Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread

Nothing says fall like a moist and soft, perfectly spiced pumpkin bread. And this chocolate chunk pumpkin bread is the loaf of my dreams.

Now calling this loaf a chocolate chunk spiced pumpkin bread is misleading because this bread actually uses koginut squash in place of the pumpkin, which, in my opinion, makes it SO much better than standard pumpkin bread. The crumb is incredibly soft, moist, and packed with intense pumpkin spice flavor.

Plus, this spiced pumpkin bread is incredibly easy to whip up (you do need a stand mixer or hand mixer) and saves so well. And this homemade pumpkin bread is refined sugar-free and dairy-free, but you can easily swap in cane sugar or dairy ingredients if you prefer.

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

• Koginut squash: More below on why I prefer using koginut squash.
• All-purpose flour
• Coconut sugar or cane sugar: Both coconut sugar and cane sugar work equally well in this recipe. However, coconut sugar is kinda like a hybrid between cane sugar and brown sugar and gives this bread a nutty caramel note that cane sugar just doesn’t have (highly recommend using coconut sugar). Quick note that if you do use coconut sugar like I did, your pumpkin bread will have a darker color.
• Salted butter or salted vegan butter: Most recipes always specify unsalted butter; however, I love baking with salted butter because salt equals more flavor. If you’re dairy-free, my go-to butter is Miyoko’s vegan butter.
• Large eggs
• Milk or non-dairy milk: Used my house blend milk to keep this cake dairy-free.
• Olive oil: I love using a small amount of oil in the bread to keep it moist.
• White vinegar
• Vanilla paste or ground vanilla
• Pumpkin spice: Love this pumpkin spice mix from Diaspora Co.
• Leaveners: You’ll need both baking powder and baking soda
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt: Not all kosher salt is created equal – if you’re using Morton kosher salt, use half the amount.
• Dark chocolate: Any 70% cacao chocolate bar will work well – my go-to for refined sugar-free dark chocolate is Hu Kitchen.

Koginut Squash > Pumpkin

Some background – most pumpkin puree is made with a blend (emphasis on blend) of different squashes, which equals wildly varying moisture levels that will mess with this bread. Which is why I stand by my statement that roasted koginut squash in pumpkin bread (actually, any pumpkin dessert) is superior to using canned pumpkin. Yeah, I sound insufferable, but I stand by my statement.

Koginut squash has a nutty, caramel-like flavor when it roasts that adds so much depth of flavor to this bread. Koginut is also less fibrous than pumpkin and requires almost no blending to make it a paste-like consistency, making it a better option for baking. Plus, it’s a low-moisture squash that will make the crumb of this bread so much better.

Method Behind this Pumpkin Bread

In a large pitcher or a bowl with a spout, whisk together the roasted koginut squash, eggs, milk, olive oil, vanilla, and vinegar. 

To the bowl of a stand mixer add in the coconut sugar, flour, butter, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. With the paddle attachment fitted, reverse cream the flour and butter on stir, until it resembles wet sand. NOTE: Reverse creaming the butter into the flour coats the flour in a layer of fat, which prevents the formation of gluten when the rest of the liquid ingredients are whisked in. Creating a loaf with a tight and uniform, but bouncy and tender crumb. 

Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir together on stir first, then ramp the speed up to 4, mixing until the batter lightens in color and looks fluffy. 

Fold the chopped dark chocolate into the batter with a spatula, and pour into the greased loaf pan. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out on it’s side on a cutting board, and let cool 1 hour before slicing. NOTE: Letting this loaf cool is so important, as the loaf continues cooking as it cools. So cutting into the bread can mess with the crumb.

Important Notes

• Because this pumpkin bread uses a large percentage of butter, it will bake flat. Most pumpkin bread recipes use only oil as the fat, which yields a domed loaf. However, I prefer using butter for a softer and more moist pumpkin bread.
• You can absolutely use pumpkin puree instead of koginut squash: Whole Foods 365 or Libby’s canned pumpkin are the two brands I recommend for best results.
• Your loaf pan matters a lot! This 1lb loaf pan is my go-to pan for a loaf like this. Light aluminized steel is the best material for baking with – it conducts heat so well. Really dark metal pans tend to create really dark edges, and glass is a hard no in my books (it doesn’t conduct heat well).

Can’t wait for you to make this chocolate chunk pumpkin bread – we finished the loaf in a couple hours haha. Don’t forget to leave a starred review and rating, love hearing from you!

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