Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread: A Moist and Easy Fall Favorite

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is the loaf I bake as soon as the first cool morning arrives. It brings together the classic flavors of fall, warm cinnamon and cloves with plenty of chocolate in every slice, and one batch yields two standard loaves or several mini loaves.

That makes it a natural choice for sharing with neighbors, tucking into lunchboxes, or stashing in the freezer for a busy week. One batch fits neatly into a weekend baking plan, and the second loaf almost always finds a home.

If you enjoy baking quick breads at home, my lemon blueberry bread, poppyseed bread, and banana bread follow the same simple, welcoming approach.

Why I love this bread:

Three things keep this recipe in my rotation from September through December.

• It takes about 10 minutes to prep. The ingredients are ordinary pantry staples, so there is no special shopping trip and no complicated technique.
• One batch makes more than one loaf. You get two regular loaves, or one regular loaf plus two mini loaves, or four mini loaves. I keep one for the counter and wrap the rest for the freezer or for a friend.
• The flavor is pure fall. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg warm up the pumpkin, and a full 12 ounce package of chocolate chips makes every slice feel generous.

The batter is also forgiving, which matters on a busy morning. If you have a helper in the kitchen, they can stir the dry ingredients while you cream the butter and sugar. It is the kind of bread that makes a kitchen smell like a holiday morning, even on an ordinary Tuesday.

How to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread:

Here is the flow of the recipe so you know exactly what to expect before you start measuring.

1. Heat the oven and prep the pans. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper and spray them all over with cooking spray.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Beat the sugar and softened butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla, then mix again.
3. Stir the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Bring the batter together. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the pumpkin mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips at the end.
5. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool. Let the loaves sit in the pans for a few minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mini loaves bake much faster, about 25 to 35 minutes, so keep an eye on them. One batch gives you two regular loaves, or one regular loaf plus two mini loaves, or four mini loaves.

Pro Tips:

These are the small details that make a big difference in how your loaves turn out.

• Choose the right pan. A lightly colored aluminum loaf pan bakes the most evenly and keeps the bottom of the bread from getting too dark. The recipe is sized for 8.5 x 4.5 inch pans, which give the tallest, prettiest loaves, though 9 x 5 inch pans also work.
• Line the bottom with parchment. Parchment at the base of the pan makes the baked loaf slide out easily, so you do not have to wrestle with it when the bread is still warm.
• Start checking at 40 minutes. Ovens run differently, so begin testing a little early. The bread is done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw, doughy batter. If the toothpick still shows wet batter, add 5 minutes and check again.
• Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it changes the texture and flavor of the finished loaf.
• Try the muffin version. The same batter makes about 2 dozen muffins. Bake them at 350 degrees F for 28 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. That makes them a quick alternative when you want individual portions instead of slices.

If you bake mini loaves, they need only 25 to 35 minutes, so set a timer and check them first. None of these tips take extra time. They simply protect the loaf you already worked for, so the crumb stays tender and the chocolate stays soft.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

Once your loaves have cooled completely, this bread keeps beautifully.

• At room temperature: store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• In the refrigerator: keep it in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
• In the freezer: cool the bread fully first, then store it in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Wrap the loaf well so no air gets in.

Slices thaw quickly on the counter, which makes this bread an easy choice for a last minute breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee. The recipe was first published in October 2013 and updated in October 2019 and October 2021.

Ingredients

This recipe uses 14 ingredients, and most of them are already in your pantry. The list splits neatly into wet ingredients and dry ingredients, which is exactly how you will use them when you mix the batter. Here is the full list so you can check everything before you begin.

A quick note on the pumpkin: use canned or homemade pumpkin puree, never pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will change both the texture and the flavor of the loaf.

Instructions

Follow these steps in order and the batter comes together quickly.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans with a piece of parchment paper, then spray all over with cooking spray.
2. Add the sugar and the softened butter to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla, and mix to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the pumpkin mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips at the end.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Mini loaves will bake for around 25 to 35 minutes, so check them earlier than the full size loaves.

Let the loaves cool completely before you slice them. A warm loaf smells irresistible, but a few extra minutes of patience gives you clean slices instead of a crumbly pile.

Notes

Here are the details I come back to every time I bake this bread.

• Pan size matters. The batter bakes tallest in 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans. A 9 x 5 inch pan works too, and you can also divide the batter into one regular loaf plus two mini loaves, or four mini loaves on their own.
• Storage. Once the bread has cooled completely, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• Freezing. Cool the loaves fully first, then store them in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you are ready to serve.
• Muffin variation. The same batter makes about 2 dozen muffins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Serving ideas. Toast a slice and spread it with butter or cream cheese, or warm it for a few seconds in the microwave so the chocolate softens again.

These notes are the difference between a good loaf and a great one, and none of them take extra time.

Recipe details

Here is the quick overview before you start.

Each serving has 241 calories, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fat, based on the source nutrition information.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is the loaf I bake as soon as the first cool morning arrives. It brings together the classic flavors of fall, warm cinnamon and cloves with plenty of chocolate in every slice, and one batch yields two standard loaves or several mini loaves.

• Total Time: 55 min
• Yield: 24 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
15 ounces canned pumpkin
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
12 ounce chocolate chips

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Instructions

1-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans with a piece of parchment paper. Spray all over with cooking spray.
2-Add the sugar and butter to a: Add the sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, pumpkin and vanilla and mix to combine.
3-In a separate bowl mix together flour,: In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
4-Alternately add flour mixture, then milk to: Alternately add flour mixture, then milk to pumpkin mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in chocolate chips at the end.
5-Pour the batter into prepared pans: Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.
6-Mini loaves will bake for around 25-35: Mini loaves will bake for around 25-35 minutes.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 241
• Sugar: 26g
• Sodium: 221mg
• Fat: 8g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 3g
• Cholesterol: 36mg