It’s officially fall when you’ve made your first loaf of pumpkin bread! I’ve made a lot of pumpkin bread recipes over the years and this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is my absolute favorite. It uses 1 whole can of pumpkin, it makes 2 loaves, and it’s got some healthier ingredients in it, but you would never know it! This pumpkin bread recipe includes a small container of yogurt, but you can also use sour cream or even apple sauce if you don’t have yogurt in your fridge. It also uses both all purpose and a little whole wheat flour. I love the combination, but you can just use all-purpose if you prefer. It’s incredibly soft and fluffy, even after cooling completely, and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll love it.
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose and whole wheat flour – Another little secret in this recipe is some whole wheat flour. It adds some fiber and creates some depth to the flavor. I’ve also skipped that plenty of times and just used all purpose flour and it’s fantastic as well.
- Ground cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Table salt
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla yogurt – If I don’t have vanilla yogurt, I’ve even used lemon, orange, plain, banana or honey flavored. It can be low-fat, high-fat, Greek, whatever. As I mentioned before, you could also sub sour cream or applesauce here. The yogurt adds moisture that creates a really soft texture, without using too much oil.
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you’re getting 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Canola oil
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips – The chocolate bites make it extra decadent. You might have noticed I used both regular and mini chocolate chips. TIP: If I’m just using regular size chips, I like to run a knife over them and chop them just roughly. I like how the little slivers of chocolate then disperse throughout the bread. So great!
How to Make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray 2 9×5 (or similar sized) loaf pans with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Combine flours (after you put your flour in the bowl, just grab a teaspoon or two of it and toss with chocolate chips), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk gently to combine and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl combine brown sugar and white sugar and whisk to combine, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Add yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix together, being careful to not over mix. When combined, gently stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter between loaf pans and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached. All ovens are different, I would set your timer for about 45 minutes and keep an eye on it after that. Don’t overbake!
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around edge of pan and remove loaves from pan.
Storing and Other Tips
- This bread is amazing even the next day, and it will stay nice and soft. Just store it, tightly covered, at room temperature and consume within 3-5 days for best results.
- Chocolate chip tip: If you’ve ever made quick breads (or muffins or cakes) with chocolate chips, you know they have a tendency to sink. Before you add your dry ingredients to your batter, take a small spoonful and toss it with your chocolate chips. Then gently fold them into your batter. The flour mixture helps keep them suspended in the batter so you’ll have pieces of chocolate throughout!
- I love that this recipe makes 2 loaves. Most often I make 1 large loaf and 2 mini loaves. Tip: I like to sling parchment paper as seen above for easy removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What topping can I use for my Pumpkin Bread?
You don’t need any topping on this bread because it’s so good as-is. But just a little tip for any quick bread: sprinkle on 1-2 tablespoons of additional brown sugar on top, and a few extra chocolate chips in this case, for an extra yummy top.
Can I freeze this bread?
Yep! Wrap your cooled loaves tightly in plastic or foil, then pop into a zip-top bag labeled with the date and freeze for up to 6 months.
Can I use this batter to make muffins instead of a loaf?
Yes. Fill greased or lined muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350°F for about 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Perfectly moist pumpkin bread with all of the spices of autumn. Studded with creamy morsels of chocolate, this is the ultimate pumpkin bread!
Servings loaf pans
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cup and leveled
- 1 cup whole wheat flour free to sub all purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cup and leveled
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cup white sugar
- 6 ounce container vanilla yogurt
- 3 eggs slightly beaten
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips plus a few extra for the top of loaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray 2 9×5 (or similar sized) loaf pans with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Combine flours (after you put your flour in the bowl, just grab a teaspoon or two of it and toss with chocolate chips), cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk gently to combine and set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl combine brown sugar and white sugar and whisk to combine, breaking up any clumps of brown sugar. Add yogurt, eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet and mix together, being careful to not over mix. When combined, gently stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter between loaf pans and sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out with a few crumbs attached. All ovens are different, I would set your timer for about 45 minutes and keep an eye on it after that. Don’t overbake!
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around edge of pan and remove loaves from pan.
Notes
Great Tips
- Don’t get into it when it’s still piping hot, or else it will fall apart. Wait until it’s just warm – with a little bit of melted butter on top, it’s like heaven!
- This bread is amazing even the next day, and it will stay nice and soft. Just store it, tightly covered, at room temperature and consume within 3-5 days for best results.
- Chocolate chip tip: If you’ve ever made quick breads (or muffins or cakes) with chocolate chips, you know they have a tendency to sink. Before you add your dry ingredients to your batter, take a small spoonful and toss it with your chocolate chips. Then gently fold them into your batter. The flour mixture helps keep them suspended in the batter so you’ll have pieces of chocolate throughout!
- I love that this recipe makes 2 loaves. Most often I make 1 large loaf and 2 mini loaves. Tip: I like to sling parchment paper as seen above for easy removal.
- Nutritional information was calculated per loaf pan, as serving size depends greatly on the size of your slices.
Nutrition
Calories: 2645kcal, Carbohydrates: 432g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 93g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g, Monounsaturated Fat: 39g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 250mg, Sodium: 2210mg, Potassium: 1417mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 275g, Vitamin A: 33495IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 588mg, Iron: 13mg
Calories: 2645kcal
Cost: $7
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Questions & Reviews
I took a crack at making this evening…so I could assure they would come out good on turkey day.
I followed instructions to the “T” with tips and all. It came out good. Not the best pumpkin bread I’ve had though 🙁 It was good but not OMG. I felt like it could’ve tasted more pumpkinee (if that makes sense).
I’ve been craving pumpkin bread for awhile now. I usually am lazy to bake/cook and end up spending $7 for a loaf at Great Harvest (it is delicious, though). Lately, I’ve been trying hard to watch my pennies and decided $7 is way too much for one loaf of choc. chip pumpkin bread. I made your zucchini bread recipe over the summer and loved it. So I knew that your pumpkin bread recipe would be a keeper, too. Just made 2 batches earlier today–YUMMO! Made one batch without choc. chips and added a orange & cinnamon glaze–delish! You guys are truly the best bites! Thanks for great recipes & great blog!
I just made this yesterday and it turned out perfectly. Delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Yum! This is so good! I made this last week and my husband said the chocolate chips “take away from the pumpkin flavor.” Crazy man! So I ate both loaves myself! Then I made it again yesterday and left the chips out of one of the loaves. He says it’s fabulous but I haven’t tried it yet. I’m working on the loaf with chips and it’s more than halfway gone.
just made my 2nd batch of this. The first was a disaster. I guess it was a rough morning for baking. I decided to use my mini loaf pans and filled them too full and they overflowed. Then I reread the ingredients and realized I left out the oil. Like I say, the first batch didn’t work out. Just made a new batch – oil included. I made one large loaf pan and 3 mini’s. The mini’s are out and the big one is finishing. They smell fabulous. My 8 year old is waiting to get her hands on a loaf. She loves everything pumpkin. Thanks for the recipe.
So I made this and it tastes delish! I used my 4 oz cup of coconut yogurt and 2 oz sour cream! Awesomeness. But my chips still all fell to the bottom even after coating with flour. Any tips?
Try chopping them up or using mini chips, that could help!
Hi Sara and Kate! I am an avid follower who never posts, but this recipe was SUCH a hit that I wanted to give you two some (well deserved) feedback. First of all – THANK YOU! Absolutely delicious and an especially wonderful texture. I have already forwarded the recipe and your blog onto two others in my office. I did want to note that, in my second batch, I substituted vanilla greek yogurt for added protein, and I only used 1 cup of sugar – still amazing. Then, for the third batch (I told you it was a hit), I switched 1/4 cup of the canola oil for 1/4 cup of applesauce (unsweetened). Still uses oil for the texture, but it literally knocked the calories per serving down by 100 calories (282 to 182 calories for a 1-inch thick slice). Thanks, again, and keep up the amazing work!
Wow, good to know- thanks Lauren!
Sara, great recipe. I just left Danae at V3 Hair Studio in Meridian and she served us up a piece of this delicious bread. Fall is one of my favorite seasons — and the only time I use the ingredient “pumpkin.” I will certainly pass this along to my friends and clients.
Happy Fall !
Cathy Light
Delicious! I was going to give the second loaf away, but I couldn’t bear to part with it. 🙂 I’m not usually big on pumpkin baked goods, but this was the perfect balance of sweet and spiced.
Diane, I’ve wondered the same thing! I am so careful about not getting eggshell in my batters, so I know it’s not that. I just think it’s stuff in the pumpkin puree. But I made this bread and didn’t have any little crunchies.