created equal. Even though pumpkin is healthy, some recipes also contain generous amounts of sugar, oil, and white flour which can be detrimental to your health.
How can I tell if my pumpkin bread is done?
Use the toothpick test to determine whether your pumpkin bread is fully baked. To test it, poke a toothpick into the center of the loaf. When you remove the toothpick, it should look fairly clean with maybe a few crumbs attached. If it comes out with batter on it, the bread isn’t done yet and you should return it to the oven to continue baking.
Another way to judge whether the bread is done is by lightly pressing the center with your fingertip. It should feel fairly dry and spring back where you touched it. If a deep indentation remains, or if the bread is very sticky yet, it’s probably not done. The sides of the loaf should be pulling away from the loaf tin.
Why is my pumpkin bread gummy?
Since pumpkin purée is very moist, sometimes pumpkin bread can be too soft and sticky. Be sure to add enough flour to the batter to balance the moisture. When you measure flour, lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup, leveling off the top with a straight edge, such as a table knife.
Another factor that could be making your bread sticky is improper cooling. Cool the loaves completely on a wire rack before storing them. A warm loaf in a sealed bag produces condensation which results in a sticky or gummy surface on the bread.
Make It Your Own
- Instead of chocolate chips, try white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips. Mini chocolate chips are wonderful, too.
- Love nuts? Substitute 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for the chocolate chips.
- Like a streusel topping? Try pumpkin streusel bread.
- If you don’t have maple syrup, a cup of granulated white sugar can be used in place of it.
- Short on time? Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins bake in only 20 minutes or so. You’ll get all the flavor and yummy smells in only half the time!
- Pumpkin not your thing? You may enjoy my whole wheat banana bread or zucchini bread instead.
Storage Tips
Once the bread has cooled completely, slice it and store in a resealable bag or tightly sealed container. It will keep for a few days on the counter or for a week in the fridge.
Quick breads freeze well. I happen to have a loaf of pumpkin bread in the freezer at this very moment. I usually slice the loaf before freezing it. You can take out as many slices as you need; the slices thaw much more quickly than the whole loaf.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
slices
Made in one bowl, healthy pumpkin chocolate chip bread is moist and decadent but full of whole grains and natural sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup maple syrup (can substitute 1 cup sugar)
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ all-purpose flour (white whole wheat flour can be substituted for either of the flours)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, extra for sprinkling on top if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two large loaf pans with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, water and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add these dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Do not over mix.
- Split the batter evenly between the two loaf pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the size of your loaf pans. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean, or with a few crumbs clinging, when the bread is done baking.
- Let cool 10 to 15 minutes in pans before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Nutrition information based on 10 slices per loaf.
- If desired, substitute mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips. A cup of chopped walnuts or pecans can be substituted for the chocolate chips as well.
- Bread will keep for a few days on the counter, a week in the refrigerator, or a couple of months in the freezer.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 234mg, Potassium: 187mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 3349IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
