This past summer, as well as much of September, I packed an overnight bag and headed out of town nearly every weekend. Although most of my trips were short two-hour drives, one spanned eight hours while we sped through hundreds of miles of flat yellow fields, and a couple required airplane flights instead.
Even though I usually prefer driving, mainly so I can stand up and stretch my legs whenever I want rather than being at the mercy of turbulence and stewardesses, I enjoyed those few flights because I could pull out my laptop and work, close my eyes for a nap, or read a novel instead of manning the steering wheel of my car. Thank you, airline pilots!
But before I boarded the airplanes, I had a little pre-flight routine. I’d arrive at least an hour early to the airport—you never know how long security lines will be!—and after passing through that screening, I’d start off towards my gate, glancing at the various restaurants and food stalls lining the walkways.
Because of the expensive price tags, I rarely stopped for meals or snacks, but I almost always purchased a bottle of water to stay hydrated. I usually picked one up from a coffee stall, and while I waited in line, I looked at all of the baked goodies in their display cases. Blueberry muffins, chocolate croissants, streusel-topped coffee cake, chocolate chip cookies, fudgy brownies, marshmallow cereal treats… They tempted my sweet tooth every time!
And when I spotted thick slices of pumpkin loaf cake, I immediately knew I wanted to create a healthier version of that at home. So here it is: Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread! It’s supremely moist and full of cozy fall flavors. It practically disappeared in the blink of an eye, and my mom even gave it three thumbs up!
To make this pumpkin bread healthier than the coffee shop varieties, you’ll use only wholesome, clean eating ingredients. Nothing artificial, nothing refined… Just lots of real, better-for-you stuff!
The recipe starts with whole wheat flour mixed with leaveners, salt, and lots of spices. In my book, pumpkin baked goodies always require them! You’ll use cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger—the perfect trio of cozy spices.
This healthier quick bread only contains 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Yes, that’s it! The rest of the moisture comes from two things: Greek yogurt and pumpkin purée. Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking because it provides the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your baked goods a little protein boost too!
Make sure you use plain ol’ pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling! The latter contains extra spices and refined sugar, which we’re avoiding for this clean eating recipe. You’ll use 1 full cup of pumpkin purée, which adds to the loaf’s tender texture and really makes the fall flavors shine.
Don’t forget the chocolate chips! I prefer mini chocolate chips because their smaller size ensures that every bite contains a morsel of chocolate. Remember to save some to press into the top of the batter right before baking! Those create a pretty presentation and make the bread look even more enticing…
Although all of my taste testers agreed: this is the BEST pumpkin bread they’ve ever had! One friend even texted me that her coworkers raved about it in the break room after their very first bite.
I should probably bake two loaves next time!
| Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread | | Print |
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (244g) pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup (80mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 3 tbsp (42g) miniature chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9x5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and vanilla. Stir in the pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt, mixing until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Fold in 2 ½ tablespoons of chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan, and gently press the remaining chocolate chips into the top of the batter. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring onto a wire rack.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Alternatively, the same amount of brown sugar plus an additional 3 tablespoons of milk may be substituted for the pure maple syrup, but the loaf would no longer be clean eating friendly.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
Hi Amy!
Just made your soft ginger cookies last night- absolutely delicious!
Now I want to make your chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe and was wondering if I could use unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of the non-fat milk? Also, I prefer to leave out the chocolate chips and just enjoy the pumpkin flavor and spices on their own. Do I need to change anything in the recipe if I do this?
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the ginger cookies Jamie! That means a lot to me! 🙂 I’ve actually answered your milk question already in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. It can be easy to miss! 😉 And you can easily omit the chocolate chips. No modifications needed for that! I can’t wait to hear how your pumpkin bread turns out!
HI Amy,
Tried the pumpkin bread last night. Unfortunately, it turned out very bland tasting! The only substitution I made was the unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which you said was ok. I would like to try it again and add some raw honey, which I think was what made the ginger cookies so tasty. What do you think? And if you agree, how much honey should I use?
Thanks again!
–
Yikes! Let’s get that sorted out. 🙂 When you say bland, do you mean not sweet? (This is a breakfast loaf, so it’s not supposed to be overly sweet!) Or not enough spices? If the former, then you can increase the maple syrup by 2-3 tablespoons and decrease the milk by the same amount. If the latter, then increase the cinnamon by ½ teaspoon, along with the nutmeg and ginger by ⅛ teaspoon each. 🙂