Healthy Pumpkin Bread is made with whole wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil and pure pumpkin. It’s soft and tender, with flecks of shredded coconut and studded with dark chocolate chunks. It’s egg-free and easily made dairy-free and vegan by using vegan chocolate chips.
*This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated with recipe tips and suggestions and new photos. The recipe remains the same.
I couldn’t let pumpkin season go by without updating this gem of a recipe. It’s one of my favourite pumpkin recipes on the blog, but I published it in my early blogging days, so it hasn’t been getting much love.
It’s time to change that!
Why you’ll love this pumpkin loaf
- You need just 11 ingredients and less than 10 minutes prep time.
- You don’t need any special equipment. Just a few bowls and a whisk.
- It bakes up tender and fluffy, and goes perfectly with a mug of tea.
- You can make it now, freeze it and break it out for the holidays.
- There’s coconut and dark chocolate….enough said?
To be honest, the most painful part of this recipe is waiting for the loaf to bake and cool before slicing into it!
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour
- Coconut sugar
- Unsweetened coconut
- Pumpkin spice
- Baking soda and salt
- Cashew or almond milk
- Pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Vanilla extract
- Dark chocolate chunks or chips
How to make healthy pumpkin bread
This pumpkin loaf is simple to make and comes together quickly.
- Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, coconut, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt.
- Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together your milk, pumpkin, oil and vanilla.
- Step 3: Add the wet mixture to your dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Step 4: Fold in half the chocolate chunks.
- Step 5: Pour into a greased loaf pan and poke the remaining chocolate chunks into the top of the batter.
- Step 6: Bake for 45-50 minutes and let cool completely before slicing.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you store pumpkin bread? Once cooled, pumpkin bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can store it as a full loaf or cut into slices.
- How long is pumpkin bread good for? If stored properly, it should last at room temperature for 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze pumpkin bread? Absolutely. Just let it cool completely then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a resealable freezer bag. It should last for up to 3 months in the freezer. You can also slice the loaf and freeze individual pieces in between layers of parchment paper.
- How can you make this pumpkin bread vegan? To make a vegan pumpkin bread, just make sure your chocolate chunks or chips are vegan. The rest of the loaf is already vegan.
- Can you make this pumpkin bread recipe into muffins? Yes. Just make the batter as directed and add it to a 12-cup muffin pan. Bake on 400F for 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 11-13 minutes.
Additional recipe tips
- This recipe calls for a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. If your pan is a different size, you may need to adjust the bake time slightly.
- If you don’t have almond or cashew milk, and you don’t need this bread to be vegan, you can use dairy milk.
- While I prefer coconut sugar as it is less processed, you can use brown sugar as a substitute.
- Looking to change it up? Add in pecans or walnuts instead of chocolate chips.
- If you don’t have pumpkin spice, you can make your own. Dawn at Girl Heart Food has a recipe you can follow.
- And if you want to make your own pumpkin purée, Marcie at Flavor the Moments has an Instant Pot recipe you can try.
Other healthier pumpkin sweet treats
- Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats are marshmallow-free, sweetened with just honey and maple syrup and topped with dark chocolate.
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts are soft and fluffy with pecans baked into the top and drizzled with dark chocolate.
- Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins are dairy-free and easily made vegan. They’re soft and fluffy with whole wheat flour, peanut butter and dark chocolate chips.
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake is made with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and swirls of chocolate. It’s moist and tender and bakes up easily in a bundt pan!
If you make this pumpkin loaf, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Print
Healthy Pumpkin Bread (with Dark Chocolate and Coconut)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Healthy Pumpkin Bread is made with whole wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil and pure pumpkin. It’s soft and tender, with flecks of shredded coconut and studded with dark chocolate chunks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsweetened cashew or almond milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips (divided)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, coconut, pumpkin spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin purée, oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Don’t over mix.
- Fold in 1/4 cup of chocolate chunks.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and press the remaining chocolate chunks into the top of the batter.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3-4 days, or freeze for later enjoyment.
Notes
- This recipe calls for a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. If your pan is a different size, you may need to adjust the bake time slightly.
- If you don’t have almond or cashew milk, and you don’t need this bread to be vegan, you can use dairy milk.
- You can substitute brown sugar for coconut sugar.
- Make sure to press the chocolate chunks into the top of the batter. If they are just sprinkled on top, they will fall off when the bread bakes.
- If you want to change things up, add in pecans or walnuts instead of chocolate chips.
- You can turn this recipe into muffins. Just follow the instructions above and use a 12-cup muffin pan. Bake the muffins on 400F for 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 11-13 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Keywords: pumpkin loaf, pumpkin chocolate chip bread
Made this last night and everyone loved it! I loved the coconut and dark chocolate in this loaf. I’ll be making this again soon!
★★★★★
Awesome! Thanks Jamie!
This chocolate chunk pumpkin loaf looks so delicious! I love that it is dairy-free and uses coconut sugar for the bulk of it’s sweetening!
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Thanks Jenni!
This sounds delicious. I love pumpkin and chocolate together and I like that you made it healthier.
Thanks Heather!
Those giant chunks of chocolate are calling my name. Gorgeous and delicious sounding bread.
Thanks Karen!
This almost sounds too good to be true! It looks amazing and I bet it tastes just as good as it looks!
Thanks Colleen!
Pumpkin bread is a favorite fall treat of mine! I love the coconut and dark chocolate in this version. Yummy!
Thanks Amy!
There’s so much here that I’m really excited about – what a terrific recipe! First of all, you definitely had me at “10 minutes of prep time” … and of course because it’s both healthy AND still includes chocolate (#WINNING!!) But I also loved that you went on to give so many helpful tips, especially for freezing it (I like to make a double batch, while I’m at it, and stash one in the freezer for later!) and also for making it vegan (my sister-in-law, whom I’ll see over the holidays is vegan). Gorgeous pics, too – great recipe post – thank you!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Shelley! I’m glad you’re excited about the recipe! Hope you get to make it some time!
I love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate chips, so this recipe had my attention immediately. What really sold me on this was the part that said 10 minutes of prep and no special equipment needed. Since pumpkin is readily available a this time of year, I plan to bake up several loaves of this bread and freeze some for later. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Freezing batches of this loaf is a great idea! Thanks Patti!
Leanne, this pumpkin bread looks incredible! I love mine even better the next day, slightly toasted with a bit of butter on top! Oh yum! And i love the idea of swapping chocolate for some pecans, that would add such a nice crunch!
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Enjoying this toasted is a great idea! Thanks Anna!
Beautiful Bread. Love this Recipe Leanne ❤️
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Thank you Christine! I appreciate you making it and sharing on IG!
There is never too much pumpkin in any shape form or recipe – this loaf looks amazing and I particularly like the addition of chocolate and coconut – heaven on earth! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ramona!
Oh wow, this sounds so good!! I’m so making this this weekend!
Katie xoxo
Thanks Katie!
I’m loving this twist on traditional pumpkin bread. I adore the texture the shredded coconut gives to this coconut chocolate chunk pumpkin loaf.
★★★★★
Glad you like the addition of coconut! Thanks Kelly!
This Healthy Pumpkin Bread looks really mouthwatering! I love that it’s not just simply delicious but healthy, as well. The dark chocolate made it perfect!
★★★★★
Thank you!
I’m never over baking with pumpkin and I especially love it when it’s combined with chocolate. A winning combination!
★★★★★
Thanks Jennifer! I’m with you!
Your new photos will give this pumpkin bread the love that it deserves — they’re beautiful! I adore the coconut and dark chocolate addition and would love a big slice!
★★★★★
Aww! Thanks so much Marcie!
Fall makes me want to bake often and this pumpkin chocolate loaf is DELICIOUS! Will make again and again!
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Thanks Emily!
What are you shooting with? Your photos are amazing and so sharp! Love the addition of chocolate to this pumpkin bread!
Thanks Kari! I use a Canon 6d with 50mm 1.4.
This coconut chocolate chunk pumpkin loaf looks so hearty sweet, and healthy! I can’t wait to whip up a batch of this and enjoy the scent of my kitchen as it bakes and then enjoy the loaf with a big pot of hot tea when it comes out of the oven!
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Thanks Jenni! Sounds wonderful with a pot of hot tea!
Leanne, awesome re-vamp of this recipe! I love the added coconut!! And those photos are amazing…I definitely want a slice of this with my morning coffee! YUM!
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Thanks so much Haylie!