Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread is fudgy, deliciously moist and tender, and is packed with warm and cozy fall flavors. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up and makes for a great breakfast or afternoon treat. A must during pumpkin season!
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When it comes to pumpkin season, I am here for it. There’s just something truly comforting about the flavor that gets me every time – whether it’s sweet or savory. It’s an ongoing point of contention in our household because apparently many years ago, I overdid it on pumpkin (is there such a thing) and my husband hasn’t been crazy about it ever since. It’s been at least a decade though since I leaned into it, so I think it’s time I went a little wild.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread
OK, if pumpkin spice ANYTHING doesn't immediately draw you in, then let me tell you what’s so great about this specific quick bread. Each slice is so soft and cake-like, moist and fudgy. It’s not overly sweet either, which makes for a nice contrast with the melty pockets of rich and decadent chocolate.
Oh, and pumpkin and cozy and warm fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger? There’s a reason it goes on repeat all season long.
Plus, this pumpkin chocolate chunk bread is:
- Super easy to make. I have tips below to ensure it comes out perfect every time.
- Can be doubled so you have a sweet treat on hand all week long. (As a bonus, this bread will stay soft and luscious for days because of the pumpkin and the oil.)
- The epitome of fall COMFORT!
- Super soft. Unbelievably soft. Like indulging in the absolute best slice of cake and still being able to call it breakfast.
- Did I mention that it’s just TOO GOOD TO PASS UP!?
Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree: And we’re using a whole can of it. No leftover puree to try and use before it goes bad. No skimping on that pumpkin-y goodness. Just be careful you buy plain pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling, which has other ingredients added to it. It can be somewhat confusing since the two are often right next to each other at the store.
- Sugar: In this recipe I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar to add complexity and a subtle caramel-like flavor that pairs beautifully with this bread.
- Eggs: To help bind the ingredients together.
- Oil: Using even just a couple tablespoons of oil in a quick bread recipe can help prolong the life of your loaf, because it will stay soft for a day or two longer than if you only use butter. I used vegetable oil in this recipe, but you can also use canola oil or sunflower oil if that’s what you have on hand.
- All-purpose flour: This is the perfect flour for this recipe.
- Chocolate: Here I bought semi-sweet and dark chocolate chunks and then further chopped them so there would be larger chunks and smaller shards of chocolate. You can, alternatively, buy a nice bar of chocolate and chop it into chunks yourself. OR you can swap for chocolate chips. Up to you.
- Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are both needed for this recipe for a nice tall loaf that is also nice and fluffy.
- Vanilla extract and fall spices: For this I like using a good vanilla extract. As for the spices, we’re talking cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg. You can use ground nutmeg, but I love to use a micro zester to grate off of the whole nut. I think it’s one of the most underrated whole spices.
Ingredient Swaps and Variations
This is a very forgiving loaf. If you'd like to change up the mix-ins and inclusions, feel free! Here are some simple swaps:
- Add a half cup of pecans or walnuts, or if you are nut free, pumpkin seeds.
- Use white chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips.
- Add a half cup of chopped, dried dates or maybe some golden raisins.
Equipment
- 9x5” loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
How to Make: Step-By-Step Instructions (+Video)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the 2 eggs ½ cup granulated sugar and ¾ brown sugar together until the eggs and the sugars lighten in color and start to fluff up.
- Stir in the can of pumpkin purée, ½ cup oil, and 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking together the 1 ⅓ cups flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and spices (2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and if you’d like ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice). Whisk in the chocolate chunks.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until incorporated. The batter should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water.
- Pour the pumpkin bread batter into a prepared pan, smooth top, sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay). Start checking at the 40 minute mark. Ovens can sometimes run cool or hot.
Tips & Tricks For the Best Pumpkin Bread
- Measure the flour. One of the main causes of dry, crumbly pumpkin bread is the overuse of flour. The best way to ensure you don’t use too much flour is to fluff it before spooning it into a measuring cup and then level it off with a knife.
- Use room-temperature eggs. They bind everything together better if they are not straight out of the refrigerator.
- Do not overmix your batter. Gently fold in your ingredients and don’t overmix, which leads to a heavy, dense loaf.
- Using an electric mixer: You can use an electric hand-held mixer right up until it’s time to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Using an electric mixer to combine the wet ingredients with the dry ones can cause overmixing. Plus, this batter isn’t a very stiff dough, so it’s easy to mix together by hand!
Storage
Storing: Leftovers will keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for about 4 days. You can also refrigerate the loaf tightly wrapped for up to 7 days. The refrigerator can dry the bread out a little, but it will still taste delicious.
Freezing: You can freeze the whole pumpkin loaf or slice to store. I like to cut the bread into individual slices to defrost a slice as I have a need (or craving!). Wrap the whole loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer bag. The bread will freeze well for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Warm in the microwave for a few seconds once thawed for that fresh-from-the-oven feel.
Like this recipe?
It may or may not be fall outside, but in your kitchen it can always be October. Pumpkins, apples, cinnamon spice, and maple: incoming!
- Pumpkin Pop Tarts
- Apple Snack Cake
- Yogurt Apple Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crunch
- Chewy Toffee Maple Pecan Cookies
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can pumpkin purée
- ½ cup vegetable oil or canola, sunflower, or any neutral oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg I love using freshly grated nutmeg, but ground nutmeg works too
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice optional
- ¾ cup chocolate chunks coarsely chopped; I use a mixture of dark chocolate and semi-sweet chunks, but you can also use a bar
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips for the top of the bread alternatively use pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the 2 eggs ½ cup granulated sugar and ¾ brown sugar together until the eggs and the sugars lighten in color and start to fluff up.
- Stir in the can of pumpkin purée, ½ cup oil, and 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking together the 1 ⅓ cups flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and spices (2 teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and if you’d like ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or allspice). Whisk in the chocolate chunks.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until incorporated. The batter should be thick but pourable. If it’s too thick, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of milk or water.
- Pour the pumpkin bread batter into a prepared pan, smooth top, sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay). Start checking at the 40 minute mark. Ovens can sometimes run cool or hot.
- Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Do not overmix your batter. This will result in a dense cake.
- Use room temperature eggs if you can. This will help the ingredients come together with less mixing.
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