Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread is so soft and moist with lots of Fall flavors from brown butter, brown sugar, pumpkin and warm spices. It's not too sweet and rich with plenty of dark chocolate. The earthy pumpkin pairs so well with nutty brown butter and bittersweet chocolate, then spices tie it all together. If you're looking to change up your standard pumpkin bread recipe, I hope you try this. It all comes together in one bowl and is very simple to make. If you love baking with pumpkin, check out my Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread and my Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies as well!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Moist pumpkin bread - this pumpkin bread is very moist and tender without being dense, gummy or pasty.
• Brown butter bread - brown butter adds a nutty element that heightens the earthy flavor of the pumpkin.
• Soft texture - my pumpkin bread bakes up with a lovely even crumb texture and it's nice and soft, especially when still a bit warm since the butter firms up once it's cold.
• Pumpkin spice loaf - what's pumpkin bread without pumpkin spice? If you don't like the combination of chocolate with spice, you can leave out the chocolate, but I wouldn't recommend leaving out the spice. I tested this loaf without any spice and I thought it was bland. Pumpkin is a rather neutralizing ingredient and it really needs the spice flavors to shine. The fragrant spices are so cozy and warming, and they pair with pumpkin so well. You can use your favorite pumpkin spice blend, your make your own with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and allspice.
• Easy to make - all you need is a whisk, a bowl and a spatula to make this recipe. It is super simple. It's a one bowl recipe!
• Dark chocolate chips - I use bittersweet chocolate and I love how it tastes in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

• Unsalted butter - you will need to brown the butter for this recipe. It's very simple and it tastes delicious.
• Brown sugar - some brown sugar adds caramel-like flavor due to the molasses content and it really complements the pumpkin and the spices.
• Granulated sugar - simple white sugar will add the right amount of sweetness so that the brown butter and pumpkin flavors still shine through.
• Canned pumpkin - canned pumpkin is easily accessible and inexpensive. You can also make it yourself, but it is important to reduce it down so it is very thick otherwise the moisture balance will be off in the recipe. Make sure you use pure pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling which has sugar and spices already added.
• Eggs - Two large eggs will add nice structure and help with the spongy texture.

• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla will add rich undertones. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
• Milk - I recommend using whole milk or 2% milk for this recipe and it helps if it is at room temperature.
• Yogurt - I like pairing brown butter recipes with yogurt because the acidity helps balance the savory flavor that brown butter has.
• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for loaf recipes.
• Pumpkin pie spice - use your favorite brand, or make your own from a blend of 1 part nutmeg, clove and allspice with 2 parts ginger and 2 parts cinnamon. The recipe for homemade pumpkin spice is below.
• Chocolate chips - I go for 70% dark chocolate chips, but semisweet and even milk chocolate works well here.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Brown the butter. Follow this tutorial to learn how to make brown butter.
• STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt into a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add granulated sugar and whisk to blend well.
• STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, milk, vanilla and slightly warm (liquid) browned butter in another large bowl and whisk until smooth.
• STEP 4). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Fold it all together. Before all of the flour is incorporated, add the chocolate chips and continue to fold gently until evenly combined.
• STEP 5). Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it out evenly and then and run a line down the center using edge of the spatula or a butter knife (this helps to create that nice crack down the middle of the loaf). Bake for 50-60 minutes until it feels firm in the middle and skewer inserted into the center comes out without any wet batter. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, then lift it out of the pan using the parchment overhand and let it continue cooling on the rack.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

• Do not over-mix the batter. Once the flour is mostly combined (with a few light streaks), then the batter is ready for baking. Since loaf and brad batter is more lean with less sugar than cake batter, it is more likely to develop gluten and result in a tougher texture. Having said that, this recipe is almost fool proof! Even if you did over-mix it will likely turn out fine, but it may develop a dense gummy layer near the bottom.
• Do not over-bake. It's easy to over-bake a loaf since the dead center usually takes a while to cook through when there's little surface area. My tip is that when you see that it is well risen and the top is deeply browned but a skewer still comes out with some wet batter, it's really just a few minutes away - not 10 minutes away. So, stay close and keep checking on it.
• Cover the top of the loaf with foil if it browns too quickly. I usually place a sheet of foil loosely over the loaf (like a tent) after the first 30 minutes of baking if it is getting too dark on top.

RECIPE FAQ

If you love baking with pumpkin and making quick breads, check out these recipes!

Craving more pumpkin?

If you love baking with pumpkin, check out these recipes:

More loaf recipes...

Here are more of my favorite loaf/bread recipes:

Video

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Christina Marsigliese

Soft and moist brown butter pumpkin spice bread studded with lots of dark chocolate chips. This is a really luxurious loaf and it's not overly sweet. It brings together lots of Fall flavors and is a great easy recipe to make during the holidays.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

  

Pumpkin batter:

• 6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups (300ml) pure pumpkin puree
• ½ cup (110g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ⅓ cup (80ml) full fat plain yogurt
• ⅓ cup (80ml) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 ⅔ cups (235g) all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (170g) dark chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
• First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter. It's easy! Brown specks and a dense golden foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it out into a clean bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice and salt into a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add granulated sugar and whisk to blend well.
• Combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, milk, vanilla and slightly warm (liquid) browned butter in another large bowl and whisk until smooth.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Fold it all together. Before all of the flour is incorporated, add the chocolate chips and continue to fold gently until evenly combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it out evenly and then and run a line down the center using edge of the spatula or a butter knife (this helps to create that nice crack down the middle of the loaf). Bake for 50-60 minutes until it feels firm in the middle and skewer inserted into the center comes out without any wet batter.
• Transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, then lift it out of the pan using the parchment overhand and let it continue cooling on the rack.