Cozy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly combined.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bread tender.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
9. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Chef tips

• If using canned pumpkin, make sure it's 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars and spices.
• To keep the bread extra moist, you can substitute half the milk with plain yogurt or applesauce.
• For a nutty variation, add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chips.
• If you don’t have a loaf pan, this batter works well in a 9x9 inch square pan; baking time may be slightly less, so check at 40 minutes.