This Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is super moist, perfectly spiced and loaded with chocolate! You would never know there is pumpkin in it! Top it all off with a chocolate ganache for extra chocolatey goodness. This bread makes the perfect dessert, snack or breakfast treat!
If you are looking for more delicious bread treats, try my Chocolate Zucchini Bread and my Double Chocolate Banana Bread!
I have been on a pumpkin baking kick lately! We just made a loaf of my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread and my Pumpkin Coffee Cake and now we moved on to Chocolate Pumpkin Bread! If you like chocolate then this bread is for you! I added cocoa powder, chocolate chips AND spread a thick and luscious chocolate ganache on top of the bread after it’s cooled. This pumpkin bread will be your new favorite Fall dessert!
To make this bread super moist we added buttermilk, canned pumpkin puree and browned butter. Browned butter is when you melt the butter in a saucepan and cook until it gets a golden brown color. It’s more work then just using regular melted butter but results in a perfect nutty butter that adds so much flavor to this pumpkin chocolate bread!
This is seriously the easiest and most delicious dessert or breakfast!
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What’s in Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Flour- All purpose flour will do well here!
- Cocoa Powder– Add some high quality cocoa powder for a deep chocolate flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice- Use store-bought or try making your own homemade pumpkin pie spice! You could also just substitute 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of ginger, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg and a pinch of all spice and cloves.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder- Add baking soda and baking powder for the bread to rise.
- Butter- I use unsalted butter for this recipe. If you use salted butter make sure to omit the salt.
- Pumpkin Puree- Make sure you buy 100% pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
- Brown Sugar- Light brown sugar will make this bread nice and sweet.
- Buttermilk- Buttermilk adds moisture and a slightly tangy flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own at home!
- Vanilla- For added flavor.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips– Are added for even more chocolate flavor! Feel free to add dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate!
How to Make Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Brown butter: Add butter to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until light brown / caramel in color. 5-8 minutes. Allow the butter to cool.
Combine dry ingredients: Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
Combine wet ingredients: Add the cooled butter to a large bowl along with the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients making sure not to over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
Cool: Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Serve: Once cooled pour the ganache over the pumpkin bread, smoothing top if desired, and serve.
Tips for Success
- This bread is super moist and tender due to the pumpkin puree and the added buttermilk. Don’t omit these ingredients!
- Switch up your added ingredients! You can try to add white chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts to this bread for different flavors in this bread. Make this your own!
- Make extra and freeze it for later! Make two loaves and freeze individual slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Warm up individual slices in the microwave for 30-45 seconds then serve.
- Don’t over mix your batter. Once the flour is added to your wet ingredients, gluten begins to develop. If you mix too much, the gluten will get too strong and the bread will come out tough instead of tender. Mix your batter until only just combined.
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
This ganache is super easy to whip up! Check out my Chocolate Ganache for more details.
Start by melting chocolate and heavy cream in the microwave until smooth and melted. You can also cook the ganache over a double boiler.
Allow the ganache to cool for about 2-3 minutes. Once cooled, spread on top of the cooled cake. I made the ganache thicker so it is spreadable on the bread. If the ganache is too thick add more heavy cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I substitute pumpkin pie spice? Yes, if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand then use 2 tsp cinnamon along with 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of all spice and cloves.
- How do I know when my pumpkin bread is done? The easiest way to check if your pumpkin bread is done is to stick a toothpick into the middle and see if it comes out mostly clean. If it has just a few crumbs on it, then your bread is done!
More Bread Recipes to Try
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Apple Fritter Bread
- Cranberry Orange Bread
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Bread
- Marble Chocolate Banana Bread
Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 5 pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.Add butter to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until light brown / caramel in color. 5-8 minutes. Allow the butter to cool.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, set aside.
- Add the cooled butter to a large bowl along with the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients making sure not to over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean.
- Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.Once cooled pour the ganache over the pumpkin bread, smoothing top if desired, and serve.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small saucepan heat the chocolate chips and heavy cream until melted. whisking constantly.I made the ganache thicker so it is spreadable on the bread. If the ganache is too thick add more heavy cream.
Nutrition Information
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