Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin bread

Here is a recipe for deliciously moist chocolate, chocolate chip pumpkin bread. What started out as a holiday gift giving tradition has turned into a highly requested freezer staple in our house. It’s a large recipe that makes enough for gift giving, or for storing in the freezer.
This yields 3 regular loves, 8 mini loaves, or about 48 muffins.

I suggest you use the largest bowl in the house you have because you will need it. The regular loaves are wonderful for gift giving , or to slice and bring to the office for a treat for co workers. The mini loaves are perfect for lunchbox travel. The muffins, well they are just fun to eat and go great with your morning coffee, and since it makes more it seems like they last longer…… Any way you choose to make them, this recipe freeze perfectly. In fact the kids have been known to eat the muffins frozen. I often find a half empty bag I the freezer that I could have sworn was full a few days earlier.

For the purpose of the pictures to show the versatility of this recipe I used one batch, made 1 regular loaf, 8 mini loaves, 12 muffins, and also filled a mini donut bar pan. I cooked them all at the same time in the oven. Not something I would usually recommend as it’s difficult to keep track of cooking times. But it was a fun challenge to do to show just how much one batch makes.

You’ll need:
3 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 1/4 cups veg. oil
3 eggs
1 can (29oz) solid-pack pumpkin (not Pumpkin Pie filling)
3 squares (1oz ea) unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled (OR3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa PLUS 1 Tbs oil can be substituted here)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Sift all dry ingredients except the chocolate chips into a large bowl, set aside.

Combine sugar and vegetable oil, add pumpkin. Ass eggs one at a time and stir till blended. If using melted cooled unsweetened chocolate add it to the wet ingredients at this time. If using the substitution add the oil to the wet ingredients and sift the coco with the dry ingredients.
Once well blended add the dry ingredients to the bowl. Stir till combined then add the chocolate chips

Prep your baking pans with non-stick cooking spray and pre heat the oven to 350.
Divide batter among the baking pans you are using. All may be baked at the same time just be sure to check cooking times.

Baking times:

Regular loaf pan 55-60 min. Check for doneness with a knife inserted in center before removing. Sometimes baking more than one loaf at a time will require an adjustment or two.

Mini loaf pan 24-30 min

Muffins 15-20 minutes depending on how full the cups are.

Mini donut pan 7 min

Check for doneness with a knife inserted in center before removing. Sometimes baking more than one loaf at a time will require an adjustment or two.

Cool on wire racks. Freeze large loaf in large plastic bag, mini loaves freeze well in sandwich size bags and make it easier for lunch packing. We freeze the muffins, piled together in large ziplock bags, and try to hide them I the freezer. I have the most success when I make this recipe when no one is home. Otherwise there is nothing to freeze.