If you’re anything like me, you’re clinging to the last days of summer like a toddler with an ear infection clings to her Mama (anyone, anyone?). But, seriously. While I am not one to rush summer out the door, I DO anticipate fall and all it’s glory with a very full and happy heart. So much of life’s goodness is packing into the few months before the Christmas season and we definitely milk it for all it’s worth. After two late winter/early spring babies, I’m new to this November due date thing and I’m trying to plan ahead as much as possible. Just because I’m super pregnant or eventually super post partum, that doesn’t mean I’ll want all things fall any less. I still want to be able to enjoy special traditions and treats with my girls… just minus some of the stress of it all!
Enter this massive batch (five loaves to be exact) of The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread ever made. I created the recipe based on Recipe Girl’s favorite pumping bread recipe, doubling most of her ingredients while adding/changing a few to my preference. The result is a perfectly moist and decadent bread that does not tip the scale toward anything that even remotely resembles “cake”. I hate that. Banana bread, zucchini bread, and especially a good pumpkin bread cannot lean toward being called cakes in my house. Too sweet, too indulgent. Dessert is something separate all together and can’t double as breakfast. That’s cheating! The recipe I’ve created uses a mix of sugars (white and brown) and slightly less sugar than would be called for in a traditional pumpkin bread recipe. I’ve found that decreasing the amount of sugar when adding chocolate chips helps keep the sugars balanced so you can still enjoy all that delicious fall spice we know and love without being bombarded with something that screams dessert. Enjoy this bread sliced nice and thick, toasted in the oven for a few minutes and spread with regular butter, pumpkin butter, plain cream cheese or even just a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Talk about a perfect fall breakfast!
Without further ado-
The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread!
Ingredients:
8 eggs (got ours direct from our new chickens!! hooray!!)
1, large, 29 oz. can pure pumpkin puree (or feel free to make your own if that strikes your fancy)
1 1/3 cups water
3 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups white sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups coconut oil (melted in the microwave to a liquid then measured- just remove the cap and microwave the whole jar for 30 seconds to 1 minute)
4 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/2 cup flax seed meal (optional, I add this to a ton of baked treats just to up the nutrient content)
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. allspice (I didn’t realize I didn’t have any allspice left so I left it out, but I would add it next time!)
1 tsp. salt
3 cups chocolate chips
AND FIVE LOAF PANS.
Yes. Five loaf pans. If you need a few extra, come borrow some of mine- I have no idea how I ended up with five loaf pans but I’m glad I did! On a realistic note, just borrow a few from friends or family for this recipe and give them a loaf of bread in return 😉 You could alternately make pumpkin bread muffins (yum!) or do a “loaf” or two in a square baking dish instead. No biggie.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a LARGE mixing bowl, cream together the wet ingredients with hand held electric beaters (could use a wooden spoon here too).
3. Add sugars and mix again until combined.
4. Right on top of wet ingredients and sugars, add all of your dry ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix well until combined, using a spatula to scrape up from the bottom and make sure all the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Spray your loaf pans or other baking vessels with non-stick spray (the kind with flour in it already is my favorite), and distribute batter evenly among pans.
6. Bake for about 1 hour, rotating loaf pans half way through cooking. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of each loaf. If it comes out clean- it’s ready! I have a hot and cool spot in my oven so 1 loaf was done early and 1 loaf took a bit longer.
7. Let cool for about five minutes then carefully flip out to cool the rest of the way. If you let these loaves sit too long in their pans the chocolate will cool into the metal and start to stick- so don’t do that!
8. Slice one loaf and try not to eat it all (seriously, you’ll have to try hard not to eat it all in it’s warm and delicious straight-out-the-oven-gooey-chocolate-chip-glory). Let the other four loaves cool completely then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil to freeze.
Now for the best part of this whole recipe: when you want to enjoy a loaf of The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread, you’ll have not just one but FOUR to choose from in your freezer- all ready and waiting to be defrosted and enjoyed. Perfect for company, morning play dates, or just a nice family treat on a weekend when you don’t feel like actually baking 😉 Ever have those?! I do (believe it or not). Leave on your counter, wrapped for the night, open up and toast slices in the morning. It will taste like you just made it fresh that day!
Do you love me now, or what?!
You’re welcome 😉
xo
J
Martha says
YUM. I will have to try this . . . even though I wasn’t nearly as prepared as you are for postpartum hunger.
Megan says
So step 4 says to add all dry ingredients except chocolate chips. Then step 5 says distribute batter. (forgive my ignorance as I have never baked anything with chocolate chips)Step 6 is to rotate and check for doneness. Step 7 says not to let the chocolate stick to the pan…..so when exactly do the chocolate chips need to be added?
sweeter-side-of-mommyhood says
So sorry Megan- you are the first person to catch that! You add the chocolate chips after the rest of the batter is mixed (before it goes into the pans). It’s the last ingredient to be mixed in.