🎃🍫 Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Soft, moist, warmly spiced, and loaded with melty chocolate chips, this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is the ultimate cozy quick bread. It’s easy to make, wonderfully tender, and perfect for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or a comforting fall dessert.

⏱ Recipe Information

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 50–60 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf, about 10–12 slices
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

🎃 Pumpkin Bread

1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
1 cup (225 g) pumpkin purée
½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 ml) milk or buttermilk
1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Optional Topping

¼ cup extra chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chopped pecans or walnuts
Light sprinkle of cinnamon

Instructions

1. Prepare the Oven & Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.

🎃 Prepare the Dry Ingredients

2. Whisk the Flour Mixture

In a medium bowl, whisk together:

All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cloves
Salt

Set aside.

🍫 Make the Pumpkin Batter

3. Combine the Eggs & Sugars

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.

You don’t need to whip them extensively—just make sure the sugars are well incorporated.

4. Add the Wet Ingredients

Whisk in:

Pumpkin purée
Vegetable oil
Vanilla extract
Milk or buttermilk

Mix until smooth and evenly combined.

5. Add the Dry Ingredients

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture.

Using a spatula, stir just until the flour disappears.

Do not overmix.

A few small lumps are perfectly fine.

🍫 Add the Chocolate Chips

6. Fold in the Chocolate

Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips for the top.

Gently fold the remaining chocolate chips into the batter.

Coating the chips lightly with flour before adding them can help prevent them from sinking.

🎂 Bake

7. Fill the Loaf Pan

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Smooth the top.

Scatter the reserved chocolate chips over the surface.

Add chopped nuts if desired.

8. Bake

Bake for approximately 50–60 minutes.

Begin checking around the 50-minute mark.

The loaf is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

If you hit a melted chocolate chip, test another spot.

If the top browns too quickly:

Loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil during the final 15–20 minutes.

❄️ Cool

9. Let the Bread Rest

Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.

Use the parchment overhang to carefully lift it onto a wire rack.

Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

For the cleanest slices, let it cool completely.

🔪 Slice & Serve

Cut into thick slices and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

For an extra-indulgent treat, warm a slice for 10–15 seconds and serve with:

Butter
Whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream
Extra chocolate chips
A drizzle of maple syrup

⭐ Chef’s Tips

Use Pure Pumpkin Purée

Make sure you’re using 100% pumpkin purée, not canned pumpkin pie filling.

Measure Flour Correctly

For the best texture, spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it rather than scooping directly from the bag.

Don’t Overmix

Overmixing develops gluten and can make quick bread dense. Stir only until the dry ingredients disappear.

Don’t Overbake

Pumpkin bread should stay moist. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are ideal.

Let It Cool

The loaf continues setting as it cools, so cutting it too early can make the center seem gummy.

🎃 Delicious Variations

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients.

Pumpkin Pecan Chocolate Chip Bread

Fold in ½ cup toasted chopped pecans.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Replace half the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips.

Cinnamon Swirl

Mix ¼ cup brown sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon and swirl it through the batter before baking.

Chocolate Chunk Version

Replace chocolate chips with roughly chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate for larger pockets of melted chocolate.

Storage

Keep the cooled pumpkin bread tightly wrapped.

Room temperature: 3–4 days
Refrigerator: Up to 1 week

Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature or warm briefly before serving.

Freezing

Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag.

Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours at room temperature.

Individual slices can be warmed gently in the microwave.

🎃🍫 Recipe Summary

This Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is everything you want from a cozy fall bake: moist pumpkin crumb, fragrant cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and plenty of gooey chocolate chips.

It’s quick, comforting, and perfect with a hot cup of coffee.

One loaf, one bowl, and a whole lot of pumpkin-chocolate goodness.