Chocolate pumpkin bread is a soft, cocoa-rich loaf made with pumpkin purée, warm spice, and chocolate chips baked throughout. It's a fall-style quick bread that leans more chocolatey than spiced.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
🕒 Ready In: ~1 hour 15 minutes
👪 Serves: 8-10 slices
🥣 Main Ingredients: Pumpkin purée, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, pumpkin pie spice
👌 Difficulty: Easy - mix and bake
⭐ Why You'll Love It: This chocolate pumpkin bread bakes up moist and tender with a rich cocoa flavor, balanced by pumpkin and warm spice, and finished with chocolate chips throughout.
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The crumb stays moist and tender, with pumpkin adding structure and cocoa giving it a deeper flavor. Once cooled, the loaf slices easily without crumbling.
If you're baking with pumpkin, you might also like our Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Bread, or pumpkin sheet cake.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Why You'll Love Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Key ingredients
- Easy Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Recipe Notes & Tips
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Options
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bread faqs
- More Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- Get our Baking Tips & Tricks Ebook
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Why You'll Love Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Moist, tender crumb: Pumpkin purée and oil keep the loaf soft without feeling heavy.
Balanced chocolate flavor: Cocoa powder and chocolate chips add richness without overpowering the pumpkin.
Simple mixing: Everything comes together in one bowl with no special equipment.
Fits fall baking: The combination of pumpkin, cocoa, and warm spice works especially well during the fall season.
Key ingredients
- Pumpkin purée: Adds moisture and structure, helping the loaf stay soft without becoming dense.
- Cocoa powder: Gives the bread its deep chocolate flavor and darker crumb.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Adds warmth and balances the chocolate without making the bread overly spiced.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the loaf tender even after it has cooled.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Melt slightly as the bread bakes, adding pockets of chocolate throughout.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Milk swap: Use any dairy or unsweetened non-dairy milk in equal amounts without changing the texture.
- Spice adjustment: Replace pumpkin pie spice with a mix of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg if needed.
- Sugar option: Use half granulated sugar and half brown sugar for a slightly lighter sweetness.
- Chocolate choice: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips can be used instead of semi-sweet.
- Mini loaves: Divide the batter into mini loaf pans and reduce the baking time, checking early for doneness.
How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla.
- Step 2: Add the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until combined.
- Step 3: Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Step 4: Bake for 55-65. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Use pure pumpkin purée: Pumpkin pie filling will change the sweetness and spice balance and can affect the texture.
- Measure cocoa carefully: Too much cocoa powder can dry out the loaf, so level the measuring cup.
- Check the center: Insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the loaf; a few moist crumbs are ideal.
- Tent if needed: If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
- Cool before slicing: Letting the loaf cool completely helps it set and prevents crumbling.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Options
- Make ahead: Chocolate pumpkin bread can be baked a day in advance and stored tightly wrapped at room temperature once fully cooled.
- Short-term storage: Keep leftovers wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Freeze the loaf: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Freeze individual slices: Slice the loaf first, then wrap slices separately for easy thawing.
- Thawing tips: Thaw at room temperature or warm individual slices gently before serving.
Chocolate Pumpkin Bread faqs
Chocolate pumpkin bread may sink if it's underbaked or if the oven temperature is too low. The center needs to be fully set before removing it from the oven.
Chocolate pumpkin bread is done when the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. If the toothpick is clean, the bread may already be over baked.
Chocolate pumpkin bread can turn dry if it's over baked or if too much cocoa powder is used. Pulling the loaf when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs helps keep the texture soft.
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Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin purée: Pumpkin pie filling will change the sweetness and spice balance and can affect the texture.
- Measure cocoa carefully: Too much cocoa powder can dry out the loaf, so level the measuring cup.
- Check the center: Insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the loaf; a few moist crumbs are ideal.
- Tent if needed: If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
- Cool before slicing: Letting the loaf cool completely helps it set and prevents crumbling.
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