Welcome Fall with a loaf of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread fresh from the oven! This copycat Starbucks bread recipe is filled with real pumpkin, autumn spices and a sprinkle of chocolate chips and pecans for a sweet finish.
If you love today’s bread, be sure to try my favorite Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread and Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe.
Favorite Pumpkin Bread
You know Autumn has arrived not by the first falling brown leaf but by the menu changes at Starbucks. (Or is it just me who relies on the new latte specials to remind me to put up the fall decorations?)
One of the surest signs it’s time for fall baking season is when Starbucks puts its pumpkin bread back in the pastry case! The reddish-orange slices of pumpkin loaf topped with glaze call to me every time I stop by for a latte.
- Oh-so moist, packed with pumpkin flavor and kissed with cinnamon and nutmeg, this bread tastes great for breakfast, a midday snack or a dessert.
- It’s perfect for sharing with friends, or for keeping all to yourself on those crisp fall days.
- Oh, and I added chocolate, too. You’re welcome.
Pumpkin and chocolate are a highly underrated combination! The sweet morsels of chocolate add the ideal balance to the bitterness of the pumpkin and the zip of fall spices. Plus . . . you know, chocolate. You can never have enough chocolate in your life.
This is evidenced by my deep abiding love for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars, both of which are on my list to make again this season, too.
Also Chocolate Pumpkin Cake.
For a plain pumpkin loaf, you can leave the chocolate chips and pecans out and still have one delicious bread. White chocolate morsels are quite tasty paired with pumpkin, too!
How to Store
Wrap up leftover pumpkin bread tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for several days.
Pumpkin Bread holds up great in the freezer! Make two loaves and freeze one to have on hand for surprise visits from friends or that last minute school event you forgot you promised to bake for.
I like to claim I’m freezing the bread for practical reasons when, in all honesty, it’s mostly because I love when this happens: you eat the fresh loaf of pumpkin bread and you’re sad because it’s gone. Then, you open your freezer and remember you have a whole second loaf to enjoy!
It’s the little things, friends.
How to freeze: Make sure the bread is fully cooled, then wrap in foil and place the whole thing in a freezer safe ziploc bag. Pumpkin Bread keeps well in the freezer for about 3 months.
Individual portions: Instead of freezing the loaf as a whole, cut it into individual slices first. Then you can freeze in single portions to grab whenever the need for pumpkin chocolate chip bread overwhelms you.
Great for lunchboxes and quick on-the-go breakfasts, too! Add a cup of coffee and you’ll be in autumn heaven.
More Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to use plain canned pumpkin puree in the recipe (NOT pumpkin pie mix).
- Mix dry ingredients with the wet until just combined. Over mixing will result in tough dense bread.
- You can also make this recipe as muffins or mini muffins: Grease or spray a muffin tin with baking spray then ladle the batter into the tins, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake regular sized muffins for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Copycat Starbucks Recipes
If pumpkin is one of my obsessions, then creating copycat Starbucks recipes is another. After you try this bread, you’ll also want to give my other recreations of their classic fall drinks and treats a try.
- Pumpkin Cream Cold brew coffee is a real treat. And thanks to my copycat recipe you can enjoy this all year long!
- Pumpkin Scones served with coffee and tea are a hit with everyone, scone lover or otherwise. You’ll love Cranberry Bliss Bars when the holiday season arrives–or before, if you just can’t wait.
- Starbucks Lemon Loaf is also a favorite in our house.
- Pumpkin Cream cheese muffins from Starbucks!
Recipe FAQs
Yes for sure! Swap out the cinnamon and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice instead.
To test if your bread is fully cooked, use a toothpick. Insert it into the center of the loaf, and if it comes out clean with only a few crumbs, the bread is ready to come out of the oven.
No! Store pumpkin bread in airtight container (I like to wrap in foil or place in a ziploc bag) at room temperature.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pecan Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Chili
Easy Bread Recipes
See all Breads recipes
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup heaping canned pumpkin not pie filling
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup chopped pecans + extra to top the bread
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips + extra to top the bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan with non-stick baking spray. For easy removal, you can line the pan with parchment paper and then spray the pan and paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, mix the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs. Pour half of the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix until combined. Add in the rest of the dry mixture and mix again until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans with a spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top the batter with a few extra chocolate chips and pecans and bake for 60 minutes. At 50 minutes, check on the bread if it’s starting to brown too much you can put a foil tent over the top for the remaining 10 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or cooled. Store covered at room temperature.
Notes
- FREEZE: To freeze, slide cooled bread into airtight container or freezer safe ziploc bag. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
- You can also make this recipe as muffins or mini muffins:Grease or spray a muffin tin with baking spray then ladle the batter into the tins, filling about 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake regular sized muffins for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
If you only make one pumpkin recipe this season, make it this moist, sweet and lightly spiced Pumpkin Bread! With a copycat Starbucks bread at home, you’ll save time and money without missing out on your seasonal favorites!
Can’t wait to try this. Always nice to have something for break at work to share with my co-workers.
Looking forward to your recipes
This bread will become my new fall favorite! It is so easy and delicious.
We just LOVE this bread! it’s super simple and so addicting.