Sourdough Brandon Logo
Menu
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • How to Make a Sourdough Starter
    • Breads
    • Sourdough Discard
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
  • Guides
  • Tools
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact me
Menu
Sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread sliced with an orange towel, flowers, and bowl of chocolate chips.

Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Posted on September 4, 2023September 4, 2023 by sourdoughbrandon

This post may contain affiliate links for products and ingredients I use and recommend. For more information, see my disclosures here.

Share this:
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Table Of Contents
  1. 👍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
  2. 🔍 Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
  3. 🛠 Tools Needed:
  4. 🛒 Ingredients Needed:
  5. 👨‍🍳 How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
    • 1. Prep the Bread Loaf Pan and Mix the Dry Ingredients
    • 2. Mix the Wet Ingredients
    • 3. Mix the Pumpkin Bread Batter
    • 4. Fold in the Chocolate Chips
  6. 5. Bake
  7. How to Store Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
    • Can I Freeze?
  8. ❓ Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread FAQs:
    • What keeps pumpkin bread moist?
    • Can I make pumpkin bread into pumpkin muffins?
    • Can you refrigerate pumpkin bread batter?
    • Can I bake pumpkin bread without chocolate chips?
    • Can I double the recipe?
  9. Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
  10. Other Recipes You Might Like:

This easy Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is made with real pumpkin puree, pumpkin spices, and lots of chocolate chips for an irresistible fall sourdough discard recipe!

When I created my Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, I thought the batter was so good, that I wanted to try it in a bread loaf pan to make pumpkin bread. With only a couple of minor tweaks, this pumpkin bread was born!

There’s no oil in the recipe, so all of the moisture comes from sourdough discard, brown sugar, melted butter, and real pumpkin puree.

The combo of chocolate and pumpkin goes so well together and takes the sourdough pumpkin bread to the next level. It’s one of my favorite fall sourdough discard recipes to make, and I know you’ll love it!

👉 If you enjoy this fall sourdough discard recipe, you’ll like these Sourdough Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Sourdough Apple Butter Muffins, Sourdough Apple Fritters, Sourdough Apple Cider Upside-Down Cake, or my Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles.

Slice of sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread on a plate

👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s made with real pumpkin:
    • This sourdough discard pumpkin bread is made with real pumpkin puree! Like banana or zucchini bread, pumpkin bread is a great way to add fruits or veggies to baked goods.
    • I like baking with pumpkin because it adds a subtle earthy flavor, natural orange color, and moisture to baked goods.
  • Full of chocolate chips:
    • Sometimes, chocolate chip recipes hold back from the chocolate, but I love the bittersweet addition of chocolate chips to otherwise sweet baked goods and this one has a lot!
    • Like my sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies, I like adding the chocolate chips to balance the flavors without overpowering the pumpkin spices.
  • It’s an easy, quick recipe with minimal tools:
    • There’s no fermenting in this recipe since the bread uses sourdough discard. The baking powder, baking soda, and eggs do all of the leavening. That way, the bread rises tall in the oven.
    • Furthermore, this batter will be recognizable if you’ve made my pumpkin muffins or pumpkin whoopie pies. Essentially, you can make multiple recipes using the same batter! You only need a couple of bowls, a whisk, and a bread loaf pan. And you don’t need a mixer for the recipe.
  • It stores easily:
    • Sweet bread loaf recipes like this store really well, which makes them great to make ahead, gift, or travel with.
    • You can freeze the whole loaf or slices ahead of time and easily wrap to store for months in the freezer.
  • No oil:
    • I only use butter in this recipe as the fat and don’t use vegetable oil. Like my Sourdough Zucchini Bread and Sourdough Banana Bread recipes, I try to avoid using too much vegetable oil in recipes because it doesn’t add any flavor!
    • Instead, the melted butter and chocolate chips add richness, tenderness, and flavor to the bread.
Hand picking up a slice of a stack of sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread slices on a plate.

🔍 Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Pumpkin Bread

  • Don’t overmix the batter
    • Overmixing leads to gluten development, which will create a tough batter. Like cake or pastry, you want to limit the mixing here so you get a tender and soft bread.
  • Use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
    • Like my Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles, only use real pumpkin puree in this recipe. Pumpkin pie filling includes sugar and spices, so using it will cause the bread to be too sweet.
  • Use pumpkin pie spice or a mix of spices
    • You can use pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice or make your own mix of spices for this recipe. I include both options in the recipe, so you can choose based on what you have around!
  • Prep the bread loaf pan
    • Line your bread loaf pan with parchment paper and spray the pan with non-stick spray (or grease with oil) before baking. That way, the bread won’t stick to the pan and you can easily lift it up and out of the pan.
  • Let the pumpkin bread cool completely before slicing
    • It’s so tempting to slice into this fragrant pumpkin bread before it’s cooled completely! But if you slice into the bread too early, it will lose moisture from excess steam release.
    • Plus, the loaf will crumble and easily break apart while still warm.
Cut slice of sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread with an orange towel and knife.

🛠 Tools Needed:

Click the links below for my tool recommendations.

A bread loaf pan and a whisk.
  • Baking Scale
    • Regarding sourdough starter, it’s important to note that standard measurements can differ greatly depending on the individual. Therefore, weighing will provide the most accurate results.
  • Bread Loaf Pan
    • This recipe makes one bread loaf. You can easily double the batter to make more.
    • My favorite bread loaf pan is this 9×4” small Pullman Pan with straight sides and a natural non-stick coating. This pan is great for making other sandwich loaves like my sourdough sandwich bread or sourdough brioche.
    • Otherwise, the recipe is flexible enough to fit into either a 8.5×4.5” or 9×5” bread loaf pan, which are both standard sizes. If you have one, I recommend the smaller size so the loaf will rise taller and be less squat.
    • Additionally, you will need to adjust the baking times depending on the size of your pans. A 9×5” pan will bake a little faster because the batter is spread out over a larger surface area.
  • Whisk
  • Spatula, for scraping the sides of the bowl and folding in the chocolate chips

🛒 Ingredients Needed:

Click on the links below for my favorite ingredient recommendations. Ingredient substitutions are also listed below.

Bowls of labeled ingredients needed for sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread including, all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spices, baking powder and soda, salt, pumpkin puree, eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips.
  • All-purpose Flour
    • This recipe has only a cup of flour, not including the sourdough discard. All-purpose works best, but you’re welcome to substitute some of it with whole wheat flour if you’d like.
  • Baking Powder
    • This bread batter isn’t fermented, so the sourdough doesn’t add leavening to the recipe. The baking powder and baking soda are the mechanical leaveners that both help the bread rise tall.
  • Baking Soda
    • Both baking powder and soda go bad over time. Learn how to test yours here.
  • Salt
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice
    • Pumpkin pie spice, or pumpkin spice, is a pre-mixed spice of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice. If you have it, you can use it directly in this recipe! 
    • However, you can also use the individual spices if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice. To make your own pumpkin pie spice for this recipe, combine 1 tsp of cinnamon, and ¼ tsp each of ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice.
  • Pumpkin Puree
    • Pumpkin puree is 100% canned pumpkin, or squash. Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin is the best quality and very consistent. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling since it’s already sweetened and spiced.
    • If you want to go the extra mile, you can also roast your own pumpkin or squash and puree it to use in the recipe.
  • Light Brown Sugar
    • Brown sugar provides sweetness and also adds more moisture and flavor from the added molasses. This complements the warming pumpkin spices.
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Sourdough Discard
    • If you don’t have an active sourdough starter, learn how to make one in a week following my how-to guide. See my top sourdough starter tips here.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Unsalted Butter, melted
    • There’s no oil in this recipe. The melted butter adds richness and needed fat for moisture.
  • Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
    • Semi-sweet or bittersweet mini chocolate chips add a slight bitterness to the loaf that balances the flavors.
    • I like the mini sizes for topping, which distribute easily throughout the loaf and barely melt on top. However, you can use regular-sized chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips too.

👨‍🍳 How to Make Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Follow this visual and detailed recipe guide as you make this sourdough pumpkin bread.

1. Prep the Bread Loaf Pan and Mix the Dry Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC).

Then, grease or spray a bread loaf pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper. Leave some overhang on the sides to easily lift the bread out of the pan after baking.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, including:

  • 120 grams of all-purpose flour (one cup)
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
    • Alternatively, use 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice.

Set aside.

Bread loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Dry ingredients for sourdough pumpkin muffins in bowl with a whisk.

2. Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the following wet ingredients:

  • 337 grams of pumpkin puree (1 ½ cups)
  • 104 grams of light brown sugar (½ cup)
  • 50 grams of granulated sugar (¼ cup)
  • 2 eggs
  • 120 grams of sourdough discard (½ cup)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Then, pour in 85 grams of melted unsalted butter (6 TBS).

Whisk in the melted butter until the mixture is bright orange and shiny.

Bowl of unmixed wet ingredients with a whisk.
Whisked wet ingredients of sourdough pumpkin bread in a bowl

3. Mix the Pumpkin Bread Batter

Pour the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and slowly mix until mostly combined.

It’s okay if there are some little lumps or white specks of flour because you’ll mix the batter more in the next step.

Bowl of wet and dry ingredients in a bowl not fully mixed.
Whisked sourdough pumpkin bread batter in a bowl with a whisk.

4. Fold in the Chocolate Chips

Use a spatula to fold 180 grams (¾ cup) of mini chocolate chips to the batter.

To fold in the chocolate chips, use the spatula to scoop to the bottom of the bowl, lift, and flip the spatula over onto itself.

Rotate the bowl slightly and repeat until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

As you’re folding, be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so that all of the batter gets mixed.

Bowl of sourdough pumpkin bread batter with chocolate chips on top before folding in.
Folding in chocolate chips to sourdough pumpkin bread batter in a bowl with a spatula.

5. Bake

Pour the sourdough pumpkin bread batter into the prepared bread loaf pan and smooth out the top of the batter with a spatula.

Sprinkle the top of the pumpkin bread with about 60 grams (¼ cup) of more chocolate chips.

Another option is to sprinkle the tops with pumpkin seeds or leave the top plain.

The chocolate chips on top will melt slightly, but still hold their shape during baking. As the loaf cools, they will set for a slightly crunchy topping.

Bake the bread at 350ºF (177ºC) for about 55-65 minutes.

Note: Loaf bread baking times can vary greatly depending on the pan’s size, color, and type of metal. Darker pans will bake faster.

When done, the internal temperature of the bread should read about 200ºF (93ºC) in the center and a toothpick or cake tester should come out clean.

Finally, cool on a wire rack completely before slicing.

Cooling is important so that the bread doesn’t lose too much moisture and so the chocolate chip topping sets some.

Bread loaf pan with sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip batter unbaked.
Sprinkling chocolate chips on top of unbaked sourdough pumpkin bread
Baked sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread in bread loaf pan.
Baked sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread on parchment paper cooling with a knife.

How to Store Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Loaf breads like this store extremely well, which makes them excellent gifts to make ahead of time, or for traveling!

At room temperature, you can wrap the sourdough pumpkin bread in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store for 4-5 days.

You can get a week out of the bread if stored in the refrigerator.

Can I Freeze?

Sourdough pumpkin bread freezes very well and you can freeze the entire loaf or freeze slices. These are both great options if you’d like to make the pumpkin bread ahead of gatherings.

I recommend leaving off the chocolate chip topping if freezing because the chocolate chips can turn slightly white or off-color in the freezer.

To freeze the entire loaf, be sure that the pumpkin bread is completely cool. Wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Thaw it completely in the refrigerator at least overnight before slicing.

To freeze slices, cut slices of the bread, wrap them tightly, and store in freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or reheat slices in a toaster oven.

Cut slices of sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

❓ Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread FAQs:

What keeps pumpkin bread moist?

The combination of pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, brown sugar, and melted butter helps keep the pumpkin bread extremely moist and soft!

Can I make pumpkin bread into pumpkin muffins?

Yes! You can bake this chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe into sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip muffins by baking them for 17-20 minutes in a muffin pan.

I use essentially the same batter to make my Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins, too.

Can you refrigerate pumpkin bread batter?

You can chill pumpkin bread batter up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Mixing the batter does come together very quickly though in less than 10 minutes.

While the baking soda and baking powder will lose some of its leavening power the longer the batter sits, there is enough in this recipe that the pumpkin bread will still rise.

Can I bake pumpkin bread without chocolate chips?

Of course. You can simply leave out the chocolate chips in this recipe and make an excellent sourdough pumpkin bread that will still be moist and delicious!

Can I double the recipe?

Yes. Double all of the ingredients and divide the batter between two bread loaf pans.

Slice of sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread on a plate brokwne in half with a knife and flowers.

Sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread cut into slices.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Rate this Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

By: Sourdough Brandon
This easy Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is made of real pumpkin puree, sourdough discard, and lots of chocolate chips for an irresistible fall treat. The sourdough pumpkin bread is extremely moist even with no oil and the batter comes together in less than 10 minutes. No mixer required!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time55 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Yield or Serving: 12 Slices

Equipment

  • 1 Baking Scale
  • 1 Bread Loaf Pan
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Spatula

Ingredients

  • 120 g All-purpose Flour, 1 cup
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice, or 1 tsp ground cinnamon and a ¼ tsp each of ground nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice
  • 337 g Pumpkin Puree, 1 ½ cups
  • 104 g Light Brown Sugar, ½ cup
  • 50 g Granulated Sugar, ¼ cup
  • 2 Eggs
  • 120 g Sourdough Discard, ½ cup, or active sourdough starter
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 85 g Unsalted Butter, melted, 6 TBS
  • 180 g Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips, ¾ cup, plus more for topping
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Then, grease or spray a bread loaf pan with non-stick spray and line it with parchment paper with a couple of inches overhang on both sides. Set aside.
    Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
    120 g All-purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Baking Soda, ½ tsp Kosher Salt, 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Pour in the melted butter last and whisk until the mixture is bright orange, shiny, and the butter is fully incorporated.
    337 g Pumpkin Puree, 104 g Light Brown Sugar, 50 g Granulated Sugar, 2 Eggs, 120 g Sourdough Discard, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 85 g Unsalted Butter
  • Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined.
  • Fold the mini chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed.
    Pour the pumpkin bread batter into the prepared bread loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with more chocolate chips.
    180 g Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
    Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Notes

  • Follow my guide for more detailed instructions and photos to make this recipe step-by-step.
Tried this recipe?Rate the recipe above, comment, and follow/mention @sourdoughbrandon on Instagram

Other Recipes You Might Like:

Sourdough pumpkin scones with a pumpkin glaze on a wire rack with a bowl of pumpkin glaze, linen towel, a pumpkin, and a vase of dahlias on the sides.

Sourdough Pumpkin Scones

These Sourdough Pumpkin Scones are so easy to make, tender, and flaky. With a pumpkin…
Read More
Sourdough pumpkin whoopie pies with salted maple buttercream stacked on top of each other with pumpkins in the background.

Sourdough Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Make these easy Sourdough Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Salted Maple Buttercream that bake in just…
Read More
Sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread sliced with an orange towel, flowers, and bowl of chocolate chips.

Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This easy Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread is made with real pumpkin, pumpkin spices, and…
Read More
Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with pumpkin seeds

Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These easy Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins are made with real pumpkin, pumpkin spices, and…
Read More
Sourdough apple fritters with glaze and cinnamon sugar on a serving platter

Sourdough Apple Fritters

These old-fashioned Sourdough Apple Fritters are so easy to make and require no proofing! They…
Read More
Share this:

3 thoughts on “Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread”

  1. Kathy Hirvela says:
    October 1, 2023 at 1:32 pm

    5 stars
    I made it but had to use regular size chocolate chips and it was delicious! I will definitely be making this again. I doubled the recipe and put one in the freezer for later.

    Reply
  2. Bethany says:
    September 11, 2023 at 6:58 am

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe. The bread is super moist and not too sweet. Will definitely make it again. I always have extra discard from my starter so this will be the perfect way to use it up.

    Reply
    1. sourdoughbrandon says:
      September 11, 2023 at 8:44 am

      Thanks for making! So glad it turned out great.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Home » Recipes » Desserts » Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

ABOUT BRANDON

Picture of Brandon with Sourdough

I am a home baker living in the hills of rural Massachusetts. I hope to bring my passion for baking to you with detailed recipes and delicious ingredients.


CONNECT WITH ME

Sign up for my Newsletter

Loading

RECENT POSTS:

  • Sourdough pumpkin scones with a pumpkin glaze on a wire rack with a bowl of pumpkin glaze, linen towel, a pumpkin, and a vase of dahlias on the sides.
    Sourdough Pumpkin SconesSeptember 26, 2023
  • Sourdough pumpkin whoopie pies with salted maple buttercream stacked on top of each other with pumpkins in the background.
    Sourdough Pumpkin Whoopie PiesSeptember 12, 2023
  • Jar of sourdough levain with text saying "What is a Sourdough Levain" and the Sourdough Brandon logo.
    What is a Sourdough Levain?September 7, 2023
  • Sourdough pumpkin chocolate chip bread sliced with an orange towel, flowers, and bowl of chocolate chips.
    Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip BreadSeptember 4, 2023
  • Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with pumpkin seeds
    Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese MuffinsAugust 28, 2023
  • Sourdough apple fritters with glaze and cinnamon sugar on a serving platter
    Sourdough Apple FrittersAugust 22, 2023
  • Sliced Beginner's Einkorn Sourdough Bread on a cutting board
    Beginner’s Einkorn Sourdough BreadAugust 13, 2023
  • Sourdough Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake on a cake stand with slices cut and a lemon glaze
    Sourdough Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt CakeAugust 1, 2023
  • Sourdough grilled cheese on a cutting board with a knife
    Sourdough Grilled CheeseJuly 20, 2023
  • Sourdough Pop Tarts with blueberry and strawberry jam
    Sourdough Pop TartsJuly 12, 2023

Menu

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • How to Make a Sourdough Starter
    • Breads
    • Sourdough Discard
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
  • Guides
  • Tools
  • Newsletter
  • Events
  • About
    • Contact me
Black sourdough brandon logo

© 2023 Sourdough Brandon Privacy

Connect with me

©2023 Sourdough Brandon