This chocolate marble pumpkin bread brings together two favorite flavors in 1 loaf: classic pumpkin bread, swirled with rich chocolate and finished with a crumbly chocolate streusel topping. Every slice is soft, moist, warmly spiced, and filled with pockets of chocolate flavor. It looks impressive, but the marbled effect is surprisingly easy to create; and best of all, both parts start from the same batter.
This recipe is based on my favorite pumpkin bread recipe, and it’s assembled the same way as this marble loaf cake. The rich chocolate crumb topping pushes this chocolate pumpkin bread from the quick bread category more into loaf cake territory, and you will definitely not be sorry about crossing that border.
Taste testers RAVED about this one.
Why You’ll Love It
- 2 flavors in 1 loaf: Cozy pumpkin spice meets rich chocolate.
- Soft and moist: Pumpkin puree and oil keep the bread incredibly tender.
- Easy to make: Make the pumpkin batter, then separate out some to make into the chocolate pumpkin batter. No electric mixer needed.
- Beautiful marbling: The decoration is already built in!
- Chocolate streusel topping: Chocolate streusel adds a crisp, crumbly topping that contrasts beautifully with the soft pumpkin bread underneath. Because one layer of chocolate is never enough. 😉
- Perfect for fall: It’s wonderful for a special breakfast, as an afternoon treat, or dessert.
If you love my classic pumpkin bread, this is a fun chocolate twist to add to your fall baking list. The hardest part is waiting for the loaf to cool before slicing!
Ingredients for Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread
Let me explain some of the most important ingredients you need and why:
- Pumpkin Puree: Make sure you grab the can labeled “pure pumpkin,” not “pumpkin pie filling.”
- Favorite Fall Spices: Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon bring their signature warmth to the batter. You can use either store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Oil: Adds incredible moisture and lightens up the crumb. This chocolate marble pumpkin bread stays soft and moist for days! A neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil is great, but you can substitute avocado oil or melted coconut oil instead.
- Cocoa Powder: You need cocoa powder to make your chocolate batter. Remember this post on Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder? In testing this chocolate marble pumpkin bread, we found that using Dutch-processed cocoa made for the best, smoothest-tasting chocolate flavor. I usually use this brand (not working with them, just a big fan!).
- Espresso Powder: Just like in chocolate cake, we use espresso powder to enhance and deepen the chocolate flavor—it doesn’t taste like coffee at all. You can find espresso powder in the coffee aisle at your grocery store or online.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Using mini chips here means you get more melty pools of chocolate in every bite.
Make the Chocolate Crumb Topping First
Start with the chocolate streusel so it’s ready to go when the batter is finished. Place it in the refrigerator or freezer while you make the batter. You want to keep those crumbles as cold as possible before they hit the hot oven, just like we do when making apple pie bars.
2 Flavors From 1 Batter
The pumpkin batter follows a simple, familiar process. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then whisk together the wet ingredients, then whisk to combine both. Easy.
Great news: The chocolate batter is made from the pumpkin batter, so you don’t have to prepare two completely separate batters. Yes!!!
Transfer a heaping cup (you can just eyeball it; if you want to be precise, use a kitchen scale and aim for around 280g) into a second mixing bowl.
Add cocoa powder and espresso powder to the smaller amount of batter. Since we’re adding these dry and bitter ingredients to the chocolate batter, we need to add some more moisture too. A little warm milk solves that problem. (Warm liquid helps the cocoa and espresso powders bloom/dissolve.)
Then stir in some mini chocolate chips:
You now have two batters: one classic pumpkin and one chocolate pumpkin.
How to Line a Loaf Pan
For easy removal and perfectly intact slices, I recommend lining your loaf pan with what’s called a “parchment sling.” It essentially gives you handles to lift the entire loaf straight out of the pan once it has cooled—similar to how we line a baking pan for brownies to make for easy removal and cutting.
In the case of this chocolate marble pumpkin bread, my team and I found this to be especially helpful, since flipping the bread out of the pan can be a bit messy because of the crumb topping. Here’s how to make a parchment sling:
First, lightly grease the loaf pan (I always use nonstick spray). Cut a piece of parchment paper that’s long enough to fit across the bottom of the pan and extend up and over the two long sides. Press the parchment into the pan, leaving the ends hanging over the sides. The grease helps hold the parchment in place while you add the batter.
There’s no need to line all four sides of the pan. The parchment sling takes care of the bottom and two sides, while the exposed sides can be lightly greased.
Once your chocolate pumpkin bread has cooled, lift the loaf up and out of the pan.
How to Get the Best Marble Effect
- Spread a thin layer of the pumpkin batter on the bottom of the pan.
- Cover with a few spoonfuls of the chocolate batter, then a few spoonfuls of the pumpkin batter, then more chocolate batter, then more pumpkin batter, and so on until all of the batter is used.
- Gently shimmy the pan to level out the batters.
- Using a knife, make rounded horizontal zig-zags from one side of the pan to the other, and then make rounded vertical zig-zags from the top to the bottom.
The marbling is easy, but there are a few tricks that make a big difference:
Don’t overmix the two batters. A few swirls are all you need. Think gentle figure-eights rather than vigorous stirring.
Alternate the batter. Spoon the pumpkin and chocolate batters into the pan in alternating dollops or layers. This distributes the two flavors throughout the loaf.
Use a thin knife. A butter knife or small offset spatula works well for swirling.
Don’t stress about perfection. Every loaf and slice will look a little different, which is part of the fun!
Now sprinkle the cold chocolate crumb topping all over the top and you’re ready to bake!
Toward the end of bake time, loosely tent aluminum foil over the pan to prevent the crumb topping from getting too dark.
Let the bread cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing. For the cleanest slices, use a serrated knife.
There’s something about a loaf of pumpkin bread baking in the oven that makes fall feel official. Add chocolate, a pretty swirl, and a crunchy streusel topping, and you might just want to make this a year-round recipe!
Print
Chocolate Marble Pumpkin Bread
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: 1 loaf
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This chocolate marble pumpkin bread brings together two favorite flavors in one loaf: classic pumpkin bread, swirled with rich chocolate and finished with a crumbly chocolate streusel topping.
Ingredients
Chocolate Crumb Topping
- 3 Tablespoons (24g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 Tablespoons (27g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (5g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 Tablespoons (34g) mini chocolate chips
Pumpkin Batter
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup (133g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) canned pure pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) vegetable oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons (30g/ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Batter
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (23g) whole milk, warm
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (60g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Make the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt together until combined. Add the butter and use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers to blend until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Cover and place in the refrigerator or freezer until needed in step 5.
- Make the pumpkin batter: Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of overhang on two opposite sides.* Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until combined. The batter is thick and a few lumps are OK. Do not overmix. Transfer a heaping cup (about 280g) of the batter to a medium bowl; this will be the chocolate batter. Set aside the remaining pumpkin batter (the larger amount).
- Make the chocolate batter: In a small bowl, combine the espresso powder and warm milk, whisking with a fork to dissolve the espresso powder. Pour this into the medium bowl with the smaller amount of batter, along with the cocoa powder, and whisk to combine. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Assemble the loaf: Spread a thin layer of the pumpkin batter in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Layer a few spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top, followed by a few spoonfuls of the pumpkin batter. Continue alternating spoonfuls of each batter until all of the batter is used. Gently shimmy the pan to level the batters. Using a knife, make rounded horizontal zigzags from one side of the pan to the other, followed by rounded vertical zigzags from top to bottom. Sprinkle the cold crumb topping evenly on top.
- Bake for 60–70 minutes; loosely tent with aluminum foil around the halfway mark. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60–70 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
- Cool the bread completely in the pan set on a cooling rack. Lift the bread out of the pan by gripping the parchment paper overhang. Transfer it to a cutting board, then slice and serve.
- Cover and store leftover chocolate marble pumpkin bread at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Wrap the cooled pumpkin bread in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil; freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Dutch-Process Cocoa | Espresso Powder | Pastry Cutter | 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Cooling Rack
- Cocoa Powder: You can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder if you do not have dutch-process cocoa powder.
- Oil: You can use vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or melted coconut oil. I typically use vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Espresso Powder: If you prefer to skip the espresso powder, I recommend still warming the milk. Add it along with the cocoa powder in step 4.
- How to Line a Loaf Pan: Lightly grease the loaf pan with nonstick spray. Cut a piece of parchment long enough to cover the bottom and extend up and over the two long sides of the pan. Press it into the pan, leaving the ends hanging over the sides to use as handles for lifting out the cooled bread. There’s no need to line all four sides. The parchment sling takes care of the bottom and two sides, while the exposed sides can be lightly greased.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about room-temperature ingredients in baking.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Good morning, made this bread yesterday with Pillsbury best gluten-free flour. It is absolutely amazing. I know it’s gonna be super yummy with regular flour. But my husband is gluten intolerant, so I always try to make things gluten-free for him. We tried it again the next day and it is still super moist. Awesome flavor. Definitely would recommend making this bread. If you’re gluten-free, the Pillsbury best gluten-free flour worked for me. I kept everything else the same in the recipe. I do a lot of your recipes, and I will switch them to gluten-free, and they work well. Thank you so much for the great recipe
I doubled the recipe and made two loaves today. This is really good! I could probably be tempted to just eat a bowl of the crumble with a spoon. Another great recipe!
Sounds delicious!! Can you use home made pumpkin puree? Also can you use apple sauce instead of the eggs?
Hi Vidya, homemade pumpkin puree should work in a pinch. We don’t recommend swapping the eggs for applesauce. Hope you enjoy the bread!
This is delicious! Everyone enjoyed! Only one slice left!
I made this and it turned out perfect! The parchment paper trick worked like a charm. Served with homemade whipped cream. Perfect for fall!
Hello- I’m looking forward to making this! I was wondering if you can substitute freshly ground coffee for the espresso powder?
Hi Jeanette, freeze dried (instant coffee) is a great substitute for espresso powder!
Thank you!
What kind of chocolate chips? Dark? Semisweet? Is it a matter of taste? Would chopped chocolate from a baking chocolate bar also work?
Hi Gregor! We use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. We do recommend sticking with chips, since chopped chocolate could melt into the bread and disappear.
This sounds delicious I was wondering could I make this in a mini loaf pans and what would be the baking time
Hi Mary, yes, you can use mini loaf pans. We’re unsure of the exact yield or bake time; it will depend on the exact size of your mini loaf pans. We hope you enjoy this recipe!
This was delicious: moist, tender, perfect combo of spicy pumpkin and rich chocolate flavors.
Like a few others, my chocolate topping somewhat ‘melted’ onto the bread and came out more like the craquelin layer that you put on choux buns instead of a streusel. Not what I expected but it still tasted good! I’ll add an additional tablespoon of flour next time, though it’s possible that I did use a bit too much butter and that could have been the issue (there was a hunk in the fridge that was about 3T and I used it without weighing).
My daughter loves chocolate chip pumpkin bread and I think she will really love this; as far as I am concerned, this is much better. Another go-to ‘Sally Recipe’ for me!
This recipe brings pumpkin bread to a totally different level! So delicious!
Amazing recipe! It’s delicious! The only thing is that it was a bit too sweet for my personal taste. If I reduce the amount of sugar next time, will the dough still turn out alright?
Hi Lilian! Sugar is used for moisture and texture in baked goods as well as taste. You can certainly try reducing the sugar, but the resulting texture will be different than intended.
Sally! I was coming here for your tried-and-trued pumpkin bread, which I always make as muffins with chocolate chips and has turned one pumpkin hater into a lover. But I wasn’t expecting this recipe – it looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!!!!
This is delicious-I brought it to work and everyone loved it. A few more steps than my usual recipe but well worth it.
Could I use homemade pumpkin puree?
Sure!
I have no doubt that this recipe is just as good as all your others! Unfortunately, I have a skill to mess all loaf-related things up. I usually never comment but I hoping for some advice!
My finished product came out super dense and gummy. It didn’t have a crumby texture and it holds its shape like a gummy. This usually happens when I make loafs but I have absolutely no clue what causes it to become so packed down. I did follow the recipe as stated so I’m quite curious as to how my loaf could have turned out like this. It tasted great albeit just not having a proper texture.
Hi Koi, happy to help! First, I would check your loaf pan – make sure it’s a true 9×5 inch pan. If it’s smaller, the batter usually would be too thick, making it difficult to bake through properly. Second, I would be very careful not to over-mix your batter. Doing so develops the gluten too much, which would lead to a dense and squat loaf. Third, I would try buying new baking soda. It can lose strength after just a few months and is imperative to the bread’s texture. Hope these tips help for next time!
Can we make it without the crumb topping ?
Absolutely!
I made this today for a church coffee hour, minus a taster slice to keep my husband happy. My taste-tester husband said it was the best slice of pumpkin bread he ever had and in the freezer it went until Sunday when it will vanish before my eyes & leave a bunch of happy people. Now, onto my next baking adventure. Something with apples.
So happy to read this, Marilyn!
made this last weekend and wow what a hit!!
Hello, has anyone tried this with sweet potato instead of pumpkin?
Normally don’t comment on recipes, but Sally is my absolute go to for all things baking. This recipe is so beyond excellent! So moist, lovely flavor from both the chocolate and the pumpkin, perfect balance of spices. I didn’t have the mini chocolate chips so omitted them from the topping and the batter, and didn’t use espresso powder or even warm up the milk to make the chocolate batter, and everything still turned out absolutely beautifully. Thank you for being a trusted source on baking!
This recipe is seriously amazing! I’ve made it twice in just five days, first for coworkers and then for family. So easy, and the crumb topping might be the most delicious part!
Looks great! Can the batter be baked as muffins?
Hi Carmin, we’re sure it could! You can reference our chocolate pumpkin muffins recipe for baking instructions.
Would 2% milk be ok?
Hi AJ, yes, that will work in a pinch!
Could I sub oat milk for the whole milk?
Hi Lis, that should work in a pinch.
Does it have to be a metal loaf pan? I have a glass one will that change the recipe?
Hi Quinn, you can use an oven-safe glass loaf pan here. Bake time may be slightly longer.
Outstanding! I realized that my oven wasn’t working after I’d made the crumb topping and whisked the dry ingredients together, so I put them both into containers, stored the crumb topping in the fridge and the dry ingredients in my pantry. Finally had a chance to bake the bread about a week and a half later and it came out wonderfully. So moist and delicious and a nice Friday surprise for the staff at the school where I work!
I like this recipe the loaf was very moist and the two flavors were not overpowering each other and the crumb topping is not overly sweet it compliments the pumpkin flavor.
Delicious and moist!
I needed to add a little extra flour to the topping since my just kind of kept turning into a mush (before adding the chocolate chips). After the addition, it was perfect. Came together easily, and was deliciously moist! Will definitely make this one again.
Am I able to substitute half and half for the whole milk?
Hi Marilyn, since it’s such a small amount here, that *should* be okay, but you may want to water it down a bit first to thin it out a bit.
Would it be possible to prepare everything beforehand, and leave in the fridge in the loaf pan for 24hours or so before actually baking it?
Hi Madison, no, we don’t recommend it. The baking soda is activated once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, so for best texture we recommend making the batter right after mixing.
Got it, thank you! Do you think it would be okay to make a day in advance?
Definitely! Just wrap the baked and cooled bread and keep it overnight at room temperature. You can warm up individual slices in the microwave if you wish. Enjoy!