This pumpkin bread recipe results in a soft and tender bread made with all the best fall flavours like pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Sprinkled with a bit of sugar on top, this homemade bread tastes as good as it smells!

pumpkin bread on a wire rack with 2 slices cut

How do you make a delicious loaf of homemade brioche bread even better? With pumpkin that’s how! Pumpkin puree helps create a moist bread as well as delivers a light pumpkin flavour and the pumpkin pie spice elevates it to another level. The addition of cinnamon and chocolate chips round out this combination of all the things we love about this time of year.

This isn’t your typical cake-like bread. This is more of a pumpkin brioche bread which means you can toast it, eat it plain, or use it for a holiday breakfast bread pudding.

The mouth-watering aroma is reason enough to make this but imagine cozying up with a nice cup of tea and warm slice of this chocolate chip pumpkin bread on a brisk morning, slathered with Nutella, apple butter, or your favourite spread.

Serve it as a light dessert bread after dinner or with an array of spreads for a holiday brunch. Make 2 loaves and freeze one for later and have a slice for an afternoon snack or morning breakfast.

Welcome the changing of the seasons with this delicious twist on a classic brioche and enjoy all the comforts of delicious homemade pumpkin bread!

Table of Contents

How to make it

In a stand up mixer, whisk the flour, white and brown sugar, yeast, cinnamon and pie spice. Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of spices you’ll find in any grocery store. It is usually a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. It’s what gives pumpkin pie its awesome flavour.

Make a well in teh middle and add the pumpkin puree, egg, butter and vanilla. Start to knead and add the salt. Little by little, add the lukewarm milk, continuing to knead on medium.

mixing the dry ingredients in a silver bowl and adding the eggs

Add in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and knead once more.

adding the chopped chocolate and making a dough

Remove dough to a flat surface and form into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, making sure to lightly cover entire surface of the dough with the oil.

Cover and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in size.

dough in a white bowl before and after rising

Once dough has risen, knead it a few times and form into two ropes. Braid the ropes.

Place the loaf in a prepared loaf pan. Cover to let rise once more in a warm draft-free area. Preheat the oven, brush rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Egg wash is water and egg beaten together. It gives the bread its shiny lightly golden crust.

braided loaf in a loaf pan before and after rising and brushed with an egg wash

Bake until done and your house is smelling amazing! Keep in mind the different bake times for both the loaf and the rolls.

Move to a wire rack to cool and enjoy!

Tip: For the ingredients, you need at room temperature, remove from the fridge about an hour before use.

What else can I use instead of chocolate?

Although pumpkin and chocolate are in a committed relationship, there are definitely other things you can use instead! Substitute chocolate for raisins, cranberries or even pumpkin seeds!

Do I need to let the dough rise?

Absolutely. Do not skip this step! A brioche is light and fluffy and much of this is because of patience. This recipe will not steer you wrong and in the end you will have a beautiful loaf of bread.

How to store it

This bread will keep at room temperature on your counter wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you’ve made an extra loaf or if you have leftovers you can freeze it, again wrapped tightly, for up to a month.

So if you are looking for a delicious Fall Bread recipe I hope you give this Homemade Pumpkin Bread a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!