This Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Spice Bread is a tender, warmly spiced quick bread made with pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, and generous semisweet chocolate chunks. It bakes in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan at 350°F (175°C) for 55–70 minutes and makes about 10–12 slices.
Every slice has a soft, moist crumb, fragrant cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, plus pockets of rich chocolate throughout. The loaf is easy enough for a weekday breakfast and special enough for an autumn dessert table, especially when served slightly warm or after resting overnight for deeper pumpkin-spice flavor.
Jump to RecipeWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
This loaf brings together two classic fall flavors in one uncomplicated bake: pumpkin spice and chocolate. The pumpkin contributes moisture and a naturally mellow sweetness, while melted butter gives the bread a rich flavor that pairs beautifully with bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.
The spice blend is balanced rather than overpowering. Cinnamon leads with familiar warmth, nutmeg adds a rounded fragrance, cloves supply a gentle depth, and a small amount of ginger or allspice gives the finish a pleasant lift.
There is no mixer required, and the batter comes together in two bowls. That makes this recipe a practical choice when you want a homemade treat without the longer preparation associated with yeast bread.
If you enjoy festive baked goods, you may also like these chocolate spiderwebs for another seasonal bread idea.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gather the ingredients before mixing, since the batter is quick to prepare once the butter has melted. Room-temperature eggs blend more easily, although the recipe will still work if your eggs are cool from the refrigerator.
- Flour: Use 1 3/4 cups, or 220 grams, of all-purpose flour. Accurate measuring matters because excess flour can make the loaf dry and dense.
- Leaveners: Baking soda and baking powder work together to give the quick bread a balanced rise.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger or allspice create the pumpkin-spice profile.
- Butter and sugar: Melted unsalted butter supplies richness, while light brown sugar adds moisture and caramel-like flavor. A smaller amount of granulated sugar keeps the sweetness balanced.
- Pumpkin: Use 1 cup, or 225–245 grams, of plain pumpkin puree. Do not use canned pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices.
- Chocolate: Use 1 to 1 1/4 cups of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks. Chocolate chips can replace the chunks in the same quantity.
For a homemade option, you can prepare your own pumpkin puree with this guide to making pumpkin puree. Whichever puree you choose, it should be smooth and free of excess liquid.
How to Make It Step-by-Step
Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), then prepare a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with grease and parchment. Leave a paper overhang on the long sides so the baked loaf can be lifted out without damaging its tender edges.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger or allspice to a bowl. Whisk thoroughly so the spices and leaveners are distributed evenly instead of forming concentrated pockets in the finished bread.
Step 3: In a second bowl, whisk together the melted butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition, then mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until the mixture looks smooth.
Step 4: Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Fold with a spatula only until the last streaks of flour disappear; a few gentle turns are better than vigorous stirring because overmixing can make the loaf tough or create a dense, peaked center.
Step 5: Fold about three-quarters of the chocolate chunks into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and scatter the remaining chunks over the surface so every slice has chocolate inside and a tempting finish on top.
Step 6: Bake for 55–70 minutes. Begin checking toward the earlier end of the range, but rely on the doneness test: a toothpick inserted in the center should show a few moist crumbs and no wet batter.
Step 7: If the top becomes deeply brown before the center is finished, loosely cover the loaf with foil during the final 15–20 minutes. This protects the chocolate and crust while allowing the middle to finish baking.
Step 8: Let the bread cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then use the parchment to transfer it to a wire rack. Wait at least 1 hour, and preferably until completely cool, before slicing because the crumb firms as it rests.
Pro Tips for a Tender Loaf
Flour measurement is one of the most important details in this recipe. Weigh the flour as 220 grams when possible, or spoon it gently into measuring cups and level the top with a straight edge rather than scooping directly from the bag.
Keep the melted butter slightly cooled before adding the eggs. Very hot butter can partially cook the eggs, while properly cooled butter blends into the sugar mixture smoothly.
Do not judge doneness by the color of the crust alone. Pumpkin bread can look finished while the center remains wet, so test the deepest part of the loaf and continue baking if the toothpick shows raw batter.
The chocolate topping may soften during baking and create a glossy, rustic surface. For especially even slices, allow the loaf to cool fully before cutting with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.
Oil is a possible variation in many pumpkin-bread formulas, and 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil makes a particularly moist loaf. This version uses 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter for a richer flavor, so avoid switching to a larger amount of fat without changing the rest of the formula.
For another pumpkin dessert to add to a fall menu, see this layered pumpkin cake. Its presentation is different, but the warm seasonal flavor works wonderfully beside this simple loaf.
Serving Suggestions
Serve thick slices for breakfast with coffee, tea, or a pumpkin-spiced latte. The bread is also delicious as an afternoon snack, especially when the chocolate is still slightly soft from gentle warming.
For a dessert-style serving, add a spoonful of softly whipped cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar. A small pat of salted butter can bring out the brown sugar and chocolate without making the slice feel too rich.
This loaf fits easily on a brunch board alongside fruit, yogurt, and nuts. For a cookie tray with similar coffeehouse spices, pair it with these pumpkin spice latte cookies.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Cool the bread completely before storing it so trapped steam does not make the crust gummy. Wrap the loaf tightly or place it in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature for several days.
Resting the wrapped loaf overnight is especially useful because the pumpkin and spices become more pronounced. The chocolate remains pleasantly tender, and the slices become easier to cut cleanly the next day.
To freeze the loaf, wrap it securely once fully cooled and freeze it whole or in individual slices. Thaw it at room temperature, then warm a slice briefly if you want softer chocolate and a just-baked texture.
Chocolate lovers can also serve this bread with a small bite of chocolate chip cookie dough fudge for an extra-indulgent dessert plate.
Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Spice Bread
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the finished loaf out easily.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger or allspice together in a medium bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the melted, slightly cooled butter with both sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the pumpkin puree and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and fold just until no dry flour remains. Avoid overmixing.
- Fold about three-quarters of the chocolate chunks into the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and scatter the remaining chunks over the surface.
- Bake for 55–70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil during the final 15–20 minutes.
- Cool the loaf in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then lift it onto a rack and cool completely before slicing. The crumb continues to set as the bread cools.
Notes
Final Thoughts
This Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Spice Bread is the kind of dependable autumn bake that fills the kitchen with cinnamon and chocolate while requiring very little effort. The combination of plain pumpkin puree, melted butter, brown sugar, and carefully measured flour creates a tender loaf with a rich but balanced sweetness.
Remember the key details: use a 9 x 5-inch pan, mix only until the flour disappears, reserve some chocolate chunks for the top, and bake until the center shows moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Cooling for at least 1 hour may test your patience, but it gives the crumb time to set and makes every slice more satisfying.
Make it for a weekend breakfast, wrap it for a thoughtful homemade gift, or keep a few slices ready for an afternoon treat. Once you taste the soft pumpkin crumb and chocolate-filled center together, this loaf is likely to become a regular part of your fall baking routine.
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