California Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with unbleached parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for about 10 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Add the spelt or whole wheat flour and stir gently with a spatula just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in most of the dark chocolate chips, reserving a handful for the top. Stir a few more times to distribute evenly.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the surface. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Using the parchment paper flaps, lift the bread out of the pan and let it cool completely before slicing. Cut into 10 slices with a serrated bread knife.
Nutrition
Notes
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Let us know how it was!Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
I’ve made dry pumpkin bread more times than I’d like to admit. Honestly, it’s a humbling experience when you pull a loaf out of the oven that looks gorgeous but crumbles into sad little pieces the second you try to slice it. Real talk: that’s the worst.
This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is different. It’s the recipe I turned to after one particularly disastrous batch last fall when I was testing for a workshop. The loaf came out so dry I could have used it as a doorstop. My student, this brilliant barista from Coava, took one bite and just looked at me. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. I went back to the drawing board.
What I figured out is that moisture in a quick bread isn’t just about luck. It’s about the right balance of wet ingredients, the right flour, and not overmixing. This version uses a full can of pumpkin puree, maple syrup instead of granulated sugar, and just enough oil to keep things tender. The spelt flour adds a nutty depth that plays beautifully with the dark chocolate. Every slice is soft, rich, and studded with melty chocolate bits.
You’re going to love this. Trust the process.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s the thing about this recipe: the ingredient list is shorter than you’d expect, and every single one earns its place. No weird stuff, no pantry items you’ll use once and forget about.
- Eggs: Two large eggs give structure and richness. They help the bread rise and hold together without being dense.
- Pumpkin puree: One full 15-ounce can. Make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. That stuff has added sugar and spices that will throw off the whole balance.
- Maple syrup or honey: This is the sweetener, and it’s a liquid one. That’s key for moisture. Granulated sugar would dry things out. Maple syrup gives a subtle warmth that pairs perfectly with the pumpkin.
- Avocado oil or melted butter: Just two tablespoons. You don’t need much fat here because the pumpkin and maple syrup are doing a lot of the moistening work.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Two whole tablespoons. Yes, that’s a lot. But pumpkin puree is mild, and you want that spice flavor to come through loud and clear.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both are needed for proper lift. The baking soda also helps neutralize the acidity from the maple syrup.
- Salt: Half a teaspoon. Don’t skip it. Salt makes the chocolate and pumpkin flavors pop.
- Spelt flour or whole wheat flour: This is where the recipe gets interesting. Spelt is an ancient grain with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. It’s lighter than whole wheat but heartier than all-purpose. If you use whole wheat, the bread will be a bit denser but still delicious.
- Dark chocolate chips: Three-quarters of a cup, plus extra for the top. I like dark chocolate here because its bitterness balances the sweet maple and warm spices.
That’s it. No weird science experiments required.
How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
The method here is straightforward, but a few details make the difference between a good loaf and a great one. Let’s walk through the four main stages.
Stage 1: Mix the Wet Ingredients
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of cooking oil. This step is non-negotiable for easy removal later.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for about ten seconds until they’re broken up and frothy. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until everything is smooth and well combined. The batter will look thick and glossy at this point, with that gorgeous orange color that screams fall baking.
Stage 2: Add the Flour
Here’s the part where most people mess up. Add the spelt flour to the wet mixture and stir gently with a spatula. And I mean gently. Stir just until the flour disappears into the batter. A few streaks are fine. Overmixing develops gluten, and that leads to a tough, rubbery loaf. Nobody wants that.
What I’ve found is that if you treat the batter like it’s fragile, it rewards you. Fold, don’t beat. Think of it as coaxing the ingredients together rather than forcing them.
Stage 3: Fold in the Chocolate Chips
Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips for the top of the loaf. Fold the rest into the batter with a few gentle strokes. You want them evenly distributed, not all clumped at the bottom.
Pro tip: if you’re worried about chips sinking, toss them in a teaspoon of flour before adding. That little coating helps them stay suspended in the batter during baking. I don’t always bother with this step, but if your chips tend to fall, it works.
Stage 4: Bake and Cool
Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle those reserved chocolate chips over the surface. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The toothpick test is your friend here: insert one into the center, and it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Not wet batter.
Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then lift it out using the parchment paper flaps and let it cool completely before slicing. I know it’s tempting to cut into it warm, but warm bread tends to crumble. Patience pays off.
Pro Tips for Perfect Bread
Over the years I’ve picked up a few tricks that make this pumpkin chocolate chip bread consistently excellent. Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way so you don’t have to.
- Use a light-colored aluminum loaf pan. Dark pans absorb more heat and can over-brown the outside before the inside is done. If you only have a dark pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and check earlier.
- Don’t open the oven door for the first 40 minutes. The sudden temperature drop can cause the bread to sink in the middle. Trust the process and let it do its thing.
- Check doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out with wet batter, give it more time. A few moist crumbs are fine. Clean means it’s done.
- Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. This is the most common mistake I see. Pie filling has added sugar and spices that will make your bread too sweet and throw off the texture.
- Let it cool completely before slicing. I can’t stress this enough. The bread continues to set as it cools. Slicing too early leads to a gummy interior and crumbly slices.
This recipe can also make about two dozen muffins. Bake at 350°F for 28 to 38 minutes. The same rules apply: don’t overmix, and check with a toothpick.
Variations to Try
Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, feel free to play around. Here are some ideas that work well.
- Different chocolate: Use milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even butterscotch chips instead of dark. Each one gives a different sweetness level, so adjust if needed.
- Add nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts add crunch. Fold in about half a cup along with the chocolate chips.
- Leave out the chocolate entirely: The bread is delicious plain. Just skip the chips and bake as directed.
- Make a bundt cake: Use the same recipe in a greased bundt pan. Add 1.5 cups of chocolate chips if you want. Bake for about an hour, checking with a toothpick.
- Swap the flour: If you don’t have spelt, whole wheat flour works. All-purpose flour also works, but the bread will be lighter and less nutty. Do not substitute with gluten-free, almond, or coconut flour. They won’t work here.
How to Store and Freeze
This bread keeps beautifully, which is great because it makes a generous loaf. Here’s how to keep it fresh.
Store leftover bread covered at room temperature for up to five days. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. If you live somewhere humid, the fridge is better for longer storage, up to ten days. Just bring slices to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
To freeze, let the bread cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of foil, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze individual slices for quick breakfasts or snacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
This pumpkin chocolate chip bread has become my go-to for fall baking, but honestly, I make it year-round now. There’s something about the combination of warm spices, tender crumb, and pockets of melted dark chocolate that just works. It’s the kind of bread that makes you slow down and enjoy the moment, whether you’re eating it for breakfast with coffee or as a late-night snack.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it goes. Drop a comment below or tag me in your photos. And if you’re looking for more inspiration, come follow me on Pinterest where I share all my favorite baking projects.
Source: Nutritional Information
