Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Cans of pumpkin are available year-round in most stores where I live, but in the fall months I generally stock up so that I have a few more cans left throughout the summer. There’s so much you can do with a can of pumpkin; it’s nice to be able to just grab one from the pantry and make bread or other dessert on a whim.
I’m sure, if you’ve read lots of pumpkin recipes, the author will state to use pumpkin PUREE and not PIE MIX for certain recipes. Read the label when you reach for the can and make sure it’s pure pumpkin puree for this sweet, chocolatey bread.
Because (most) pumpkins are grown in sandy soil, there is the possibility sand can get into the cans during the manufacturing process. I learned this the hard way. My chipotle-pumpkin soup was gritty and ended up in the trash. It was inedible. So, once you have opened your can, taste it and check to make sure it is a smooth puree. Thankfully, this situation has only happened to me once, but you tend to remember those things and proceed with caution.
My husband thinks this bread is sweet enough with the 3/4 cup of brown sugar. If you like your quick breads on the sweeter side, go ahead and use a full cup… I like dark brown sugar in this recipe.
I truly hope this is a bread you enjoy and enjoy making year round!
Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
- 1 9"x5" loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch-processed coco powder, sifted to remove lumps
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree, not pie mix
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed, I like dark brown for this recipe
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as avocado, canola, vegetable
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons maple flavoring
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9x5” loaf pan with non-stick spray (such as Pam), line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper and spray the paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients together (all-purpose flour through salt).
- In a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, sugar, molasses, oil, buttermilk, eggs, and maple flavoring. Whisk to combine.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients and 1 cup of the chocolate chips to the pumpkin puree mixture. Whisk until just combined and no flour is seen.
- Scrape the batter into the greased loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. You can begin checking the doneness of your bread at 50 minutes if your oven heats on the hotter side.
- Allow the bread to cool on the counter in the pan for 20 minutes.
- Flip the bread out of the pan and cool until room temperature or slightly warm and serve.
- Any leftovers can be wrapped well with cling wrap or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Have tried this and it tastes real yummy!!!