With "pumpkin spice everything" season upon us, I thought I would share my favorite extra moist pumpkin bread recipe. It's loaded with chocolate chips and has the perfect amount of spice. Be sure to check out my pumpkin muffins and my daughters pumpkin cream cheese dip!
🧐 Why This Recipe Works
In my opinion, pumpkin bread needs to be moist, spicy, and not overly sweet. That's what I was going for when I created this recipe.
I like that this recipe makes two loaves because my family doesn't like nuts in their baked goods (crazy people)! Because of this, I make one loaf with nuts for myself (yes, I get the whole loaf, don't judge). The rest of the family gets to share the other loaf.
🎃 How to Make This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 1: Grease and flour two 9x5 bread loaf pans. Thoroughly mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, canned pumpkin, and both sugars.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Mix gently until combined. Pour into loaf pans and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 4: Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
We've already talked about reducing calories by replacing the oil with applesauce.
If you're not worried about added calories, let's talk about splurging with cream cheese frosting. In fact, my daughter, Nena, won't even bother with pumpkin bread unless it has cream cheese frosting.
If you agree with Nena, here's an easy and delicious cream cheese frosting recipe.
- Beat 1 (4 oz) package of softened cream cheese, along with ¼ cup softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
- Mix in 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.
- Gradually add 3 cups of powdered sugar, while mixing.
- Spread frosting over cooled pumpkin bread and enjoy!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
If you compare different pumpkin bread recipes, you'll notice that they all differ in the spices used.
The majority will have cinnamon, but I think cinnamon alone doesn't do pumpkin bread justice.
Personally, I prefer to be slapped with the taste of Fall when I take my first bite of pumpkin bread, don't you? I use similar spices in my Persimmon Bread recipe.
To accomplish this, consider adding any of the following: ginger, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg. Speaking of nutmeg, please, for the love of all that is holy, toss out your nutmeg powder right now.
When it comes to nutmeg, grating your own makes a huge difference. Don't believe me? Just take a whiff of your powdered nutmeg (you might have to dig it out of the trash, sorry)!
Now, using a Microplane (please tell me you have one), grate a nutmeg seed, and take a whiff of that. Notice the difference? Isn't it heavenly?
One of the things that makes this pumpkin bread so moist is, of course, the oil. However, I know that oil comes at a cost... added calories.
Although I already replace some of the oil in this recipe with applesauce, you can, in fact, replace all of the oil in this recipe with applesauce. Try it both ways and see which way you prefer.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Instead of pecans, substitute walnuts, or leave them out entirely you have a nut allergy.
- Store leftover bread in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 days on the counter, or in the refrigerator for a week.
- Pumpkin bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, wrap the bread in aluminum foil and place it in a freezer bag before freezing.
- To thaw frozen pumpkin bread, remove the loaf from the freezer and thaw on the counter overnight.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ginger powder
- ⅓ whole nutmeg (grated)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup chocolate chips (white or dark)
- ½ cup oil
- 1 4 oz cinnamon applesauce
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 15 oz canned pumpkin
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour two 9x5 bread loaf pans.
- Thoroughly mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.
- In a separate bowl, whisk oil, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, canned pumpkin, and both sugars.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Mix gently until combined.
- Pour into loaf pans and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.
Notes
- Instead of pecans, substitute walnuts, or leave them out entirely you have a nut allergy.
- Store leftover bread in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 days on the counter, or in the refrigerator for a week.
- Pumpkin bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, wrap the bread in aluminum foil and place it in a freezer bag before freezing.
- To thaw frozen pumpkin bread, remove the loaf from the freezer and thaw on the counter overnight.
Kelly Methey says
This sounds like an amazing pumpkin bread! I can’t wait to make it!
HildaSterner says
Thanks, hope you like it!