This Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread recipe wins a blue ribbon every time I enter it in baking contests. It is rich with spices that perfectly blend with the pumpkin and the chocolate chips are a wonderful enhancement. This recipe makes two loaves so you have one to share with a friend or neighbor!
This bread is so good, I have a hard time not sneaking back for another slice! Some people like to glaze their pumpkin breads, but this is sweet enough on its own. But If you need to glaze it, feel free.
My version of this bread has changed over the years as I’ve tweaked it. I found the original recipe years ago in the “Fanny Farmer Baking Book” by Marion Cunningham, a delightful woman who became known across the country when she worked as James Beard’s assistant for his cooking classes.
She was an unassuming, down-to-earth woman who believed that less is more. Her recipes are deceptively simple, the trick is to use the highest quality ingredients you can and let their beauty shine.
Pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!) is naturally fat free, low in sodium and a great source of Vitamins A and C. Because pumpkin is a vegetable, one slice of this bread can count toward the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, right?! This is a great way to sneak something moderately healthy into your child’s snacks and meals, LOL!
This bread is one of my favorite hostess gifts to take to friends. It is a great option for the holidays, especially Halloween and Thanksgiving, and because it is not as sweet as all the other treats people will be receiving, it will be enthusiastically welcomed!
While I love the addition of the chocolate chips, you may prefer plain pumpkin bread occasionally. Just leave the chocolate out of the recipe, no other adjustments necessary. Or you can replace them with golden raisins if you prefer. Anything goes!!
If you are new to baking, this is a great recipe to start with. It is very easy, forgiving, and a wonderful way to build your baking confidence or that of your children. Smelling these loaves baking, seeing them rising in the oven and coming out golden brown, will make everyone happy and feel like a success.
This is one of those foods that tastes better on the day after it is baked. It can be made up to three days ahead of time, making it perfect for those times when you have overnight or weekend guests. Served alongside some eggs and fresh fruit, you’ll have a nutritious breakfast that is quick and easy to get on the table when your family is hungry!
For self-service, once the loaves are cooled you can slice them and wrap each piece individually with plastic wrap. Stack them in the refrigerator or freezer and your family can grab one for asnack any time of the day or night! If you like muffins, you can also bake this batter in muffin tins and stack them in baskets for gifts.
Whether you serve this Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread sliced and eaten plain, or lightly toasted with a little butter, I hope that it will become one of your favorite recipes, printed out, splattered and stained from years of use. I am happy to share my family’s favorite traditions – maybe this will be the beginning of a new tradition for your family too!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:
- GF flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, butter, pure pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, milk, chopped pecans or other nuts, semisweet chocolate chips
PRO Tip:
If you are using pecans or other nuts in these loaves, it is helpful to others if you decorate the tops with pecan halves. It lets them know that there are nuts in the bread and to avoid it if they have an allergy. Same with the chocolate chips.
How to make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread:
- Butter and lightly flour two loaf pans; set aside. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour through cloves).
- In the bowl of your stand mixer or large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the butter, pumpkin, eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk, and nuts. Mix until blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir on low speed just until blended with no lumps of flour. There will be pieces of butter which will dissolve during baking. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter equally between the two prepared loaf pans. Arrange pecan halves and extra chocolate chips on the top of the loaves if desired.
- Bake for 1 hour at 350°F (180°C) or until a toothpick comes out clean. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil. When done, remove from the oven and set on wire racks to partially cool. After 10 minutes, turn out the loaves and leave on wire racks to cool completely.
- When completely cool, wrap the loaves in plastic and store in the refrigerator. Add a layer of foil if you will be freezing them.
PRO Tip:
This recipe makes two loaves, so plan to enjoy one and share the other with a neighbor or send home with your friends!
PRO Tip:
While I love the addition of the chocolate chips, you may prefer plain pumpkin bread occasionally. Just leave the chocolate out of the recipe, no other adjustments necessary. You can replace the chocolate with golden raisins if you prefer. Anything goes!
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Gluten-Free Tips:
* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
My loaf pans are 9x4x4 with taller sides and are designed specifically for gluten-free baking. You can find them on King Arthur Flour’s website. They hold any recipe designed for a 9×5-inch loaf pan and are especially helpful when baking with gluten-free flours.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread (GF)
This Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread recipe wins a blue ribbon every time I enter it in contests. It is rich with spices that perfectly blend with the pumpkin and the chocolate chips are a wonderful enhancement. This recipe makes two loaves so you have one to share with a friend or neighbor!
Ingredients
- 3-1/3 cups (400g*) gluten-free flour blend* or all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2/3 cup (75g) slightly softened butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 can (15 oz; 425g) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 4 large eggs (200g), lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 2-2/3 cup (467g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (151g) whole milk
- 1 cup (114g) finely chopped pecans or other nuts, optional
- 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Pecan halves and chocolate chips, for decorating the top, optional
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the center. Butter and lightly flour two 9-inch loaf pans (be sure to use gluten-free flour if needed). Set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through cloves) in a bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the butter, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, sugar, milk, and nuts until fully incorporated. Add 1/2 the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed of your mixer just until batter is blended; repeat with remaining dry ingredients. The batter should show no lumps of flour, but there will be small pieces of butter that will disappear in baking. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. If desired, arrange pecan halves and/or chocolate chips on the top. The loaves will rise into a dome with a split down the center like the San Andreas fault.
5. Bake for 60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. If the tops start to get too brown before they are done, lightly tent with foil. When done, remove from the oven and partially cool in the pans 10 minutes on a wire rack before turning out onto the rack to cool completely. The flavor and texture of these loaves improve with time so make them a day ahead.
6. When completely cool, you can wrap the loaves in plastic. Store in the refrigerator. These also freeze well. Wrap tightly in plastic and then in foil before freezing.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
My loaf pans are 9x4x4 with taller sides for more support and are designed specifically for gluten-free baking. You can find them on King Arthur Flour’s website. They easily hold recipes designed for a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Modified version of a Marion Cunningham recipe from The Fanny Farmer Baking Book.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 290mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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