Easy Chocolate Bread with Chocolate Chunks Recipe

Your kitchen is about to smell insane. This no-yeast chocolate bread delivers fudgy texture and intense chocolate flavor in under an hour.

Need a chocolate fix but don’t feel like brownies or a chocolate snack cake? Why not try this scrumptious double chocolate bread? A quick bread to some, a chocolate loaf cake to others, but whatever you call it, it’s an easy chocolate bread recipe that you are going to love with a cup of coffee or tea.

Chocolate quick breads are an American invention. In fact they are from the same mid-century baking boom that gave us banana bread and zucchini bread. Once baking powder and baking soda became household staples in the early 1900s, home bakers started experimenting with all kinds of flavored loaves that didn’t require yeast or kneading.

Chocolate versions started showing up in community cookbooks and women’s magazines in the 1940s and 50s, right when cocoa powder became more affordable and accessible to most every household. These weren’t fancy baked goods, they were practical, weekend bakes that used a handful of simple ingredients and came out delicious every time.

The beauty of chocolate bread is that it can be eaten for breakfast, dessert or both. You’ll find versions of it at potlucks and coffee klatches from one end of the country to the other. It’s the kind of recipe that got passed around and adapted with whatever someone had on hand, which is why no two family recipes taste exactly the same. That’s one of the reasons this recipe works so well and stands the test of time, it’s been made for decades by home cooks and perfected until it is foolproof.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

•  No stand mixer required and no complicated techniques.
•  Not too dense like a brownie, not too fluffy like cake. A moist delicious combination of both.
• You can eat it anytime. Breakfast with coffee? Absolutely. Afternoon snack? Perfect. Dessert with ice cream? Even better.
• It has an intense chocolate flavour without being overwhelmingly sweet.
• You don’t need any special skills to make this recipe, but when you serve it, people will think you spent more time on it than you actually did.

What You Need to Make Chocolate Bread

Chocolate Bread

• 11/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks divided
• 1/2 cup neutral baking oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup milk, room temperature

​Chocolate Espresso Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to Make Quick Chocolate Bread

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray, set aside.
• In a large bowl whisk the flour, dutch pressed cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder and salt together.
• Then mix in the chocolate chips or chunks. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl whisk the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Stir in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk until the mixture is just combined. Do not over mix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
• Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes. Use a skewer to test for doneness. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
• While the bread is cooling make the espresso glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder in a small bowl, then whisk in the milk and the extract until smooth. Once the bread is cool drizzle the top with the glaze or pout over the top. Slice and enjoy.

What to Serve Alongside Chocolate Quick Bread

• A strong coffee, espresso, or cold brew works too.
• Tea
• Serve warm with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream. Drizzle with caramel or hot fudge.
• Fresh raspberries or strawberries on the side.
• You can also serve it with a smear of mascarpone or cream cheese or even a little butter.
• Skip the espresso glaze and frost with whipped chocolate ganache

Variations

Spice it up. Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of cayenne to the dry ingredients for warmth and a subtle kick.

Add Nuts. Fold in 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts along with the chocolate chips. Just make sure to toast them first.

Swap the chocolate chips. Use white chocolate chips, or dark chocolate with 70% cacao chunks. Peanut butter chips work well too. You could even throw in a handful of espresso chips or cocoa nibs.

How to store quick bread

Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap or foil,  keep it on the counter for up to 3 days. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then put them all in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.

Until Next Time

This is the kind of quick bread recipe that should have permanent spot in your baking rotation. It requires minimal effort and it tastes great. It works if you are feeding a crowd or want to keep all of the chocolaty goodness to your self. When you try this chocolate bread with espresso glaze let me know and tell us how you put your special spin on it.

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You Might Also Enjoy More Loaf Cake Recipes

Double Chocolate Banana Bread with Cocoa Nibs

Ina Garten’s Lemon Yogurt Loaf Cake

Chai-Zucchini Loaf Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

Carrot Loaf Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Easy Chocolate Bread with Chocolate Chunks Recipe

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Your kitchen is about to smell insane. This no-yeast chocolate bread delivers fudgy texture and intense chocolate flavor in under an hour.

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Chocolate Bread

11/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips, or chocolate chunks divided

1/2 cup neutral baking oil

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk, room temperature

​Chocolate Espresso Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder

2 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the flour, dutch pressed cocoa powder,  baking powder espresso powder and salt together.

Then mix in the chocolate chips or chunks. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla extract until smooth.

Stir in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk until the mixture is just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.

Bake the bread for 45-55 minutes. Use a skewer to test for doneness. Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

While the bread is cooling make the espresso glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder in a small bowl, then whisk in the milk and the extract until smooth. Once the bread is cool drizzle the top with the glaze or pout over the top. Slice and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Olives & Thyme

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked