Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips is the fall bake that converts pumpkin skeptics on the first slice: deeply spiced, impossibly moist pumpkin quick bread with melty pockets of chocolate in every bite.
Two loaves come out of the oven golden and fragrant, and the house smells like October decided to move in permanently.
This recipe makes two full loaves from one can of pumpkin, which means one for today and one for the freezer, the neighbor, or the midnight slice you will absolutely not regret.
It is ideal for fall baking marathons, holiday gift baskets, and anyone who believes chocolate makes every season better. No mixer, no fuss, and the second loaf freezes like a champion for up to three months.
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Bake time: 60 to 70 minutes
- Total time: about 1 hour 30 minutes
- Servings: 2 loaves, about 24 slices
- Difficulty: Easy
- Method: Quick bread, one bowl plus one, oven-baked
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup oil
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup water
Ingredient Notes & Easy Substitutions
Pumpkin puree: Plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which carries its own sugar and spices and throws the recipe off balance.
- The whole 15 ounce can goes in, and it is responsible for the incredible moisture that keeps this bread fresh for days.
Oil instead of butter: One full cup of neutral oil keeps quick breads softer for longer than butter ever could; it stays liquid at room temperature, and that quality transfers straight to the crumb. This is the same moisture logic behind my old fashioned banana bread.
Three cups of sugar: It looks like a lot because it is, and it is also correct for two large loaves. The spices and pumpkin carry warmth, but the sugar is what makes this feel like dessert bread rather than breakfast penance.
The spice trio: Cinnamon leads, nutmeg supports, cloves finish with their deep, almost peppery warmth.
Together they are pumpkin pie spice by another name; a tablespoon of the pre-mixed blend substitutes cleanly if that is what the cabinet holds.
The two-thirds cup of water: It loosens the thick pumpkin batter into something that bakes evenly through two full loaf pans. Do not skip it; the batter is genuinely heavy without it.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Two 9×5 or 8.5×4.5 loaf pans, greased
- Large mixing bowl and a medium bowl
- Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Wire cooling racks
- Toothpick for testing
How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
Wet bowl, dry bowl, one stir, two pans. Quick bread does not ask much of you, and it pays generously. Follow with me.
Step One: Prep the Oven and Pans
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two loaf pans thoroughly, including the corners.
You are looking for well-greased pans with no dry patches; pumpkin bread is heavy and it clings where butter did not reach. Parchment slings work beautifully too if lifting is your style.
Step Two: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs until smooth and uniform, then stir in the water.
You are looking for a glossy, pourable orange mixture with the eggs fully broken up. The batter will look thin for pumpkin bread at this stage; the flour fixes that in the next step.
Step Three: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly blended.
You are looking for spices distributed before they ever meet the wet bowl, which prevents those bitter pockets of concentrated clove that nobody enjoys discovering mid-slice.
Step Four: Bring the Batter Together
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until no flour streaks remain.
You are looking for a thick, spreadable batter, and a light hand at the end. Quick breads turn dense and tough when overmixed, so the moment the flour disappears, you stop.
Step Five: Fold in the Chocolate Chips
Fold the chocolate chips through the batter in two or three strokes, distributing them evenly.
You are looking for chips spread through both loaves’ worth of batter rather than settled in one region. A light dusting of flour on the chips before folding helps them suspend instead of sinking.
Step Six: Divide and Bake
Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and bake at 350°F for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick in the center of each loaf comes out clean.
You are looking for deeply golden, domed tops and a clean toothpick. Start checking at the hour mark; ovens vary, and pumpkin bread can go from perfect to overbaked in ten quiet minutes.
Step Seven: Rest and Turn Out
Cool the loaves in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to finish cooling.
You are looking for loaves that release cleanly and hold their shape. The 10-minute rest lets the crumb set; after that, resist slicing for at least an hour if you possibly can, since warm quick breads gum the knife.
Serving Size & Batch Scaling
Two loaves cut into about 24 slices total. As a household treat, one loaf covers several breakfasts and the second loaf is your insurance policy, gift, or freezer backup. For gatherings, the two-loaf yield is exactly right; one never seems to be enough.
The batter also happily becomes muffins: divide into 24 muffin cups and bake 22 to 26 minutes for grab-and-go portions.
Wrap the second loaf while it is still faintly warm and the crust stays soft instead of drying out. A ribbon around it turns the spare loaf into a gift that costs you nothing but one extra hour of baking.
Making More or Less?
- 1 loaf: Halve everything, using 2 eggs, and bake in a single pan for 55 to 65 minutes.
- 2 loaves: The recipe as written.
- 4 loaves: Double everything and bake in two rounds, or run four pans across two racks and rotate them at the 30-minute mark. Mix in a truly large bowl; this batter doubles big.
For any batch: real pumpkin puree, spices whisked into the flour, and the toothpick test over the clock. Those habits bake the same bread every single time.
Nutrition Estimate Per Serving
The following is an estimated nutritional breakdown per slice (1 of 24), calculated from the ingredients in this recipe. It is an estimate, not medically precise information.
- Calories: ~295
- Protein: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fat: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 31g
- Sodium: ~160mg
Useful highlight: the pumpkin quietly contributes real vitamin A and moisture with almost no fat of its own, and the slices stay genuinely soft for days, which cuts waste.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using pumpkin pie filling. It is pre-sweetened and spiced, and it unbalances the whole loaf. Pure pumpkin puree, every time.
Overmixing the batter. Tough, tunneling bread is the reward for enthusiasm. Stir until the flour vanishes, then stop stirring.
Underbaking the middle. This is a heavy batter, and it takes the full hour at minimum. The toothpick is the only honest witness.
Slicing while hot. Warm quick bread smears and gums. Give it the hour; the wait is part of the recipe even if the recipe forgot to say so.
Troubleshooting Guide
My loaf sank in the center. Why? Usually underbaking or too much leavening for the pan size. Test with a toothpick all the way to the bottom of the center, and measure the soda with a level spoon.
The top cracked deeply. Is that wrong? No; a long crack down the middle is the proud signature of quick bread. It means the loaf rose fast and proud.
The chocolate chips all sank. Now what? Toss them in a teaspoon of flour before folding next time, and make sure the batter is properly thick before they go in.
The bread is dry. Why? Overbaking, most likely, or packed flour. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it, and pull the loaves the moment the toothpick comes clean.
Variations & Customizations
Streusel top version: Sprinkle a buttery cinnamon sugar crumble over each loaf before baking. Bakery cases charge extra for this; you will not.
Cream cheese swirl version: Swirl sweetened cream cheese through the batter like my coffee cake banana bread does with cinnamon. Pumpkin and cream cheese are old friends.
Nutty version: Fold in a cup of toasted walnuts or pecans with the chips. Crunch against that soft crumb is a beautiful thing.
More chocolate chip baking: My rice krispie chocolate chip cookies keep the chocolate-through-baking theme going all year long.
This two-loaf method follows the classic at Butter with a Side of Bread, and the contest-winning version at Taste of Home matches the same beloved ratio.
What to Serve With It
For breakfast: A thick slice with coffee while the morning is still quiet. This bread was born for that moment.
For gifting: Wrap the second loaf in parchment and twine. Neighbors, teachers, and new parents all speak fluent pumpkin bread.
With spreads: Softened butter or cream cheese turns a slice into an occasion. Honey is not wrong either.
For dessert: Warm slice, vanilla ice cream, thank-you notes later. It performs in every slot of the day.
Meal Prep & Make-Ahead Instructions
Can this be made ahead? It is a make-ahead champion: the loaves actually taste deeper on day two as the spices settle in. Bake on Sunday, wrap tightly, and enjoy all week.
The second loaf freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, whole or sliced. Thaw slices on the counter or pop them straight into the toaster, which is honestly the highest compliment a quick bread can earn.
If your week looks crowded, bake both loaves on Sunday anyway; this bread was engineered for exactly that kind of planning, and the flavor genuinely improves by the middle of the week.
Storage & Leftovers
Refrigeration: Wrapped at room temperature the bread stays soft for 4 days thanks to all that pumpkin and oil. Refrigerate up to a week in warm weather; a quick warm-up revives it.
Freezing: Wrap tightly and freeze whole or by the slice for up to 3 months. Slices go from freezer to toaster without any thawing ceremony.
Leftover ideas: Cube stale ends into French toast bake, crumble over yogurt, or turn the last two slices into pumpkin bread pudding. The loaf gives until the very end.
Reheating Instructions
Toaster (best method): One medium cycle brings a slice back to fresh-baked softness with lightly crisped edges and melting chips.
Microwave (fastest): 10 to 15 seconds warms a slice through. Any longer and the chocolate turns molten, which is fun but messy.
Oven (for a crowd): Wrapped in foil at 300°F for about 10 minutes warms several slices or half a loaf at once.
The pumpkin and oil keep this crumb so moist that reheating is a pleasure rather than a rescue mission, which is exactly what a good quick bread should be.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned? Yes, if you roast and puree it thick; fresh pumpkin carries more water, so drain it well or the loaves turn dense. Canned exists precisely because it is consistent.
Why is my pumpkin bread dense and heavy? Usually overmixed batter or too little leavening. Stir gently and level-measure the baking soda, and the crumb stays tender.
Can I make muffins with this batter? Absolutely; 24 muffins at 350°F for 22 to 26 minutes. Start checking a few minutes early since muffin pans bake faster.
How do I keep the chocolate chips from sinking? Flour-toss the chips before folding them in, and keep the batter thick by measuring the flour properly. They will stay suspended where you put them.