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This quick chocolate bread is so moist and chocolatey, like a chocolate cake in bread form! Ready for the oven in 10 minutes and loaded with chocolate chips, it’s the perfect sweet snack or dessert.
I’ll be honest with you: I make this chocolate bread when I want something that feels like dessert but I can pretend is a snack. It’s moist, it’s fudgy, and it’s loaded with melty chocolate chips in every single bite. Calling it “bread” instead of “cake” is basically my permission slip to eat a slice with my coffee in the morning, and I’m not mad about it.
This is one of those quick bread recipes I come back to again and again, because it comes together in one bowl and is in the oven in about 10 minutes flat. No mixer, no waiting around for butter to soften, no fuss — just deep, rich cocoa flavor from a simple batter, plus a handful of chocolate chips folded in for good measure. Whether you slice it up for an afternoon snack or dress it up with whipped cream for dessert, it’s always a hit around here.
Erin’s Notes
- Extra chocolatey. I never skimp on chocolate, so this loaf is packed with deep cocoa flavor, plus a handful of chocolate chips stirred right into the batter. They melt into little pockets of gooey chocolate throughout the bread — similar to what happens in my chocolate chip zucchini bread — and honestly, that’s my favorite part.
- A perfect sweet treat. This bread pulls double duty in my house. It’s bread-y enough that I’ll grab a slice with my morning coffee, but cakey enough to serve as dessert with a scoop of ice cream. Best of both worlds, really.
- Quick to make. This is a true one-bowl, no-mixer situation. You can have the batter mixed and the pan in the oven in about 10 minutes — perfect for those days when a chocolate craving hits and you don’t want to wait.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The secret to a really good double chocolate bread comes down to two things: good cocoa powder and good chocolate chips — don’t skimp here! Here are a few notes on the ingredients I get asked about most.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt — nothing fancy, just what you need for structure and lift.
- Cocoa Powder – I usually reach for good quality unsweetened cocoa powder, but Dutch-processed works too if that’s what you have. Just know it’ll give you a more intense flavor and a darker loaf.
- Eggs and Buttermilk – These two give the bread its rich, tender crumb. If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, I’ve got you covered — my homemade buttermilk trick using regular milk and vinegar (or lemon juice) works great here.
- Butter – Melted and cooled so it doesn’t scramble your eggs. I usually use unsalted, but salted works fine too — just skip the added salt in the recipe if that’s what’s in your fridge.
- Sugar – I use a mix of light brown sugar and granulated sugar. The brown sugar does a lot of heavy lifting for moisture here — same trick I use in my chewy chocolate chip cookies.
- Vanilla – Use the real stuff if you can. Pure vanilla extract just tastes better than imitation, and it makes a difference in a recipe this simple.
- Chocolate Chips – I default to semi-sweet, but dark, milk, or even white chocolate chips all work if that’s more your speed.
Chocolate Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 whole large eggs
- ½ cup butter melted, and cooled
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Once well blended set aside.1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl mix together buttermilk, eggs, butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and the eggs are fully incorporated.1 cup buttermilk, 2 whole large eggs, ½ cup butter melted, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour to the egg mixture and mix until it is just combined. Add ½ cup of the chocolate chips and mix until evenly incorporated.¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Slice once the bread is completely cooled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Chocolate Bread
They call this a quick bread for a reason! Here are the steps to make a delicious and fluffy chocolate bread loaf.
- Mix the dry ingredients. First, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, cream together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, both sugars, and vanilla.
- Combine. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the batter is just combined. Next, fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips.
- Bake. Transfer the chocolate batter to a greased and/or lined loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over top. Finally, bake the bread at 350ºF for 50-60 minutes. Let the bread cool in the pan for a bit before moving it to a wire rack.
Tips and Variation Ideas
This chocolate bread is pretty much guaranteed to be a success. Here are some final tips and easy variations:
- Line the pan. Line the pan with parchment paper to make it easy to lift the bread out when it’s done baking.
- Test the bread for doneness. The best way to test whether your chocolate bread is finished baking is to stick a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is ready to come out. If the toothpick comes out streaked with batter, your loaf needs a little more time in the oven.
- Add nuts. Craving some crunch? Stir ½ cup of your favorite chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts into the batter.
What to Eat With Chocolate Bread
I love enjoying chocolate bread topped with stabilized whipped cream, caramel sauce, or homemade Nutella. It’s a perfect snack with a steaming mug of coffee or a cozy afternoon tea.
For dessert, serve slices with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate ice cream and sprinkle over some extra chocolate chips as a garnish.
How to Store Chocolate Bread
- To Store. Stored airtight, this homemade chocolate bread stays rich and moist at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. You can keep it in the fridge if you prefer, but I recommend letting it come back to room temperature before serving.
- Freeze. Quick breads are great for freezing. Store the cooled bread loaf in an airtight container or freezer bag and keep it frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost the bread at room temperature (it’s also wonderful to pack into a lunchbox to thaw on the go!).
This really does taste like chocolate cake in a loaf form! My favorite part of this is the chocolate chips folded into the dough. I love that extra kick of chocolate!
This was such a yummy treat for the kids! I love how quick and easy it is to make!
Do you have to use buttermilk??
You don’t have to, but the taste and texture will be slightly different. There is information in the ingredient section about making your own.
Can I leave out the chocolate chips?
Yes