Pumpkin Bread with Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

It's fall, my favorite time of year! And Fall means pumpkin in all forms. A few weeks ago I made Molly's Banana Bread from "A Homemade Life" and liked it a lot. I couldn't help but wonder how a pumpkin version would taste. So I modified the recipe, substituting pumpkin for banana, removing the crystallized ginger but adding a bit of powdered ground ginger, as well as cinnamon and nutmeg. I also stole a bit from another of Molly's Banana Bread recipes from Orangette, and added a bit of cinnamon sugar on top of the bread.


The bread turned out even better than I'd hoped. The trick is to let it cool completely. I know how tempting it is to cut off a slice when it's hot and the chocolate is still melty, but it really is better once it cools down. I sliced half of the loaf too soon-- and it crumbled all over the place. Sure it still tasted delicious, but the next day, at room temperature, my slice was perfection. It's moist, spicy and chocolatey, but still delicate. And the cinnamon sugar on top adds a delicious extra element to the bread. Definitely a winner!










Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips
adapted from “A Homemade Life” by Molly Wizenberg

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups white wheat flour, I used King Arthur brand
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 15oz can pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup whole-milk greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sugar + a few dashes of cinnamon, mixed


Set a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350F. Grease a 9 by 5 loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.

In a small bowl, microwave the butter in small bursts until just melted. Or melt it in the preheating oven. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Add the chocolate chips (reserve a small handfull to sprinkle on top of bread) and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the pumpkin, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla and stir to mix well. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir gently with a spatula, scraping down the sides as needed, until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter with be thick and somewhat lumpy, just make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Spread reserved chocolate chips and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of batter.

Bake until the loaf is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes to an hour. If the loaf seems to be browning too quickly, tent with foil.

Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 5 mins. Then tip out onto the rack, and let it cool completely before slicing.