Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I am absolutely in love with this chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe. It combines everything I love about Fall: warm spices, cozy bakes, and of course, chocolate!

I feel like homemade pumpkin bread is Fall Season’s version of banana bread – it’s a tried and true classic… but this recipe? We took it up a notch. And let me tell you about it. 

The pumpkin bread itself is a soft, moist bread that’s lightly spiced – just enough so you know it’s there but in a way that really lets the pumpkin flavor shine. There’s little pockets of chocolate chips and chocolate streusel on top of the bread, similar to a pumpkin coffee cake, that takes this to the next level. And my goodness, it is soooo good. 

Each bite melts in your mouth and the chocolate streusel gives you the perfect amount of texture and crunch. This will quickly become one of your favorite fall recipes. It’s perfect all on its own or served warm with melty chocolate chips and a slice of butter on top. 

Main Ingredients 

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)

• Pure pumpkin puree, not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling. 
• I used Olive Oil, however, you can use canola or vegetable oil, too. I prefer olive oil as it has a fruity and slightly nutty flavor that complements the subtle spices and pumpkin/chocolate flavors. 
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips are the perfect compliment to the fall flavors of the pumpkin loaf without being too sweet. For a sweeter option, you can use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate for less. 
• We’re going to use a mix of warm fall spices that’s essentially my own pumpkin pie spice blend. It consists of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. 
• This recipe does not call for eggs, your eyes aren’t deceiving you! Pumpkin puree acts as a binder and is often used as an egg replacement. With my pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, I added them because I wanted a more decadent mouthfeel. With this recipe, because chocolate is so heavy already, I wanted a fluffier bread. For balance. So yeah, no eggs in this one. You won’t miss it, I promsie.
• Buttermilk acts as a tenderizer to the gluten and also reacts with the baking soda to lift the bread in the oven. It also adds in moisture for that super soft texture.
• Olive Oil (or vegetable) add in moisture and richness, keeping the pumpkin bread nice and moist for DAYS.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Loaf

Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that there’s about 2 inches overhang on both sides (this makes it easier to remove from the pan and catches any streusel that may try to run away in the oven).

Step 1: Make the chocolate crumble – in a small bowl combine all purpose flour, cocoa powder, and brown sugar. Mix together then pour in the melted butter and mix until crumbles begin to form. Place into the refrigerator to firm up/cool.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ground ginger, and kosher salt. Whisk together then add in the chocolate chips and toss to coat. Set aside. 

Step 3: In a separate large bowl, combine the wet ingredients – pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sugar, olive oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until combined, about 1 minute.

Step 4: Fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and there’s no patches of flour, about 20-30 seconds.

Step 5: Add the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Smooth into an even layer.

Step 6: Sprinkle the chocolate crumble on top of the loaf. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour and 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let the bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes, them remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.