This straightforward, one-bowl pumpkin bread with chocolate chips is incredibly plush, loaded with spices and pecans, and freezes beautifully. It is a reliable bread to put out for company, serve on Thanksgiving, or bake up in small loaf pans for holiday gifts. If you've been looking for the pumpkin bread to end all pumpkin breads, look no further, this is THE standby.

Pumpkin bread with chocolate chips and pecans sliced on a tea towel with glasses of milk in the background.

A number of years ago we asked readers to send us their favorite tried and true recipes, and we received a TON of pumpkin recipes. Included was this recipe, which turned out to be the most fantastic pumpkin bread we've ever had.

A great big thank you to Shirline for this wonderful recipe; when she emailed us the recipe, she said she begins making it in the fall and continues to churn out loaves all through Christmas. Her family refers to it as "Grama's Pumpkin Bread", and she makes loaves both for her family to enjoy and in smaller batches to give away as gifts. After making dozens of pumpkin breads myself, we have to agree with Shirline - this is a standby of a standby!

Why This Is the Very Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Substantial Loaves - You will be amazed at how much batter this recipe makes… you will want to use a large mixing bowl!
Straightforward Prep - Joseph helped to mix this together before he was 2 years old! Canned pumpkin and tons of spices gets mixed together first, then vegetable oil to keep the bread nice and plush, eggs, sugar, flour, and the all-important add-ins.
Chocolate Chips and Pecans - While you COULD make the bread without them, Shirline exclaims that it just isn't pumpkin bread without the chocolate chips and pecans, and we agree 100%. They add a wonderful punch of sweetness and crunch to the plush, spiced bread, and it's great balance.

Ingredient Notes

A few speedy recommendations on ingredients to use and substitutions:

Canned Pumpkin – Be sure to use plain pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Vegetable Oil – You can use any all-purpose baking oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, or safflower oil.
Spices – You can substitute 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in the recipe. Be sure to still add the ground cinnamon.
Chocolate Chips – You can use dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips in place of some or all of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. You could also substitute raisins or dried cranberries.
Pecans – Chopped walnuts would make a great substitute and, if necessary, you can omit the nuts.

How to Make It

This bread comes together incredibly easily! Here are a few simple steps:

In a large bowl, whisk together the canned pumpkin, baking soda, salt, and the spices.
Add the oil, eggs, and sugar, and whisk until everything is thoroughly combined.
Add the flour, chocolate chips, and pecans, and stir gently with a rubber spatula to combine.
Divide the batter between the loaf pans and bake!

Side by side photos of pumpkin mixture with spices in a bowl then pecans and chocolate chips added on top.

Loaf Pan Recommendations

The loaf pan is a kitchen staple for churning out speedy bread recipes like banana bread, zucchini bread, and this pumpkin bread!

The 9×5-inch size is the one most called for in bread recipes (this one included), and one you will get a lot of use out of.

We recommend either the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Loaf Pan or the USA Pan 1.25 Pound Loaf Pan (please note that 9×5-inch loaf pans can also be named/sold as 1.25 pound loaf pans).

Recipe Notes

Be Sure to Cook All the Way Through – When we tell you that these loaves are substantial, we kid you not. They are HEAVY… but also supremely plush and dense in the most wonderful way. They remind us of the Russian pound cake that our mom, aunt, and grandma all used to make for the holidays. As such, be sure that the loaves are baked the whole way through so they do not sink in the middle when they cool. Depending on the size of your loaf pans, you may need to bake them closer to 1 hour 30 minutes; if the bread is browning too much, tent with foil.
Make Smaller Loaves for Gifting – If you want to bake smaller loaves of pumpkin bread to place out on cookie trays or to gift for the holidays, a 3×5-inch loaf pan will take approximately 30 minutes to bake, for reference.

Serving and Freezing Instructions

You can eat this warm or at room temperature, but like most pound cakes or speedy bread, wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and letting it sit overnight makes it even better! As a result, this is a great make-ahead recipe.

Storage – The loaves can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezing Instructions – Wrap the loaves in a double layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil and store in a ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

It would be great to bake up a few loaves (or even mini loaves) to keep in the freezer for last-minute guests or to get a head start on Thanksgiving baking or holiday gifts!

Yield: 24 servings (2 loaves)
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

28 ounce canned pumpkin
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons ground cloves
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups ( 396 g ) vegetable oil
5 eggs
3½ cups ( 746 g ) light brown sugar
4½ cups ( 585 g ) all-purpose flour
3 cups ( 510 g ) semisweet chocolate chips
1½ cups ( 171 g ) pecans, chopped

Equipment

Loaf pans

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9×5-inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Add the oil, eggs, and sugar and whisk until it is thoroughly combined and there are no streaks of egg or clumps of brown sugar. Add the flour, chocolate chips and pecans, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold and stir it together until completely combined.
Divide the batter between the loaf pans and bake until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center comes out with just plush crumbs attached, anywhere from 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Allow the loaves to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool completely. The loaves can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 2 months (if you freeze them, add a layer of foil or place in a ziploc freezer bag).

Notes

Loaf Pans – we recommend either the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Loaf Pan or the USA Pan 1.25 Pound Loaf Pan (please note that 9×5-inch loaf pans can also be named/sold as 1.25 pound loaf pans).

Canned Pumpkin - Be sure to use plain pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.

Vegetable Oil - You can use any all-purpose baking oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, or safflower oil.

Spices - You can substitute 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for the cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in the recipe. Be sure to still add the ground cinnamon.

Chocolate Chips - You can use dark chocolate chunks, milk chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips in place of some or all of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. You could also substitute raisins or dried cranberries.

Pecans - Chopped walnuts would make a great substitute and, if necessary, you can omit the nuts.

Smaller Loaves for Gifting - A 3×5-inch loaf pan will take approximately 30 minutes to bake.

Storage - The loaves can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Freezing Instructions - Wrap the loaves in a double layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil and store in a ziploc freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned ]