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Chocolate Pumpkin Bread with Caramel Frosting

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Love pumpkin season, but don’t want to give up the chocolate? Problem solved with this Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.  It is loaded with chocolate chips and topped with an amazing caramel frosting that will have you making it all year round!

Looking for more delicious pumpkin recipes? Enjoy a cup of this pumpkin cream cold brew and these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

A cutting board with slices of chocolate bread topped with caramel frosting on it.

I am excited to bake all the things with pumpkin this fall. Usually I make this pumpkin chocolate chip bread, but today it’s all about the chocolate.

Yes, I know there a billion and one recipes out there. Trust me, you need another pumpkin bread recipe in your life this fall because this one is double the chocolate.

You are going to love this chocolate pumpkin bread because it is made with dark cocoa powder and loaded with chocolate chips. It’s gooey, delicious, and totally fabulous! 

A layer of creamy caramel frosting and a sprinkling of chocolate chips on top makes it even better. Although, it does bring up a question. Do you call this bread or cake?

My family calls this a cake, and I say it’s bread.  Apparently, frosting on a sweet bread turns it into cake in their eyes. Whatever you call it, this double chocolate pumpkin bread is going to be your new favorite fall bread. Want to know why?

  • Easy to make.
  • Chocolate chips and cocoa powder make it super chocolatey.
  • Decadent and delicious!
  • Covered in caramel frosting.

A white plate with a loaf of frosted chocolate chip pumpkin bread on it.Ingredients Needed

With simple pantry items you can make a loaf of this moist pumpkin bread. It is loaded with two kinds of chocolate and topped with a rich and creamy caramel frosting.

  • Sugar – A mixture of granulated and brown sugar makes it sweet and keeps it moist.
  • Oil – Using vegetable oil in sweet breads gives them a nice soft crumb texture.
  • Eggs – Binds the ingredients together and adds moisture.
  • Pumpkin Puree – Make sure you get the PURE pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie mix has extra sugar and spices added to it.
  • Baking Soda – Provides the lift needed as it bakes.
  • Spices & Salt – Using cinnamon and nutmeg gives the sweet bread a warm fall flavor. 
  • Flour – We use all purpose flour in most of our recipes. Learn how to measure flour correctly, so your baked goods will always turn out.
  • Cocoa Powder – A dark cocoa powder will give the quick bread a dark rich color. Regular cocoa powder is fine too, but will be a little lighter when it bakes.
  • Milk – For the best flavor use 2% or whole milk, but any variety will work just fine.
  • Chocolate Chips – We like using semi-sweet chips, but milk chocolate or dark chocolate are great too. You can also use chocolate chunks or caramel chocolate chips in place of some of the chocolate.
  • Caramel Frosting – Butter, brown sugar, vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar will make a sweet and creamy glaze for the bread.

Don’t like chocolate?  Try this pumpkin pecan bread or this pumpkin spice bread instead.

A wooden board with bowls of ingredients needed to make a chocolate pumpkin bread.

Easy Instructions

You can easily have a loaf of this chocolate pumpkin bread in your oven with very little work. Sit back and enjoy the fall smell as it bakes.

Step One: Mix.

  1. Mix together the sugars, oil, eggs, and pumpkin in a large bowl.
  2. Slowly add the dry ingredients and the milk until a batter forms.
  3. Stir in the chocolate chips gently.

Step Two: Bake.

  1. Spoon or pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan.
  2. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
  3. Let the baked bread rest on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, then flip out and cool completely.

Step Three: Frost.

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
  2. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk and vanilla.
  4. Let the mixture cool for 4-5 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar until creamy.
  5. Spread on the top of the cooled bread immediately. Top with mini chocolate chips, if desired.

A wooden cutting board with slices of chocolate loaded pumpkin bread topped with caramel frosting.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • Do not over mix the ingredients. Too much mixing can cause the bread to develop too much gluten in the batter which can cause a dense, chewy bread.
  • Use different chocolate chips to change it up.  White chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, or caramel chips are all great choices.
  • Add 1/2 cup of your favorite chopped nuts to the batter before baking. 
  • Not a fan of frosting on sweet breads? Not a problem. Add a few more chocolate chips to the top of the batter before baking. Once the bread cools, dig in.
  • Enjoy a slice of pumpkin bread with this salted caramel mocha.

How to Store

Once the chocolate pumpkin bread has cooled, keep it in a covered container on the counter for 4-5 days. If you want to keep it longer, place the frosted bread in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

This chocolate pumpkin bread also freezes well. Wrap the cooled, unfrosted bread tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for 2-3 months.

To thaw, unwrap the bread and let it thaw at room temperature. Add the frosting before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know when the bread is done?

Insert a knife or long skewer into the outside edge of the middle of the bread. If it comes out with batter, continue to cook the bread. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs, the bread is done.

Can I use pumpkin pie spice?

Yes, you can use 2 teaspoons of the pumpkin pie spice instead of the other spices.

A white plate with a slice of chocolate bread lying on it.

More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes

Slices of frosted pumpkin bread lying on a wooden cutting board.

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A loaf of bread with frosting on a white plate.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Love pumpkin season, but don't want to give up the chocolate? Problem solved with this Chocolate Pumpkin Bread.  It is loaded with chocolate chips and topped with an amazing caramel frosting that will have you making it all year round!

Ingredients

For the Bread

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

For the Frosting

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 bread pan with nonstick baking spray.
  2. Combine the sugars, oil, eggs, and pumpkin until mixed together.
  3. Sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, flour, and cocoa powder.
  4. Slowly beat it into the sugar mixture alternately with the milk. Gently stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
  5. Spread the batter in the prepared bread pan. Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Flip out onto a plate and cool completely.
  7. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves all the way.
  8. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk and vanilla. Let cool for 4-5 minutes. Beat in the powdered sugar.
  9. Spread on the top of the cooled bread immediately. Top with mini chocolate chips if desired.

Notes

*If you cannot find the caramel filled chocolate chips, use extra chocolate chunks.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 491Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 75gFiber: 3gSugar: 56gProtein: 5g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life
Cuisine: American / Category: Sweet Breads

Two pictures of chocolate pumpkin bread collaged together with a brown text box.

*This post was originally shared October 2014. It was updated and republished September 2021.

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Filed Under: Sweet Breads Tagged With: , ,

 

Jocelyn is the owner and creator of Inside BruCrew Life where she loves to share semi-homemade recipes with flair that anyone can recreate in their own kitchen. Jocelyn is married and has three kids. She loves to workout, enjoys trips to Disney, and relaxing at the beach.

Learn More About Jocelyn

Comments

  3. Robyn Freese says

    I did as the frosting recipe said. My turned a Carmel brown but your picture has white icing. Did I do something wrong?
    -Robyn Freese

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      Nope not at all. It should be a caramel color. Mine could look differently because of the light in the photos. A couple factors that could make it darker would be browning the melted butter or using dark brown sugar. The main thing is that it tastes good!

      Reply

  5. Stephanie says

    Will be making this in the next few days, I hope! Any suggestions on reducing the baking time if I use a muffin pan instead of a loaf pan?

    Reply

    • Jocelyn Brubaker says

      I can’t give you an exact time since I haven’t ever done this particular bread in muffin tins. But I know that quick breads can be baked this way. My best guess would be 20-25 minutes. You might want to test a small batch for the first round to get the time right, then bake the rest of the batter. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  9. Mary Frances says

    This is totally bread. Which means you can have more than one slice. I don’t know why they have a problem with extra frosting for breakfast 😉 It looks beyond delicious! Thick fudgy slices are my kryptonite. 🙂

    Reply

  11. Mir says

    Cake or bread, I am not caring at all right now! It looks chocolatey and amazing and I love that caramel glaze on top! Thanks for adding a ton of chocolate fun to the pumpkin of the season!

    Reply

  13. Annie @ Annie's Noms says

    I call it bread, my other half calls it cake – all I care about is that it tastes good haha! This looks wonderful, I love chocolate and pumpkin, but haven’t tried it with caramel, sounds like a fab combination!

    Reply

  14. Chels+R. says

    I got that too-cake vs. bread! I brought some of my pumpkin bread to one of the ladies in the church and she kept calling it cake and I kept trying to correct her, lol!

    Reply

  30. Heather @ Shards of Lavender says

    My belief is that if it’s cooked in a loaf pan, it’s bread… Of course, that’s flawed logic on my part because I’m not about to call meatloaf bread:) I love that you made a chocolate version of your pumpkin bread and just know my family will love it!

    Reply

  33. Johlene says

    I´m loving this pumpkin chocolate chip bread!! I´m editing a post of something similar as we speak 🙂 Great minds think (kinda) alike 🙂
    Happy weekend! xoxo

    Reply

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