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This Pumpkin Bread has been a favorite in our family for years! It is delicious on its own or with chocolate chips, and for extra chocolate taste add chocolate chips and a chocolate glaze. The bread is perfectly dense and moist just how a good pumpkin bread should be.
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We simply love this Pumpkin Bread. It is easy to make and it ALWAYS comes out perfect. This is a great recipe to get the kids involved because it is so easy to do.
Just a few simple ingredients stirred together and you are done. No need to get out mixers or dirty any appliances, this can all be done with a mixing spoon and some measuring cups!
Ingredients for Homemade Pumpkin Bread
Sweet and savory pumpkin bread recipe is a lot like pumpkin muffins just not in a loaf pan. Same great flavor and fall spices! This bread is simple to make and so easy to make a variety of flavors.
- All purpose flour – It is best to sift your flour ahead of time. You can do this by using a whisk or a sifter.
- Baking soda and salt – Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. The combination of baking soda and salt will help rise and create the dome on top.
- Cinnamon – A sweet and spicy seasoning.
- Nutmeg – Fall favorite seasoning that blends well with pumpkin. You can even add in ginger and cloves along with it!
- Pumpkin – You will want pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. There is a difference in taste and texture.
- Brown sugar – Add all the sweetness with brown sugar!
- Buttermilk – I used a low fat buttermilk but regular buttermilk works well too.
- Egg – A quick tip, when baking with eggs, leave your eggs out to room temperature. It helps with baking in the oven.
- Canola oil – Most people like vegetable oil but this canola oil sets this pumpkin bread apart!
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread may be on of the best things about fall! It is delicious and full of pumpkin flavor. It has the perfect balance of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg and tastes like you just stepped into the first day of October.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
A ½ a cup of mini chocolate chips turns this scrumptious pumpkin bread into even more of a treat. How is it that pumpkin and chocolate taste so good together? You can use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, but the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips seem to distribute through the bread easier and give a little chocolate taste to every bite.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Chocolate Glaze
Now we are talking! The chocolate glaze makes this pumpkin bread a rich dessert. The glaze is only two ingredients – chocolate chips with just enough oil to thin it just a enough to drizzle it over the bread. For those who love chocolate, the glaze gives this pumpkin bread an extra fancy touch!
Healthier Pumpkin Bread
If you want to make this slightly healthier, you can use coconut oil instead of canola oil. It will still turn out great! You use so little oil in this recipe, you will hardly even notice a difference. You can also make this with dark chocolate chips (my favorite way, actually) to get a deeper chocolate flavor. Feel free to double the chocolate chips if you are feeling rebellious (I may or may not do that every time).
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Celiacs and those with gluten allergies, rejoice! Because this has so little flour, it is EASY to make gluten free and have it still taste like the original. See the picture above? This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread was made with gluten free baking flour.
The great thing about this GF bread is you can not tell the difference between the two loaves. You can use any 1:1 flour substitute but my FAVORITE mix (by far) is this gluten free flour. This is the powder mix I used for the GF version of this pumpkin chocolate chip bread and it is amazing.
Tips and Variations for Pumpkin Quick Bread
Get ready to slice into your favorite pumpkin bread loaf. Create and bake your favorite fall bread. Add in nuts, chocolate, or make it gluten free. The possibilities are endless!
- Butter – You will see there is no butter in the ingredients but you can brush your loaf pans with soft butter, then sprinkle flour around the loaf pan until it is covered or add parchment paper to cover the pan. This will help your quick bread fall out of the pan without sticking to the sides.
- Nuts – Pecans and walnuts are always baking favorite and add that extra texture to the bread.
- Oil – Switch the oil to vegetable oil, olive oil, or even melted coconut oil.
- Seasoning – Skip using a few seasoning shakers and shake one with pumpkin pie spice mix.
- Vanilla extract – There is something about vanilla that just needs to be added when baking. One teaspoon in the batter will enhance the flavor just enough to make this the best pumpkin bread recipe!
“This came out great! I made the healthier version with coconut oil, but added another ½ cup of chocolate chips. Love the melty chocolate flavor with pumpkin. Thanks for a great recipe.”
-Sandra
Frequently Asked Questions
There are so many health benefits from pumpkin. It is known for being the powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Fiber, vitamin A and vitamin C, potassium, copper, manganese, iron, B vitamins, and E. It is also high in antioxidants and can help add to a healthy heart, skin, and eyes.
Yes! Canned pumpkin and puree are the same thing. They are used interchangeably in recipes.
If your pumpkin batter is gummy, then you will need to add in more flour to absorb the moisture. The bread will not cook through and have a gummy bottom. It could also mean your quick bread needs to be baked a little longer too.
To achieve the same texture and flavor, it is 1 cup canned pumpkin or puree. You can substitute pumpkin puree with cooked and mashed sweet potato or butternut squash if you are looking for another flavor and/or variety of bread.
Storing and Freezing Pumpkin Quick Bread
- Refrigerator – It is not necessary to refrigerate your pumpkin bread. It will last a day or two longer staying in the cooler temperature though.
- Freezer – If you are hoping to make a batch of pumpkin bread and then freeze it, let the bread cool on a wire rack. Once it is cooled, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil. Place in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag. Label the container or bag and your bread will last in the freezer for about one year.
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Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 1 ⅓ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin canned
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk low fat
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Chocolate Glaze
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, brown sugar, buttermilk, egg, and oil.
- Add dry mixture, stirring until just moistened; do not over mix.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool 15 minutes.
- To keep moisture in, wrap with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- After adding dry mixture to the batter and stirring until moistened (Step 5 above), gently fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and continue as instructed.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Chocolate Glaze
- Follow same instructions for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. Allow bread to cool.
- To prepare glaze, combine ½ c. chocolate chips and 1 tsp. canola oil in a small bowl and microwave 30-45 seconds until chips are melted.
- Stir well and drizzle over warm bread.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
- Follow instructions above using gluten free baking flour in place of regular flour.
Notes
How to Store Pumpkin Bread
- Refrigerator – It is not necessary to refrigerate your pumpkin bread. HIt will last a day or two longer staying in the cooler temperature though.
- Freezer – If you are hoping to make a batch of pumpkin bread and then freeze it, let the bread cool on a wire rack. Once it is cooled, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil. Place in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag. Label the container or bag and your bread will last in the freezer for about one year.
Nutrition Information
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This came out great! I made the healthier version with coconut oil, but added another 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Love the melty chocolate flavor with pumpkin. Thanks for a great recipe.
The best pumpkin bread! Love the variations too!
Oh this bread is so amazing! So delicious!
This sounds so perfect for fall! I love pumpkin and chocolate together.
I loved it! So easy and delicious!
The best bread! so good!
Love that this can easily be made into gluten free!