Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
This Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is easy to make and loaded with cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips for the ultimate chocolatey flavour. It can be made easily in a bowl (no mixer needed!) and is perfect for a healthy snack, breakfast or treat!
Pumpkin bread made healthy!
This recipe is a bit different than a traditional pumpkin bread recipe because it’s filled with….chocolate! This bread is made with cocoa powder and chocolate chips in it, for a double chocolatey taste.
It has a similar taste to a fluffy yet rich chocolate cake which if you ask me is a big win! This bread also features some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, so it still has those *cozy* Fall flavours. You can enjoy this Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread for breakfast, as a snack in the afternoon with a Chai Latte or cup of tea, or for a healthy dessert.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make. This Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is easy to make and can be made in one or two bowls and doesn’t require any mixers or fancy kitchen gear.
- Can be made gluten-free. Want to make a gluten-free chocolate pumpkin bread? No problem! Just substitute the flour in the recipe for a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Naturally sweetened. This pumpkin bread is sweetened naturally with maple syrup, and isn’t overly sweet, but still tastes rich and decedent.
- Customizable. You can customize this chocolate pumpking bread by adding any of your favourite mix-ins or add-ns.
Ingredient notes
This pumpkin bread is made with simple ingredients, many of which you probably already have in your pantry. This recipe is also customizable and you can easily substitute other ingredients for what is listed here. (I’ll leave some suggestions next to each ingredient for substitutions!)
- Spelt flour: I like using this type of flour for its nutritional profile, but you can substitute whole-wheat flour, white flour or a 1-1 gluten-free flour blend if needed.
- Cocoa powder: a good quality cocoa powder will give you a better final result.
- Baking powder & baking soda: to help the bread rise.
- Spices: for this bread we are using a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg. These pair well with the pumpkin and give the bread a cozy Fall taste.
- Salt: it’s important to add this to the bread to help bring out the flavour of the chocolate.
- Eggs: to help bind everything together. I haven’t tested this recipe out with flax eggs, but I imagine it would work.
- Pumpkin puree: make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You can also substitute this with butternut squash or sweet potato puree.
- Coconut oil: other options you can use here are vegetable oil or butter if you are not dairy-free.
- Almond milk: or any other type of plant-based milk or dairy milk.
- Maple syrup: I love the combination of maple syrup with pumpkin, but if you prefer you can use agave, honey or just 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract: for flavour.
- Chocolate chips: I recommend 70% dark choolate chips, but any kind you like will work!
How to make this pumpkin bread
Step 1
Start by mixing the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Mix together so there are no clumps.
Step 2
Then in a separate mixing bowl mix together the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Step 3
Then mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together and gently fold until combined. Don’t over-mix the batter or your pumpkin bread can come out dense. You want to just gently mix everything together just until it’s combined.
Step 4
Add in the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the batter.
Step 5
Bake the bread in the oven at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. The top of the bread will begin to puff up and crack. If you’re not sure if the bread is done or not, you can take a toothpick and insert it into the bread. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is ready. If the toothpick comes out with batter on it, then the bread needs more time. Let cool on the counter before removing from the loaf pan and cutting.
Ideas for add-ins and mix-ins
I love this Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread recipe because it can be easily customized with many different variations. Here are some fun ideas for some mix-ins you can add to this bread.
- Nuts & seeds
- Nut butter (swirl 2-3 tablespoons into the batter)
- Dried fruits
- Cacao nibs
- Shredded coconut
- Orange zest
How to store
Counter/Fridge: store any leftover Healthy Pumpkin Bread on the countertop for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure the bread is well covered so it doesn’t dry out.
Freezer: this bread is freezer-friendly! To freeze let the pumpkin bread cool on the countertop completely. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let defrost on the counter and optionally heat up in the oven to warm through.
Tips for making this recipe perfectly
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. Sometimes the cans can look similar, but these aren’t the same thing. Pumpkin pie filling is made with sugars and other ingredients, while pumpkin puree should say 100% pure pumpkin on the label.
- Don’t overmix the batter. This is the key to a light and fluffy bread. Gently fold together just until combined. If you overmix it, the bread can come out a bit dense and flatter.
- Let cool before removing from the pan and cutting. If you try to cut into the pumpkin bread to quickly while it’s still hot, it won’t set properly and will be difficult to cut.
More pumpkin recipes to try
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Pumpkin Spice Granola
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
If you tried this Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Print
Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Healthy Chocolate Pumpkin Bread is packed with chocolate flavour and is perfect for a little snack or treat!
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup white spelt flour (can sub 1-1 gluten-free flour, regular flour or half whole wheat and half regular)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8×4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. (or line with parchment paper)
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl mix the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla extract together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together, then fold in the chocolate chips.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving
Notes
Store leftovers covered on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
This recipe doesn’t taste like “pumpkin” (as a pumpkin pie would) and tastes more like a spiced chocolate loaf. So expect a chocolate flavour 🙂
Make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling for this recipe. Sometimes the cans can look similar, but these aren’t the same thing!
Don’t overmix the batter. Gently fold together just until combined. If you overmix it, the bread can come out a bit dense and flatter.
Do not add the coconut oil to the wet ingredients while it’s still hot! This will curdle the eggs.
Add-in any other mix-ins (like walnuts or pecans) you like to this recipe!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 9g
- Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
Hi Jessica! I enjoy your recipes so much. Since I found out that I have Hashimoto and my doctor told me to take gluten out of my diet, I have been very sad bc I love cakes. 😥However, when I looked in your recipes and this chocolate cake could be made with a gluten free flour, I had to try!!! What a delicious and moist cake. 😃😃😃I loved it! It has the chocolate flavor from the cakes that I love it! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe! ❤️❤️❤️
Ok Jess,
I’m back to make this again, thanks for response about not using chia in all recipes. You should try it in your baked goods. It fits perfectly with your food philosophy.
You may know that chia seeds fit in well with a plant based healthy diet – they are an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals , fiber, antioxidents and help in the war against inflammation, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, to state a few – also good for bone health as they are high in calcium. Simple to use. I throw them in all baked goods, just before they go in the pan and the oven – I don’t measure but some recipes say 3 tablespoons for a bread like this. You won’t even know they’re there, but your body will. For the uninititated they look like tiny poppy seeds.
First, this bread is wonderful, it does taste like chocolate cake, moistest I’ve ever had.
Second, am I missing something here, why would a recipe on a website called Choosingchia, that so easily lends itself to adding chia, not list it as an essential ingredient? For what it’s worth, I used a “flax egg” for one of the eggs, and mixed in a generous sprinkle of chia seeds to the finished batter. I encourage it.
As someone who makes tons of healthy muffins and breads, I have to say that this is the best I’ve had in a while –
Hi Laura, Choosing Chia is just the name of the blog, not meant to be taken literally and not all recipes contain chia seeds. You can learn more about my food philosophy and the recipes in the about section. Happy to hear you loved the pumpkin bread! 🙂
Taste just like chocolate cake.
Thank you, Jessica, for sharing this wonderful recipe! I happened to have some homemade purple yam puree at home, so I used it and followed through with your recipe to make a “hidden-veggie” quick bread for my picky eaters who never eat pumpkins or yams. Everyone in the family was praising it, and no one noticed there’s something else in the bread besides chocolate! It’s so easy to make, it’s crunchy outside and fluffy inside when freshly baked (I covered it with a foil and waited half an hour before slicing, it was still very fresh), and it’s so moist my family thought they’re eating a slice of rich chocolate cake instead of quick bread. I definitely will make it again, but next time I will score a line on the batter before baking to yield a straightly opened-looking bread/cake; mine looked burst this time.
Happy you enjoyed the recipe! Sounds like a great idea using purple yam puree! 🙂
Is the Thrive Spelt Flour only 82% Whole Grain? If not, what percent is it Whole Grain? It is very difficult to read it on the label. Is it the real thing or only partially so?
Made this recipe last night and was a huge hit! Yum Yum Yum!
Thanks for the feedback.
I live in Australia. Not sure we get the pumpkin purée in tins. Can I use freshly puréed pumpkin and how much would I need. Thanks. Love your recipes 💖
Ivana
Hi Ivana, absolutely! You can use fresh, you’ll need the same amount (1 cup). You can also use sweet potato puree too!
Looks amazing. Can I make this into muffins? If so, what would be the recommended baking temp and time?
Hi Jenny, yes you definitely can! The cooking time should be about 18-22 minutes, same temp!
Sounds delicious. Can it be made vegan? Which egg substitute do you recommend?
I would love to know this too!
I haven’t tested this recipe out with flax eggs so I can’t say if it would turn out the same
Hey guys! I’ve tested with arrowroot flour egg replacer. It was A-MA-ZING, just like the original recipe! 😀 Jessica I’m addicted to this recipe!
I just tried it with a flax egg! It tastes amazing!!! I used 2tbsp ground flax soaked in hot water to create the egg.