Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I used to hate pumpkin pomp and circumstance. I never quite understood why everyone flipped out come October, rapidly clearing the shelves of their cans of pureed pumpkin. Did these people not know that the very same cans of pumpkin were available year round? In fact, there was about a 93% probability that the cans they were putting in their carts had been sitting there since the November prior, when everyone suddenly ditched pumpkin for candy canes. It boggled my mind for years.

But suddenly I became one of those people. I don't know what happened. Maybe it's just that I got old. I am now that crazy lady come Fall, filling my cart with the pureed orange stuff and making all sorts of creations throughout the week. For instance, on Saturday night, I made a pasta dish with sausage and pumpkin sauce. On Sunday I whipped up a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. And then, wouldn't you know it, I woke up this morning feeling a sudden "need" to make something pumpkin-y and so I made bread. There is just something magical about the months of October and November that just grant one the permission to add fun things like pumpkin this and pumpkin that to our repertoire.

The recipe has become a Fall regular in our house, since becoming a crazy pumpkin lady, of course. It's easy to throw together and seems to be my go-to for playdates. Kids and parents alike dig it, because, well, who doesn't like a bread with chocolate? The bread is moist and delicious, thanks for the combination of vanilla pudding and pumpkin. I get asked for the recipe almost every time so I figured my fellow pumpkin enthusiasts would thank me. (You're welcome).

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
(adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)


2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup vanilla pudding
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves