Opening a can of pumpkin puree for the dog’s upset stomach and realizing exactly one cup remained is exactly what led to this pumpkin bread recipe at nine on a Tuesday morning. Baking a fall pumpkin loaf with chocolate chips felt like a far better use of the morning than answering emails.
A terrible habit of underbaking quick breads out of sheer impatience usually ruins the texture, but this particular loaf survives even chaotic oven-peeking. Orange juice sounds completely unhinged as a secret ingredient until the first bite proves it prevents that dense, gummy texture that plagues so many other baked goods. Here is exactly how I do it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Zero fancy equipment. No mixer means fewer dishes to aggressively ignore in the sink later.
- Actually stays soft. This genuinely moist pumpkin quick bread never tastes like a dry kitchen sponge by day two.
- Makes your house smell amazing. This smells good enough to pull family members out of their rooms mid-bake.
- Highly bribe-able. Packing this full of chocolate chips convinces small humans to eat it without complaint..
Tools You’ll Need
Nothing fancy, I promise.
- 9×5-inch loaf pan Metal is best here so the edges don’t burn while the middle stays raw.
- Large mixing bowl. This handles the inevitable mess on the counter.
- Whisk. This stirs the wet ingredients together until they fully combine.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour – Spoon and level this or you will end up with a brick.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda – Check the expiration date unless you enjoy flat, sad bread.
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – Non-negotiable for that classic flavor.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg – A little goes a long way.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves – Do not skip this, it gives it that bakery taste.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger – Adds a warm background spice.
- 3/4 teaspoon salt – To balance out the sugar so it isn’t cloying.
- 2 large eggs – Room temperature if you have the patience, straight from the fridge if you are me.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar – For basic sweetness.
- 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar – This is what makes it an easy pumpkin bread recipe from scratch with actual depth of flavor.
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree – Canned is perfectly fine, just do not buy pumpkin pie filling by mistake.
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil – Or canola oil. It keeps the bread softer than butter would.
- 1/4 cup orange juice – Trust the process, it adds acidity that makes the crumb tender.
- 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – Measure with your heart, I usually dump in whatever is left in the bag.
How To Make Pumpkin Bread
Prepping this is so fast you will barely have time to realize you are actually baking.
- Prep the pan: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon – I learned this after burning the top of three consecutive loaves. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Mix the dry stuff: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined. If you do not whisk the dry stuff first, you might bite into a clump of baking soda later, which is a tragedy.
- Combine and fold: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps, and that is totally fine, do not over-mix or the bread gets tough. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if including.
- Bake it: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs – if it jiggles like a waterbed, it needs more time.
- Cool it down: Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing. Cutting it while it is blazing hot will cause it to crumble into a sad, delicious pile of mush.
♥ The Misfit Tips!
- Never skip the foil tent. Forgetting to tent the pan halfway through once left the top looking like a burnt offering while the inside stayed soup.
- The orange juice magic If you don’t have orange juice, milk works fine. But the orange juice genuinely reacts with the baking soda to give it a better lift. The leavening agent science is real, even if I usually ignore it.
- Make it a day early. The flavors meld overnight, leaving this pumpkin chocolate chip bread even softer by day two.
Perfect Pairings
This pumpkin chocolate chip bread suits two specific pairings particularly well.
- A highly caffeinated cup of coffee at 3 PM handles the inevitable afternoon slump.
- Wrapping a loaf in foil for a neighbor prevents eating the entire thing standing over the counter.
Make it yours
- Cream cheese swirl version. You swirl softened cream cheese into the batter before baking for a richer, tangier fall pumpkin loaf with chocolate chips.
- Walnut version. You fold chopped walnuts into the batter alongside the chocolate chips for extra crunch.
How to Store Pumpkin Bread
❤
- Fridge. Up to a week in an airtight container, though the cold makes the crumb feel denser.
- Freezer. Up to three months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
- Reheat. Ten seconds in the microwave brings the chocolate chips back to melty perfection.
- Storage note. The crust softens significantly once stored, though toasting brings back some crispness.
Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread recipe proves that a leftover cup of pumpkin puree can turn into a genuinely impressive fall bake with almost no advance planning. This moist pumpkin quick bread layers warm spices and melty chocolate chips into a tender, orange juice enriched crumb, delivering everything a proper easy pumpkin bread recipe from scratch should offer. Whether shared with a neighbor or sliced for a quiet afternoon slump, this fall pumpkin loaf with chocolate chips earns a permanent spot in the regular rotation.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not over-mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if including.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.
- Cover and store leftover pumpkin bread at room temperature for up to 3–4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.