Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This soft, moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is perfectly spiced and studded with chocolate chips. It can also be baked as muffins, and it's so delicious that it will replace any other pumpkin bread recipe you've ever tried!

The BEST Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread or Muffins, with text overlay.

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If you're a fan of pumpkin treats, you'll also love Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Homemade Pumpkin Butter, or Healthy Pumpkin Breakfast Bars!

When sharing pumpkin recipes, I would be remiss not to include my all-time favorite, tried and true, classic pumpkin treat. It's not fancy or exciting, but it's oh-so-good. Today, I'm giving you my top-secret recipe for the very best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (or muffins)!

Okay, so it's not really top-secret. I've been making this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread for over 10 years now. And every time I'm asked for the recipe (which is a lot), I always freely share it. But today, I'm letting y'all in on the fun, too!

What Makes This Recipe the BEST?

There are several reasons why this has become my numero uno version of pumpkin bread.

First off, of course, is the taste. This pumpkin bread has just the right amount of pumpkin-ness balanced by just the right amount of spice (thank you, cinnamon and nutmeg). It's generously studded with mini chocolate chips as well, because, why not? And this bread is unbelievably soft and moist without being too heavy.

In addition to all of that, this recipe makes a lot. Once you try it, you'll realize that this is a good thing because (a.) one loaf isn't enough at the rate you'll find yourself flying through it, and (b.) it's fabulous for gift giving, as one batch can cover multiple gifts.

Pumpkin Mini Muffin studded with chocolate chips.

How to Freeze Pumpkin Bread

This recipe also freezes well, if you actually have the discipline to pace yourself with the first loaf and want to save the subsequent loaves for a later date. Now I don't have the discipline to pace myself when it comes to eating pumpkin bread in general, but I have baked this recipe ahead of time when expecting company or when preparing to go on a trip and it froze beautifully on those occasions.

  1. Remove the bread from the pans and allow to fully cool.
  2. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
  3. Place wrapped bread in a freezer-thickness plastic bag, squeezing out any air before sealing.
  4. Label and date the bag and freeze freeze for up to three months for optimal taste and texture.

And then to THAW your pumpkin bread...

  1. Remove the bread from the plastic bag, unwrap it, and place it on a wire rack.
  2. Allow it to thaw at room temperature, which should take around 3 hours.
  3. At this point you should re-wrap the bread and store it at room temperature (for up to 3 days) or in the refrigerator (for up to 5 days).
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins on colorful fall napkin.

Options for Baking

This recipe is also flexible. Depending on your preference, it can churn out either:

  • 2 large loaves.
  • 3 more moderately-sized loaves.
  • 6 mini loaves.
  • Dozens of muffins.
  • Or a boatload (~100) of mini muffins!

You can see that on this particular occasion, I made mini muffins. They were a perfect treat for my son's preschool class, and the leftovers made for yummy bite-sized snacking.

Stack of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Muffins.

So what are you waiting for?

If you're already a fan of pumpkin bread, I think you'll love this version.

And if you're planning on whipping up baked treats this holiday season for your friends/neighbors/children's teachers, I know you'll love how this recipe can knock out multiple gifts in one batch. I guarantee that your pumpkin bread recipients will appreciate not only your thoughtful gesture, but your delicious homemade treat, to boot!

More Pumpkin Goodness

Stack of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Muffins.

The BEST Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread (or Muffins)

This soft, moist pumpkin bread -- perfectly spiced and studded with chocolate chips -- is so delicious, it will replace any other recipe you've tried!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 36 muffins or 2 large loaves
Calories: 172.6kcal
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil, canola, safflower, etc.
  • cup water
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two large (9 by 5-inch) loaf pans, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another large bowl, blend together pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla until well incorporated. Slowly add in flour mixture, mixing until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
  • Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Loaf pans and muffin pans come in a variety of sizes, so the size of your pans will dictate how many loaves/muffins you get. Fill each pan about ⅔ full of batter. Below are the sizes of pans I've used and approximately how long they've needed to bake. If your pan sizes fall between these options, adjust the time accordingly. Regardless of the pans you use, consider these times a guideline, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean:
  • Two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans -- 60 minutes 
  • Three 7- by 3-inch loaf pans -- 50 minutes  
  • Six mini loaf pans -- 40 minutes  
  • Approximately 3 dozen regular muffins -- 20 to 22 minutes 
  • Approximately 100 mini muffins -- 12 to 14 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 172.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.04g | Protein: 2.36g | Fat: 3.57g | Saturated Fat: 1.68g | Cholesterol: 19.69mg | Sodium: 202.52mg | Potassium: 19.75mg | Fiber: 0.73g | Sugar: 22.97g | Vitamin A: 53.12IU | Vitamin C: 0.06mg | Calcium: 18.39mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Adapted from AllRecipes.

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17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    For anyone using the 6 cavity Nordic Ware mini bundt pan, this recipe makes 18 total, and they take approximately 23-25 mins. in a 350 degree oven. They are delicious!!!

  2. These are the perfect quarantine recipe! I've made them twice now. This time around, I did 2/3 cup oil and 2 cups packed sugar instead of 3, and they turned out just great. Thanks for this recipe!!

  3. THESE ARE A HIT!!
    These turned out so good the first time we made them. I had to start making them every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone that’s tried them loves them! My coworkers won’t stop bugging me to make more. Definitely worth a try to anyone who hasn’t made them before. They’re delicious.

    1. I regularly substitute whole wheat pastry flour for regular all-purpose flour in muffin recipes, Laura, and they always turn out great...so I see no reason why the substitution wouldn't work here as well! 🙂

    1. I'm so glad that you think I named them appropriately, Kristin. 😉 I agree that they're the best...in fact, I might have to whip up a batch of them this weekend myself! Thanks for stopping by and happy Friday!

  4. Jaw dropping goodness!! I am in awe these are the most amazing pumpkin muffins ever!!! My house smells wonderful my husband and two kids have devoured the first dozen already!!! Thank you!!

    1. Your comment made me blush, Shaunna. 🙂 I am SO happy to hear that your family loved these muffins so much. They just so happen to be my favorites, too. 😉 Hope you enjoy this recipe for many years to come!

  5. I'm not sure why we made pumpkin bread in Arizona in July, but we did. A Google search led me here, so I used your recipe. Everything you said about it is true, and more--moist, light texture, perfect spice to sweet ratio, fantastic crust. We used 60% bittersweet chocolate chips and they created a great flavor. My first bite led to five minutes of raving about how good it is. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

    1. Ha, Dawn...I love it that you're making pumpkin bread in July (although I have to admit that when I saw there was a comment on this post this time of year, I figured that it must be spam). 😉 I love it even more that this recipe was such a hit! I hope you enjoy it well into the fall months and for many years to come. Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice comment...hope you have a great week! 🙂

    1. Thanks, Jenn! This is one of my favorite fall treats...I look forward to making it every year! Hope you enjoy it, too. 🙂

    1. Thanks, Jocelyn! I usually feel like pumpkin bread is missing something if it doesn't include chocolate chips. Of course, that probably speaks to my own chocolate addiction more so than a defect in the pumpkin bread... 😉

  6. Yummy! Pinned it to have for December in Texas...Thanks a bunch, Samantha!

    Deb

    Johnny did pretty good Saturday, poor thing...;)

    1. I hope this recipe is a hit with your crew, Deb!

      And yes, Johnny has an impressive way of achieving his best stats in the face of adversity. You could tell he was in pain at certain points on Saturday. He's definitely got heart when it comes to playing football!

      Have a great night!