Sometimes it takes a little bit of sugar to get through the week, and this chocolate pumpkin bread is the perfect mood-booster for anyone craving a fall dessert. This simple loaf combines autumn spices, pumpkin and sweet cocoa. I can attest that if you make this recipe, your roommates will love you forever — the loaf will fill your kitchen with warm autumn aromas for at least a day.
I wanted to bake pumpkin bread as soon as I saw the first leaf fall to the ground last month, but I knew it would take me a few trials until I found my groove. My downfall in baking is typically dryness. I cannot count the amount of times I have watched my banana bread crumble on my plate due to a lack of moisture.
I was determined to avoid the same fate with my pumpkin bread. I experimented with various ingredients — even incorporating orange juice for added moisture — but settled on a blend of simple ingredients. I found that melted chocolate chips and smooth pumpkin puree keep the bread from crumbling, and just the right amount of milk ensures the loaf remains moist.
The spices, chocolate and pumpkin pack all the fall flavors into one loaf. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger creates a nutty and earthy taste, while the sweetness of the chocolate enhances the rich pumpkin flavor. Trust me when I say this chocolate pumpkin bread is worth a try.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients:
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup any type of milk
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips *
*Any form of chocolate will work, such as dark chocolate bark, pieces of Hershey bars or M&M’s — I am partial to the Nestlé semi-sweet ones.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch bread pan.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, milk and brown sugar until combined. Add the oil and pumpkin puree into the bowl, and whisk until combined.
- Slowly add small sections from the second bowl into the first bowl. Use a spatula or spoon to mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients until they are fully combined.
- Fold the chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the bread pan and even it out with a spatula. Sprinkle any remaining chocolate chips on top of the mixture.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top of the loaf is light brown.
- Remove from the oven. Serve warm.
One of my favorite parts of this recipe is how customizable it is — you can adjust the recipe to your liking or surprise a loved one with a loaf specifically made for them. For example, you can add walnuts to give the loaf a nuttier flavor and crunchier texture. If you are an extreme chocoholic, you can incorporate extra cocoa powder and chocolate chips into the mixture.
While best served warm, the loaf can make for a quick meal or snack the next day. You can pair the bread with fruit and a morning cup of coffee or enjoy the loaf as a dinnertime dessert, complete with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. However you decide to eat this chocolate pumpkin bread, I hope you end up scraping the edges of your bread pan, savoring every bit of autumn flavor just like my roommate and I did.
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