Do you need some Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread – or Muffins?
When I was a kid, moms showed up at soccer games and the like with wedges of oranges, with the peel still attached. We used to fit the peel under our lips and make goofy smiles with our bright “teeth.” As a ballet dancer, we were careful to choose snack items that wouldn’t smudge our makeup or soil our costumes, which basically left us munching on trail mix like leotard-clad squirrels.
When I became a mom, I had no interest in slicing oranges into a slippery, juicy mess, and the prohibitions against anything resembling a nut took all sorts of other options off the table. I wanted something fun, easy, and relatively healthy – but also something interesting and fun enough to earn some mom points with my kids and their friends. Enter this recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread – or Muffins.
Fall Favorite
This recipe is a fall favorite- but my family went through a phase where I made them constantly year-round. (It can be hard to find pumpkin in July – stock up!). No matter what time of year you are making it, it comes together quickly, as most dairy free quick breads do. It relies on oil, not butter and that means the relatively loose batter doesn’t need to wait for butter to soften or melt.
The recipe was originally designed for a large bundt pan, but I’ve made it everything from loaf pans to mini-muffin tins. If you choose smaller pans (especially a mini-muffin tin) then try to find and use mini-chocolate chips. I have had many fewer issues with the smaller chips sticking to the pan when you pop out the bite-sized muffins.
Of course, you can certainly skip the chocolate chips all together, but that wouldn’t go over well in our house. We typically choose Guittard chocolate chips, particularly when a nut-free chocolate is essential. And while local to us in San Francisco, Guittard is high-quality chocolate that is becoming easier to find across the country.
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup oil
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups pumpkin puree not pie filling
- 1 cup chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips if making mini-muffins or mini-loaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat eggs with sugar until light and blended. Add oil and continue to beat.
- Sift or stir together flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat flour mixture into egg mixture.
- Add pumpkin, mixing well again. Fold in chocolate chips (ideally tossed in a little flour to prevent sinking).
- Pour batter into a well-greased, floured pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before removing from pan. A bundt pan takes about an hour. Standard muffins about 20 minutes. Mini-muffins about 15 minutes. (The batter is very dense and moist, so loaf pans should be checked to make sure the center is fully cooked, usually at least an hour.)
Notes
Related Posts:
Dairy Free Quick Bread: Favorite Zucchini Bread
Tropical Treat: Julia’s Bet Banana Bread
