Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake — 🧡🤎🍁 This soft and moist pumpkin cake is loaded with chocolate in every bite! An EASY one-bowl fall dessert that’s perfect for impromptu entertaining or anytime a pumpkin craving strikes!

slice of pumpkin chocolate chip cake on a white plate. A fork with a bite of cake on it rests in the background.

This is a fast, easy, one-bowl, no mixer pumpkin cake recipe that everyone loves. When you’re sitting around the house craving a piece of Starbucks pumpkin bread, you need to make this cake instead. It has a ton more flavor and it’s so easy. 

It’s a spinoff of this Pumpkin Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting. Which is a spinoff from a pumpkin cake recipe in my second cookbook, Cooking With Pumpkin. It’s a recipe that has been around the block and it’s always a crowd pleaser.

It’s great on chilly fall mornings with a cup of coffee or tea, served at a casual brunch, or as an easy-breezy fall dessert to serve when you’re entertaining but don’t want to slave over dessert. Yet it still tastes like a million bucks, no frosting needed.

slice of pumpkin chocolate chip cake on a white plate. A fork with a bite of cake on it rests in the foreground.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Ingredients

For the easy pumpkin and chocolate chip cake recipe, you’ll need: 

  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Pumpkin puree 
  • Canola oil
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Cinnamon
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder and baking soda
  • Salt
  • Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

slice of pumpkin chocolate chip cake on a white plate.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Homemade pumpkin cake with chocolate chips is a quick and easy one-bowl dessert!

  1. In a large bowl, stir together the wet ingredients followed by the dry. Gently fold in the chocolate chips. 
  2. Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish.
  3. Bake until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, no batter. That’s it! 

Storage Instructions

At room temp: Cake will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days.

In the freezer: Let cake cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and seal in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter when ready to eat.

Baking FAQs

Can I Make This Recipe as Cupcakes?  

I haven’t tried that myself, but I bet it would work out okay. Check your cupcakes around the 20-minute mark to see if they’re finished. 

Can I Double This Recipe? 

Yes, I think you could easily double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. It’d probably need to bake for roughly the same amount of time, but I can’t say for sure since I’ve only ever made this cake in a smaller pan. 

Can I use melted butter instead of oil?

I used oil rather than butter, which keeps the cake extra moist and since pumpkin naturally makes everything moister, there’s no chance of a dry cake. If you only have butter on hand, feel free to melt it and use that instead, noting that the texture of the cake will be affected slightly.

Can I add more or less spices?

Between the 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, there is plenty of robust fall-infused flavoring going on. I despise pumpkin or carrot cake recipes that don’t have enough oomph with the spices and that is impossible here. Add more or less spices as you see fit. 

Why does this recipe call for mini chocolate chips?

I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and recommend them rather than regular chocolate chips. They disperse more evenly and don’t tend to sink to the bottom of the cake like regular chocolate chips so that you get bites that are perfectly studded with chocolate throughout.

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4.50 from 76 votes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

By Averie Sunshine
🧡🤎🍁 This soft and moist pumpkin cake is loaded with chocolate in every bite! An EASY one-bowl fall dessert that's perfect for impromptu entertaining or anytime a pumpkin craving strikes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 36 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients  

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¾ to 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, See NOTE below

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • To a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  • Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
  • Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes (I baked 36 minutes) or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, no batter.
  • Allow cake to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Notes

Chocolate chips: I highly recommend MINI chocolate chips for this recipe rather than regular chocolate chips. They disperse more evenly and do not sink to the bottom like regular chips are prone to doing.
To store: Cake will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Adapted from Pumpkin Spice Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 275kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 196mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 25g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Easy Pumpkin Cake Recipes:

My FAVORITE PUMPKIN RECIPES on my blog!

My cookbook, Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie is my second cookbook and there are over 50 pumpkin recipes including sweets, savory, drinks, and a photo for nearly every recipe. I’d be super grateful if you headed over to Amazon to check it out!

Cooking With Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie by Averie Sunshine

Pumpkin Poke Cake — Easy and the BEST PUMPKIN CAKE ever!! Two kinds of CARAMEL sauce, TOFFEE bits, CHOCOLATE CHIPS, whipped topping and more!! A total WINNER you must make!!

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting— Moist pumpkin cake is topped with a creamy homemade cream cheese frosting. This easy fall dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and more!

four slices of Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting on white plate

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake – Fast, EASY, and the moistest pumpkin cake you’ll ever taste!! Loaded with chocolate chips in every bite and topped with a heavenly chocolate ganache! Sinfully rich and decadent!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake - Fast, EASY, and the moistest pumpkin cake you'll ever taste!! Loaded with chocolate chips in every bite and topped with a heavenly chocolate ganache! Sinfully rich and decadent!!

Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — A marriage of pumpkin cake and carrot cake into one soft, moist, tender, and amazing cake!! The tangy cream cheese frosting is truly the icing on this easy cake!!

a slice of frosted pumpkin carrot cake on a white plate with a fork

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake — A FAST and EASY no-mixer pumpkin coffee cake with rich pumpkin flavor and topped with big buttery crumbles!! So soft, moist, and tender! You’re going to LOVE this cake for breakfast, brunch, or entertaining!

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Roll — With my EASY pumpkin roll recipe and clear directions,  you’re going to be a pumpkin roll pro! No dish towel required to roll up my classic pumpkin roll cake that’s full of rich pumpkin spice flavor and tangy cream cheese frosting!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake — Like a gooier, richer version of pumpkin pie with a spice cake crust!! Butter + cream cheese = lives up to its GOOEY name! Make it for Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie!!

Originally published September 2, 2019 and republished with updated text October 22, 2021.

4.50 from 76 votes (57 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hands down the best pumpkin cake Iโ€™ve had! I used regular sized chocolate chips, but I bet it wouldโ€™ve tasted great with mini chips too. Itโ€™s heavenly with cream cheese frosting.

    A glass dish with partially cut brown baked dessert squares and a metal knife, resting on a stove.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Shelby, and for sharing your photo, too! I’m glad that this is the best pumpkin cake you’ve ever tried!

  2. 5 stars
    I love this recipe. It is so easy and simple, and so delicious! My cake comes out perfect every time. I use regular or large chocolate chips and they do just fine. For extra fanciness, I like to top it off with cream cheese icing.

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Michelle, and it’s great you love this and that it’s simple, delicious, and comes out perfect every time! Cream cheese frosting is the best, too!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad this was the best ever for you even without that chocolate chips!

    1. Yes that will be just fine. Double everything and bake it in a 9×13 pan, for about the same amount of time called for 35-40 minutes.

  3. 5 stars
    Made this yesterday, and my 5 little grandkids devoured it! ย We also were able to get a couple bites and it is absolutely delicious and super easy to make. ย Loving all your recipes!

  4. 5 stars
    Made this yesterday, and my 5 little grandkids devoured it! ย We also were able to get a couple bites and it is absolutely delicious and super easy to make. ย Loving all your recipes!