Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Name: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Cook time: 50 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted; 2½ tablespoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (if you love cinnamon, you can add more — I sometimes use up to 1 tablespoon); Pinch of ground cloves; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 cup pumpkin purée; ½ cup granulated sugar; ½ cup light brown sugar; 2 large eggs; ½ cup whole milk; ½ cup unsalted butter, melted; About 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste; About 1 cup mini chocolate chips; 1 good-quality milk chocolate bar, chopped; 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; Regular-size milk chocolate chips, for the top

Moist, spiced pumpkin bread loaded with mini chocolate chips and chopped milk chocolate, finished with a cinnamon-sugar topping and more chocolate chips.

Serves

1 loaf

Cook

40–50 minutes

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is soft, moist, full of warm fall flavor, and loaded with chocolate. I use mini chocolate chips and chopped milk chocolate inside the batter, then finish the loaf with a cinnamon-sugar topping and more chocolate chips before baking. I made my own pumpkin purée, but canned pumpkin purée works perfectly too — just make sure you use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. The inside stays soft and moist with little pockets of melted chocolate throughout, while the cinnamon-sugar topping adds a little extra sweetness and texture. And if you're a cinnamon lover like me, don't be afraid to add a little extra.

Instructions

Preheat the Oven

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2
Grease a loaf pan well with butter or cooking spray — I used coconut oil spray for mine.
3
If you prefer, you can also line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easier removal. I usually don't use parchment because my loaf pan is nonstick, but either method works.

Prepare the Dry Ingredients

1
In a separate bowl, sift the flour.
2
Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
3
Mix everything together well and set aside.

Beat the Eggs and Sugars

1
In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar.
2
Beat until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and approximately doubles in volume.

Add the Pumpkin and Vanilla

1
Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla.
2
Mix until well combined.

Add Half of the Flour Mixture

1
Add approximately half of the prepared flour mixture.
2
Mix just until incorporated.

Add the Melted Butter

1
Pour in the melted butter and mix gently.
2
This step is important: once the butter has been added, be careful not to overbeat the batter. Mix only until the butter is incorporated.

Add the Milk

1
Pour in the whole milk.
2
Mix briefly and gently. Again, do not overbeat the batter.

Add the Remaining Flour

1
Add the remaining flour mixture.
2
Mix only until everything comes together. Do not overmix.

Fold in the Chocolate

1
Add the mini chocolate chips and chopped milk chocolate.
2
At this point, stop using the mixer. Use a spatula to gently fold the chocolate into the batter until evenly distributed.

Transfer to the Loaf Pan

1
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
2
Spread the top evenly.

Add the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

1
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
2
Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the batter.
3
Finish with regular-size milk chocolate chips on top.

Bake

1
Bake at 350°F for about 40–50 minutes.
2
Every oven is different, so start checking toward the end of the baking time. Bake until the center is fully baked through.
3
Let the bread cool before removing it from the loaf pan and slicing.

Homemade Pumpkin Purée (Optional)

1
Peel and cut fresh pumpkin into pieces.
2
Boil the pumpkin in water until it is very soft.
3
Drain it extremely well, because you do not want excess water in the purée.
4
Blend the drained pumpkin with an immersion blender until completely smooth. You want the purée to be thick and smooth, not watery.
5
Measure 1 cup for this recipe. A medium pumpkin usually gives you more purée than you need for one loaf, so you can save the rest for another pumpkin recipe.
6
You can also use canned pumpkin purée — just make sure it is pure pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling.

Toti’s Tips

✓Sift the flour before using it.
✓Mix the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg into the flour before adding it to the batter.
✓Start with 1 teaspoon cinnamon. If you love cinnamon, add more — I sometimes use up to 1 tablespoon.
✓Beat the eggs and sugars until light, fluffy, and increased in volume.
✓Once the melted butter is added, do not overbeat the batter. This is especially important.
✓Mix the milk in briefly and gently.
✓Once the remaining flour goes in, mix only until combined.
✓Fold the chocolate in by hand with a spatula.
✓Mini chocolate chips spread nicely throughout the loaf.
✓Chopped milk chocolate gives you bigger melted chocolate pockets.
✓Regular-size chocolate chips are perfect for the top.
✓If making homemade pumpkin purée, drain the pumpkin very well before blending.
✓Grease your loaf pan well, or use parchment paper if you prefer easier removal.
✓Baking time can vary by oven, so use 40–50 minutes as a guide.