Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Name: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar; 2/3 cup butter; 2 large eggs; 1 cup canned pumpkin ((not pupmkin pie mix)); 1/3 cup milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour; 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ginger; ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The scent of warm pumpkin bread wafting through the house is such a fall fragrance! This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is moist and dense, and packed with luscious pumpkin flavor highlighted with chocolate chips. Prep time is only 15 minutes, then you can sit back and let your oven do its magic.

sliced pumpkin chocolate chip bread with white dish towel

What is a Quick Bread?

Pumpkin bread is considered a “quick bread.” Quick breads are breads that don’t require yeast and the dough/batter doesn’t need time to rise. Most often quick breads use baking powder or baking soda as their leavening agent (the ingredients that helps it rise.)

Muffins, pancakes, waffles, biscuits and scones are all quick breads. Some quick breads, like banana bread and pumpkin bread, are more like cake than bread.

Why this recipe works

Our baked pumpkin bread is a simple recipe. It’s soft and moist with a tender crumb. We like to use canned pumpkin instead of fresh pumpkin. It’s easier and the concentrated puree gives a stronger pumpkin flavor.

We use fall spices cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger to make this homemade pumpkin bread. Their flavors complement the pumpkin and create a heavenly aroma and lots of anticipation around our house!

What you'll need to make pumpkin bread (ingredients)

Ingredients for pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

Pumpkin. We use canned pumpkin (pumpkin puree) for its concentrated flavor and ease of preparation. Don’t confuse this with pumpkin pie mix which also comes in a can. Pumpkin flavors and gives moisture to the bread.
All purpose flour. Flour creates structure for the bread and adds protein.
Sugar. Sugar sweetens the recipe and makes the crumb more tender.
Butter. Butter gives this bread rich flavor and tenderizes it.
Eggs. The liquid in eggs creates steam which helps the bread rise; protein helps build the structure of the bread.
Milk. Milk creates steam which helps the bread rise.
Baking powder. Leavening agents which help the bread rise by creating expanding bubbles of carbon dioxide.
Salt. Salt enhances the flavor of the pumpkin bread.
Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger add flavor to the bread.
Chocolate Chips. We love adding semi-sweet chocolate chips to our pumpkin bread. You could also add white chocolate chips, nuts, or omit them completely if you prefer.

How to Make this Recipe

4 pictures showing how to make pumpkin bread with chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees then lightly grease bottom of 1 standard loaf pan or 2 small loaf pans. Next, line with parchment paper.
In a separate bowl gently sift or mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.) We suggest you use this method to measure flour accurately.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat well with electric mixer. Add eggs and beat well.
Add pumpkin, milk and vanilla and beat mixture until it is light and fluffy. If using chocolate chips, you can add them at this time. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and gently mix by hand with spoon or rubber scraper just until dry ingredients disappear. Be careful not to over mix the batter or it could become tough and have tunnels when baked.

Pour mixture into loaf pan(s). Place in the oven to bake. Bake 30-40 minutes for small loaf pans and 50-60 minutes for standard loaf pans.
Let the bread cool 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven. Then remove from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Pumpkin bread is better a few hours later or even the next day when the flavors have had a chance to blend.

Baking pumpkin bread at high altitude

When baking at high altitudes the air pressure is lower so food bakes differently. There are several factors that need to be adjusted in a recipe if you’re baking over about 3,000 feet elevation.

These are some basic suggestions. It would help to take notes when you’re baking at high-altitude so you can figure out what works best for you on each recipe you use.

BAKING OVER 3,000 FEET

Variable	Problem	Solution
Flour	Stucture of baked goods is weaker at high altitudes.	Add 1 Tablespoon more flour to a recipe. Add an additional Tablespoon for each 1,500 foot increase.
Sugar	Becomes more concentrated.	Decrease by 1 Tablespoon per cup.
Liquid	Liquids evaporate quicker; they need to be increased to keep food from drying out.	Increase by 1-2 Tablespoons at 3,000 ft. Increase 1 ½ teaspoons for each additional 1,000 ft.
Leavening Agents	Baked goods will rise quicker at higher altitudes.	Decrease the baking powder or baking soda in a recipe. In this pumpkin bread, reduce the 1 ¾ teaspoon baking powder to 1 ¼ teaspoon at 3,000-5,000 ft. At 5,000-6,500 ft. use ¾ teaspoon.
Oven temperature	Liquids evaporate more quickly; rising happens more quickly so you need to set the structure faster before the food dries out or over-rises.	Increase oven temp. 15-25 degrees.
Baking time	As you’re baking at a higher temp, food will finish baking sooner.	Decrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minute baking tine.

Expert Tips

Turn this recipe into muffins. Just add muffin liners to a 12 cup muffin pan. Fill each cup half full and bake for about 25 minutes (check them the last 5 minutes.)
Don't over-mix the batter. Mixing too much will give you a tougher pumpkin chocolate chip bread and may even create a peak or tunnels.
Swap orange juice for the milk. Use orange juice instead of milk for a delicious fresh flavor.
Use pumpkin pie spice. You can add 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
Use shortening. You can substitute shortening in this recipe if you don’t have butter.

How to bake pumpkin bread at high altitude showing stack of slices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you know when pumpkin bread is done?

Check the middle of the loaf by inserting a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center. There is usually a crack across the top; try inserting the skewer there. If it comes out clean, the bread is done.

What can I do with leftover pumpkin puree?

There are so many ways to use that leftover pumpkin: Double the pumpkin bread recipe and make 2 loaves!

Or try making a pumpkin pie smoothie, pumpkin pie syrup, or pumpkin chili!

A knife with slices of warm pumpkin bread on parchment paper.

Storage and Freezing Tips

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread will stay fresh about 4 days if covered tightly. Pumpkin bread is dense it also freezes quite well.

To freeze pumpkin bread, first cool it completely. then wrap the bread in plastic wrap and seal (a tight first layer will prevent ice crystals from forming and keep it fresh).

Next, wrap a second layer of foil over the bread and fold down seams. You can also place the wrapped bread in a ziplock bag. Freeze; it'll keep in the freezer about three months.

To serve, thaw pumpkin bread before trying to slice it. Serve at room temperature.

YOU MIGHT ENJOY ONE OF THESE FALL RECIPES!

P.S. If you tried this recipe or any other In Fine Taste recipe take a second and rate it below! We love hearing what you think. Let’s stay in touch! Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest for more recipe ideas.

originally posted November 25, 2018