Chocolate lovers unite! Our Chocolate Bread is a twist on the traditional pound cake. Chocolate chips are sprinkled throughout the homemade batter and on top of the freshly baked loaf for an extra chocolatey flavor. You wonโt be able to resist grabbing a slice right out of the oven.

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We canโt think of anything more nostalgic than a fresh, homemade chocolate loaf sitting out on the counter, ready to grab as a sweet afternoon treat or to serve for dessert.
Our chocolate bread recipe is filled with rich cocoa and chocolate chips for extra chocolatey flavor. Every irresistible bite is so tender and moist.
The next time youโre craving the homemade comfort of a sweet bread, we recommend baking our Cinnamon Chip Bread or our Best Ever Banana Bread.
Why Youโll Love This Recipe
- Easy Chocolate Bread Recipe: Making the batter is a simple process that only takes 20 minutes. Plus, our no-knead recipe is perfect for both beginner and experienced bakers.
- Homemade Goodness: We canโt think of anything more satisfying than making your own bread from scratch then enjoying the sweet, chocolate aroma as it bakes.
- Chocolate Loverโs Delight: This recipe is full of chocolate flavor in every bite. Bake this chocolate loaf cake to satisfy your sweet tooth, or make it part of a chocolate loverโs gift basket and give it to a friend.
Ingredients
- Flour: We use all purpose flour for our chocolate loaf cake recipe. Use your favorite cup-for-cup or 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour to make this chocolate bread gluten-free.
- Cocoa Powder: The powder gives the bread its rich brown color and chocolate flavor. We use Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder for its milder, smoother chocolate flavor. Any cocoa powder will work as long as it's unsweetened.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These leavening agents cause the chocolate loaf cake to rise.
- Butter and Sugar: This recipe begins by combining butter and sugar until they are well blended. The fat content of butter gives the bread a moist, soft internal texture. Be sure to let it reach room temperature.
- Eggs: This recipe requires two room-temperature eggs. If you donโt have large eggs, you can substitute smaller eggs. Be sure to adjust the number of eggs accordingly.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a warm, sweet undertone to the flavor of the bread. Use imitation or pure vanilla extract, whatever you have on hand. Madagascar vanilla yields the strongest vanilla flavor.
- Buttermilk and Sour Cream: The acid in these dairy products interacts with baking soda to leaven the breads, resulting in a light, moist texture.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips: Use any chocolate chip you prefer, noting it will change the overall sweetness of the bread.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations
- Mix-Ins: Along with or instead of chocolate chips, add in nuts such as pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries or cherries, or oatmeal.
- Top it With a Glaze: Elevate this simple chocolate loaf cake recipe with a fruity glaze. Think of cherry glaze as a nod to chocolate-covered cherries. Raspberry glaze would also be delicious. Alternatively, you could drizzle the bread with a vanilla glaze, similar to glazed donuts.
- Peanut Butter Cup Flavor: Add peanut butter chips to the batter, then top the bread with more chips and your favorite Nutella for a spin on a Reeseโs Cup. Because what goes together better than chocolate and peanut butter?
How to Make Chocolate Bread
Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and prepare the loaf pans with parchment paper and cooking spray.
- Step 1: Mix the Wet Ingredients. Add the butter and sugar to your mixer and blend until itโs smooth. Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and oil until the batter is light and fluffy. Add in the sour cream.
- Step 2: Add the Dry Ingredients. Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda to the batter and mix until itโs thoroughly blended. Slowly stir in the cocoa powder with the mixer on low speed. Add in the buttermilk and flour, alternating between the two ingredients. Finally, add in the chocolate chips.
- Step 3: Bake the Bread. Pour the bread batter into the loaf pans and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake the loaves for 50 to 55 minutes.
- Step 4:Let the Bread Cool. Let the freshly baked loaves completely cool before serving.
Hint: Avoid Overbaking
Oven temperatures can vary from one oven to the next, which can result in overbaking. To avoid that, check the bread at the earliest cooking time. The bread is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle of the loaves comes out clean.

Expert Tips
- Smooth Batter: Allow the butter, buttermilk and the eggs to come to room temperature before baking. This helps the ingredients mix together smoothly and creates a more consistent batter.
- Prevent Overmixing: Overmixing creates dense bread. To prevent that, add all the ingredients gradually.
- Even Distribution of Chips: Gently fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula in order to prevent them from sinking to the bottom and keep the chips evenly distributed.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Place leftover bread in an airtight container and set in a cool spot on your counter or pantry. Room temperature bread will last for 2 to 4 days. You can also store the bread in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. To freeze leftovers, cut the bread into slices and wrap them individually before freezing. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat frozen bread slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Or, let the slices thaw at room temperature and enjoy as is.

Serving Suggestions
Thereโs no reason to save this decadent chocolate quick bread for dessert. Enjoy it for breakfast or as an afternoon treat. You could even serve it as part of a brunch.
- Serve a slice of chocolate chip bread with our homemade vanilla ice cream, berries, whipped cream, or a generous drizzle of caramel sauce and sea salt.
- Add this chocolate bread loaf to your brunch menu. It goes great with these sausage egg muffins or sausage cream cheese crescent rolls along with this strawberry pecan salad, and fresh fruit.
- Having overnight guests? Set out slices of this freshly baked bread, our homemade waffles, hashbrown breakfast casserole, cereal, and fruit as a part of a breakfast buffet.
Recipe FAQs
If it turned out dry, itโs most likely due to adding too much flour or cocoa. Avoid this by measuring all your ingredients on a baking scale.
You can make your own! Add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of whole milk to make your own buttermilk. Set it aside for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken.
Great question! This recipe is a quick bread made without yeast. This results in a dense, moist loaf. It's also often called a chocolate loaf cake, though cakes tend to be lighter and fluffier.

More Decadent Chocolate Treats
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Double Chocolate Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1ยผ cup all-purpose flour
- ยฝ cup Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder
- ยผ teaspoon baking soda
- ยพ teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ cup butter (salted) room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- โ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ยผ cup sour cream
- ยผ cup canola oil
- 1ยฝ cup semisweet Chocolate chips reserve ยฝ cup for the topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350โโline 2 loaf pans with parchment paper. The easiest way to do this is to cut a piece of parchment paper that is long and narrow. Make sure the width of the paper is the same size as the length of the pan. This will create a sling. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray while it is inside the loaf pan. Set aside.
- Add butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of your mixer. Mix until the butter and sugar are mixed together well. Next, mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, and canola oil. Mix until light and fluffy, then mix in the sour cream.
- Add salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until well incorporated. Slowly add in the Dutch cocoa powder while the mixer is on low. Alternate adding the buttermilk and flour. Next, mix in one cup of semisweet chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top of the batter. Bake loaves for 50-55 minutes.
- Cool completely, and enjoy!
Notes
- Bring the buttermilk, eggs, and butter to room temperature before baking.
- Test the doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the loaf.ย
- Let the bread completely cool before serving.
Nutrition
*All nutrition information provided is automatically calculated and is an estimate and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact numbers on your ingredients, I would recommend calculating them with your prefered nutrition calculator.
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