Fall is here! And not too soon from now, it will be Halloween again! Not only is it my favorite holiday but this time of year also means having pumpkin readily available at so many stores again – which if you’re a fanatic for it like I am, is a total relief.

But don’t limit yourself to saving pumpkin or chocolate for Halloween. This recipe makes a lot of pumpkin bread and muffins! It yields three 9×5 loaves of bread but instead I made one loaf and used another pan to make 12 muffins. Be prepared to share or put some bread in the freezer for later.

Making these has become a staple for me every time summer ends and the temperatures start to cool down. The muffins are wonderfully moist, and with the help of the cinnamon and nutmeg, definitely taste like the fall flavors I’ve been missing all year.

Next time you find yourself with some pumpkin, don’t jump on making pies -though those are wonderful too- but make these delicious treats instead and try having pumpkin for breakfast!

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread

From TwoPeasandTheirPod.com

3 and ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons salt

3 cups granulated sugar

1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin puree

– not pumpkin pie mix!

1 cup canola oil

2/3 cups water

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1-2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray three 9×5 loaf pans with cooking spray and set aside. Alternately, if you’re using a muffin pan, line it with cupcake liners and spray it with cooking spray as well.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl combine sugar, pumpkin, canola oil, water, vanilla and eggs. Mix until smooth.

4. Slowly blend in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Evenly divide batter within three loaf pans. If you’re using a muffin tin, use an ice-cream scoop to divide the batter evenly.

5. Bake the bread for 60 min. or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean. The muffins will cook faster, and only require about 20-25 min.

6. Remove loaves from oven and cool in pans for 15 min. Run a knife around the edges and remove from pan. Let it cool completely before slicing.