This pumpkin bread recipes combines warm spices with chocolate to create a moist loaf that takes only minutes to put together in one bowl.
Boy, have I been enjoying the recent autumn weather in St. Louis! Brilliant blue and cloudless skies, cool breezes, and the tops of trees just starting to show a change in color combine to create an ideal backdrop for any outdoor activity. Even my morning walks with my dog take on a new vibrancy. I love returning home to savor my second cup of coffee paired with a homemade baked treat, and a quick bread is one of my favorites.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Quick Bread is perfect for October or November. Dense, full of autumn flavors (pumpkin, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg) and easy to bake, this moist quick bread should be in your fall baking repertoire. Inspired by a recipe from an old church cookbook that Mom often turned to, this loaf comes together in no time, allowing you opportunities to do some fall cleaning, rake leaves, or whatever. After an hour when it’s ready to come out of the oven, brew a cup of coffee or tea and relax.
To make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Quick Bread, which yields one medium-sized loaf, you’ll need these ingredients:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup granulated sugar plus ½ cup brown sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Pumpkin History 101
Cooking with pumpkin is an ancient practice believed to date to 8750 BC and the Oaxaca Valley. Pumpkins and other squash have been part of Native American diets for centuries. It wasn’t until the 1500s when European explorers brought pumpkin home, often roasting strips of this winter squash to eat.
Pumpkin cakes appeared in an 1839 cookbook, The Kentucky Housewife, and were made with corn meal, cooked pumpkin, butter, eggs and milk. Small sugar or baking pumpkins still are used today in recipes, but thankfully Libby’s—which started in the late 1800s as a canned meat company in Chicago—introduced their canned pumpkin in 1920 when they bought Dickinson & Company of Eureka, Illinois. Today, 75 percent of pumpkins used by Libby’s comes from their farm in Morton, Illinois. They use a variety called Dickinson because those pumpkins can be harvested as early as August to meet the canned pumpkin demand that spikes in the fall. Libby’s classic pumpkin pie recipe on the back of most cans dates to the 1950s.
So, pumpkin spice peeps, you’re a little late to the party.
Pairing pumpkin with chocolate, however, is more of a recent (the last 10 years or so) trend as far as I can tell. If you have a better history of this flavor combo, please comment below. But many pastry chefs agree that chocolate works well with pumpkin, which generally delivers a savory flavor with an underlining sweetness as in most winter squashes.
Directions to make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Quick Bread.
I love that this is a dump, stir, and bake recipe; no mixer is needed. My addition of chocolate updates the vintage cookbook recipe.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add brown and white sugars and mix well. Set aside.
In a smaller bowl, whisk eggs, water, and oil together. Stir in pumpkin.
Pour wet mix into dry mixture and stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips.
Transfer mixture into a greased and floured 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes. Test the center of loaf with a toothpick or knife and, if necessary, bake up to an additional 20 minutes. The loaf was fully baked in my oven after an hour.
Allow to cool 30 minutes before removing from pan. Slice and serve. Wrap any remaining bread in foil to store (I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator).
Can this bread be frozen?
Absolutely! Just wrap the cooled, whole loaf first in plastic wrap then foil. For extra protection, place wrapped loaf in a zip top bag and it will keep for a couple of months. Mom and Grandma for their holiday baking always made mini loaves of various quick breads and froze them to give as gifts.
I hope you will make this delicious and moist quick bread this season. Better yet, make one for you and one to share.
Here are two more autumn-inspired baking recipes. Another pumpkin dessert perfect for fall is Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart. Want another quick bread idea for fall? Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread is served with a salted caramel sauce, creating a nice finish to a hearty autumn supper.
About the blog
Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.
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