Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread: The Moistest Fall Loaf Recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

There is something about the first cool morning of fall that makes me want to turn on the oven before I even finish my coffee. This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is the loaf I bake first every single year.

It is easy to prepare, it delivers all the classic autumn flavors, and it makes two regular loaves or several mini loaves, so there is always one to share and one to keep.

The recipe needs about 10 minutes of prep and a handful of pantry ingredients you probably already have: sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, canned pumpkin, flour, leavening, salt, warm spices, milk, and chocolate chips. A full 12 ounce package of chocolate chips goes into the batter, so every slice has plenty of melty pockets running through it.

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What I love most is the balance. The warm fall spices, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, sit right next to all that chocolate, and neither one takes over.

If you enjoy this style of quick bread, other loaf recipes like lemon blueberry, poppyseed, and banana bread follow the same easy rhythm, so once you have this one down you can bake your way through the whole shelf.

Serve this loaf warm with a little butter, or at room temperature with coffee or cider. It works for breakfast, an afternoon snack, and a holiday dessert table. I have brought it to potlucks, school bake sales, and Thanksgiving mornings, and there is never a slice left behind.

Why I love this bread:

I have baked a lot of pumpkin loaves over the years, and this one stays in my regular rotation for three simple reasons.

• It is easy to make. You need about 10 minutes of prep and a handful of pantry ingredients. There is no chilling, no special equipment, and no fussy technique. If you can measure and stir, you can bake this bread.
• It makes more than one loaf. The batter fills two 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pans, or you can bake one regular loaf plus two mini loaves, or four mini loaves. One loaf for your kitchen, one to share with a neighbor, a teacher, or a friend who could use a little comfort. It also freezes well, so baking ahead actually works.
• The flavor is perfectly balanced. Warm spices and plenty of chocolate chips in the same bite. It tastes like pumpkin bread and a chocolate chip cookie decided to share a pan.

On busy weeks I bake a batch on Sunday afternoon and slice it for breakfasts and lunchboxes all week. My family has been known to finish the first loaf while it is still warm, standing at the counter with butter melting into each slice.

The second loaf usually makes it to the freezer, and I am always grateful it did. Mini loaves are my favorite thing to hand out around the holidays, because they look generous and take almost no extra effort.

What makes this loaf so moist is the pumpkin, butter, and milk working together with the eggs. The pumpkin brings flavor and tenderness, the butter brings richness, and the milk loosens the batter just enough. The spices are warm rather than sharp, and a full package of chocolate chips means every slice has something going on.

How to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread:

The method is simple. One bowl for the wet ingredients, one bowl for the dry, then combine, fold in the chocolate chips, and bake. Here is everything you need and how it comes together.

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 package chocolate chips

Step by step

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 and spray all over with cooking spray.
2. Add the sugar and 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 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.

A few notes on the process. Creaming the butter and sugar first gives the loaf a tender crumb, so give it a full minute with the mixer rather than a quick stir.

Adding the flour mixture alternately with the milk keeps the batter smooth instead of stiff, and finishing with flour means the chocolate chips go in last, right before the pans. The batter will be thick and scoopable, not runny, and that is exactly right.

The pumpkin does most of the heavy lifting here. It keeps the loaf soft for days, which is why this bread still tastes good on day three. The cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are measured carefully for a reason. Cloves and nutmeg are strong, and a little goes a long way.

Pan options and bake times

Whichever setup you choose, the batter makes 24 servings in total, so there are plenty of slices to go around.

Nutrition at a glance

Values are calculated from the source recipe, based on 24 servings.

Pro Tips:

These small details make the difference between a good loaf and a great one.

• Choose the right pan. A lightly colored aluminum loaf pan bakes the most evenly and keeps the bottom of the loaf from over browning. An 8.5 x 4.5 inch pan gives you a pretty, tall loaf, though a 9 x 5 inch pan also works if that is what you have in the cupboard.
• Do not skip the parchment paper. Lining just the bottom of the pan makes the loaf slide out cleanly, even where chocolate chips have settled.
• Start checking at 40 minutes. Ovens run hot and cold, and a chocolate chip can smudge a toothpick and make you think the bread needs more time. The loaf is done when the toothpick comes out with a few moist bread crumbs attached, not doughy batter.
• Use pumpkin puree, never pumpkin pie filling. Canned or homemade pumpkin puree both work beautifully. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it will throw off the texture and the flavor of the finished loaf.
• Turn the batter into muffins. The same recipe 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.
• Let it cool before you slice. A few minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack. Slicing while the loaf is hot gives you crumbly edges and a gummy center.
• Mix just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the loaf tough. Stir the last additions by hand with a spatula and stop as soon as you see no dry streaks.

The 40 minute check is the single best habit for this recipe. Every oven is a little different, and knowing your own oven is worth more than any timer.

One more thing I have learned the hard way: chocolate chips like to sink, so if you want them spread evenly, toss them with a spoonful of the flour mixture before folding them into the batter. That little step keeps the chips suspended instead of landing in one layer at the bottom of the loaf.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

Once the bread has cooled completely, it keeps beautifully. Here is how I store mine.

• At room temperature: up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• In the refrigerator: up to 10 days.
• In the freezer: let the loaf cool completely, then store it in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

For freezing, I like to keep one loaf whole for a weekend breakfast and slice the second loaf so I can pull out a single piece whenever a craving hits. A quick minute in the microwave brings a frozen slice right back to soft and warm.

If you plan to freeze, wrapping the loaf tightly before it goes into the bag helps keep ice crystals away from the crumb. Label the bag with the date so you know exactly how long it has been waiting. When you are ready, thaw it on the counter and it will taste like you baked it that morning.

This loaf has been a reader favorite for a long time, first shared in October 2013 and refreshed in October 2019 and October 2021. If you are baking for a crowd, double the batch and freeze the extras.

If you are baking for two, mini loaves are your friend. Either way, a slice with your morning coffee is a very good reason to turn on the oven.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread There is something about the first cool morning of fall that makes me want to turn on the oven before I even finish my coffee. This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is the loaf I bake first every single year.

• Total Time: 55 min
• Yield: 2 loaves (8.5×4.5 inch) or 4 mini loaves 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

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: 45 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

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