Fall is in the air and pumpkin is everywhere
When the weather gets cooler, I tend to start craving pumpkin flavor. It first starts with a pumpkin latte, pumpkin yogurt, and before I know it I want a piece of pumpkin pie. The next thing that I know, somehow 5-6 cans of pumpkin are in my pantry. I tend to go crazy with buying that canned pumpkin as my pumpkin cravings are real. Even the teenager starts requesting a pumpkin pie for his birthday which is in October. I can't make the first pumpkin pie until the teen's birthday so it stays special to him. So to satisfy my pumpkin craving, I make pumpkin bread and it better be healthy as I tend to eat way too many slices. Whenever I make pumpkin bread, my husband won't eat it unless there are chocolate chips in it. My pumpkin bread also does not contain all those spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon as I don't like those spices. I no longer get my pumpkin coffee at a certain coffee shop as once they change their recipe to pumpkin spice coffee, it just ruined it for me.
Chocolate makes pumpkin taste so good
When the weather gets cooler, I tend to start craving pumpkin flavor. It first starts with a pumpkin latte, pumpkin yogurt, and before I know it I want a piece of pumpkin pie. The next thing that I know, somehow 5-6 cans of pumpkin are in my pantry. I tend to go crazy with buying that canned pumpkin as my pumpkin cravings are real. Even the teenager starts requesting a pumpkin pie for his birthday which is in October. I can't make the first pumpkin pie until the teen's birthday so it stays special to him. So to satisfy my pumpkin craving, I make pumpkin bread and it better be healthy as I tend to eat way too many slices. Whenever I make pumpkin bread, my husband won't eat it unless there are chocolate chips in it. My pumpkin bread also does not contain all those spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon as I don't like those spices. I no longer get my pumpkin coffee at a certain coffee shop as once they change their recipe to pumpkin spice coffee, it just ruined it for me.
Chocolate makes pumpkin taste so good
My Husband is not a pumpkin pie person and does not enjoy anything pumpkin. Strange, right? Who does not like pumpkin pie? My husband will eat this pumpkin bread as he says that chocolate gives a great flavor to the pumpkin. I couldn't agree more. My middle son loves pumpkin pie so much that he always requests a pumpkin pie instead of cake for his birthday. It is a good thing my son's birthday is in the fall and the stores have plenty of cans of pumpkin. So with plenty of pumpkin in my pantry, I can make both a pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread.
This pumpkin bread is:
~ Chocolate
~ Pumpkin
~ Gooey
~ Sweet
~ Crunchy
~ Healthy
~ Moist
This year I decided to add a twist to my pumpkin bread recipe and add granola and chia seed for a healthy crunch and omega/fiber boost. Of course, since I am making this bread healthy, I will be using olive oil for the small amount of oil that this recipe calls for. The granola and the chia seed give my pumpkin bread a unique crunch. The awesome thing is my husband had no clue that I put the chia seed into the bread and he enjoyed the bread. The olive oil is new unique Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil that I just discovered and I love that I can bake and cook with it while getting those healthy fats into my diet.
Sponsored post: I received products from Viki's granola, Carrington Farms, and Gaea to facilitate this post.
I used a delicious cranberry, maple, and walnut granola from Viki's granola as I just love the generous amounts of cranberries and walnuts in it. These two items just blend in perfectly with the flavors of pumpkin and chocolate chips. To get an awesome flavor and crunch from the granola, I like to stir the granola into the pumpkin bread batter. Then right before I put the loaf of bread into the oven, I sprinkle more granola on top of the bread. The granola gave my bread a wonderful texture along with a delicious taste. The granola also makes the top of the bread so pretty. When my nine-year-old son saw the bread, he told me that the bread looks awesome as he ate two slices. My nine-year-old takes all my selfie photos and so understands about things looking good.
The granola makes for a nice crunchy topping
This pumpkin bread with chocolate chips is delicious and healthy. Pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A and the granola is made from oatmeal. The chia seeds give the bread protein, fiber, and omegas. So indulge and enjoy a slice. This bread would be great for breakfast or a coffee break with a cup of pumpkin spice coffee. To make this bread dairy-free just use vegan chocolate chips and dairy-free yogurt. If you like gooey chocolate serve the bread warm, just heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
2 tablespoons Greek olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
4 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup granola
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
1. Lightly brush a loaf pan with olive oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the oil and honey together. Add the yogurt, beat to combine, then beat in the egg. Make sure the ingredients are smooth and well blended. Beat in the pumpkin purée and vanilla.
3. Combine the baking soda, salt, flours, and chia seeds in another bowl and then mix well into the pumpkin mixture.
4. Stir in the granola and chocolate chips until well coated.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and lightly sprinkle the top with some granola.
6. Bake for about 6o minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 15 minutes
