Chocolate Chip Carrot Bread

Simple carrot bread recipe

This Chocolate Chip Carrot Bread Recipe is a quick and easy dessert or snack that’s perfect for fall. Every bite is moist, cinnamony, and cozy! As if it could get any better, this simple quick bread is made with pantry-staple ingredients and is ready to eat in just over an hour. This is a fun and sneaky sweet treat because it’s loaded with garden-fresh carrots. Once the batter is combined with sugar and warm seasonings, the sweetness of the carrots really shines. It’s one of those desserts you can feel good about, just like my Easy Carrot Souffle or Glazed Carrot Cake Donuts! This simple carrot bread is really special because it’s made with fresh carrots, fall-themed seasonings, and it’s very flexible. You can add anything to the batter, from a medley of nuts to white chocolate to dried fruit. Bonus: this quick bread is freezer-friendly so you can make a batch or two and enjoy the tasty slices year-round!

Carrot cake vs. carrot bread

This is a tried and true quick bread recipe but it shares many of the same features as the ever-so-popular carrot cake. Both desserts feature shredded or mashed carrots as the main ingredient, are super moist, and are flavored with fall spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Carrot cake can be tedious to make and take hours to complete and decorate. Carrot bread is completely different! Once the easy batter is ready, all you have to do is let it bake in the oven and you’re done!

How to make homemade carrot bread

This super easy chocolate chip carrot bread recipe can be made in just over one hour using simple ingredients and common kitchen gadgets! Here’s how it’s done: Peel the carrots and place them in a pot of boiling water. Once they’re soft, remove them from the water and use a food processor to mash them into a smooth puree. Note: You want 1 cup of mashed carrots for this recipe which equals about 6 carrots.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and mashed carrots. Slowly add the wet carrot mixture to the dry mixture and stir until everything is just combined. To finish, gently fold the chocolate chips and pecans into the batter. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

Tips to make the best carrot cake bread

Don’t overmix the batter! Only mix until everything is just combined. The more mixing you do, the more gluten will form, thus creating tough and chewy bread.Let it cool – This will give you the prettiest slices. If it’s too warm, the bread could crumble as you slice into it.Vegan – You can easily make this carrot bread vegan by swapping out the regular chocolate chips for a dairy free version. Instead of eggs, use ½ cup of applesauce or two mashed bananas.If you don’t have a food processor – Use a blender to mash the soft carrots or use a box grater to shred the fresh carrots instead.Is it done? You’ll know the carrot bread is done cooking when a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Carrot bread variations

This quick carrot bread can be easily modified to include different add-ins, toppings, and decorations:

Add-ins: Try adding peanut butter chips, walnuts, diced apples, cardamom, raisins, or cinnamon chips to the carrot bread batter.Decorating: I love topping this bread with a simple powdered sugar glaze, chocolate brownie frosting, cream cheese frosting, or buttercream icing.

Storing and freezing

To store, place any leftover carrot bread into an airtight container and store on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, wrap the loaf or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag. Store the bread in the freezer for up to 3 months.