Chocolate Streusel Pumpkin Bread
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Moist and chocolatey pumpkin streusel bread you can make with a package of pumpkin quick bread mix. It’s loaded with sweet fall spices, cocoa, chocolate chunks and cozy autumn vibes.
Hello pumpkin spice! When the fall season arrives, you can either run in the opposite direction or embrace it with your whole heart.
I happen to love pumpkin in all forms.
And don’t get me started on spices — they work like magic to elevate everyday cooking, not to mention how they have the power to transform your kitchen into an aromatherapy spa.
So, it should be obvious that this super moist, chocolate-swirled pumpkin streusel bread gets lots of love around here.
I assure you it will have the same effect in your house, too. The beauty of this treat is that it calls for a package of pumpkin quick bread, which makes it so convenient to whip up.
The baked loaf verges on the edge of being both a quick bread and a cake, with a tender crumb that has a perfect balance of wholesome pumpkin flavor and sweet baking spices.
And of course, lots of chocolate.
For some reason I had pumpkin-chocolate cake on the brain, but I wasn’t sure how a pumpkin bread mix would perform outside of making pancakes and waffles.
The finished loaf turned out so much better than I imagined — it’s not like a sweet dessert, but more like a decadently healthy snack, if that makes sense.
When you bake it, the chocolate layer melts and swirls into the batter, so each thick slice delivers all the fall spices along with a nourishing dose of cocoa.
Topping it all off is a rich chocolate streusel, with pumpkin seeds for a bit of extra crunch and nutrition.
Keeping and freezing pumpkin bread
The baked loaf will keep will for 3 days at room temperature. If it lasts that long!
You can also freeze the loaf: Wrap the cooled loaf in two layers of plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or leave at room temperature for an hour or two.
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Chocolate Streusel Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Swirl Layer:
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate baking chunks
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
Streusel:
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (45 g) semisweet chocolate baking chunks
- ¼ cup (30 g) unsalted pepitas, pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin Bread:
- 2 cups (280 g) packaged pumpkin bread mix
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (120 ml) butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 (175C) degrees. Oil a standard loaf pan (8 1/2" x 41/2"). Cut a sheet of parchment to fit inside, with the long edges overhanging by a few inches. Oil the paper too.
Make the chocolate swirl
- Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Make the streusel
- Put the flour into a bowl and use a fork to blend with the butter until it's clumpy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
Pumpkin bread
- Stir together all the ingredients for the Pumpkin Bread in a mixing bowl until smooth. Scoop half the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the swirl layer ingredients evenly over the batter.
- Spoon the remaining batter over the swirl layer. Sprinkle the streusel over the top.
- Bake the loaf 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan 30 minutes, then use the edges of the parchment to lift the loaf out of the pan. Place on a rack and cool completely.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The baked loaf will keep will for 3 days at room temperature. If it lasts that long!
- To freeze the loaf: Wrap the cooled loaf in two layers of plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month and thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or leave at room temperature for an hour or two.
Nutrition
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about making cooking fun and doable, with easy to follow tested recipes and incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Perfect timing for my homegrown pumpkins. Love it
What a perfect loaf, I love the marbling!