Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

This ultra moist Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake is infused with sweet, warm, pumpkin flavor, filled with chocolate chips, and covered with cream cheese frosting!

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Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake 

• It’s always moist – The batter comes together with pumpkin puree, applesauce, butter, and brown sugar, which give the cake the best flavor and texture.
• It’s easy – Just combine the ingredients, bake the cake, and whip up the frosting. You can have the cake and frosting ready in under an hour! 
• It’s SO good! – I’ve tested this recipe so many times to get it just right and can confidently say I nailed the balance of sweet, warm, and tangy flavors. 

Reader Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

• The Best Healthy Pumpkin Pie
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread
• The Best Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
• Healthy Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe Ingredients

Butter: for a deliciously rich, moist cake we’re starting with melted unsalted butter. You’ll need a bit of butter for the cream cheese frosting as well.

Flour: all-purpose flour forms the base of the batter. 

Baking Powder and Baking Soda: these are leavening agents to give the cake some lift. Make sure they’re fresh, or your cake won’t rise! 

Salt and Pumpkin Pie Spice: salt enhances the rest of the ingredients, and pumpkin pie spice adds a warm, delicious taste to both the cake and frosting.

Applesauce: this is my secret for keeping cakes super moist. I recommend using unsweetened applesauce to avoid an overpoweringly sweet recipe. 

Pumpkin Puree: you can’t have a pumpkin and chocolate chip cake without plenty of pumpkin puree! If you have time, you can make your own pumpkin puree. Or, just buy a can from the store. Just make sure to grab pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. 

Brown Sugar: this sweetens the cake while keeping it nice and moist. 

Eggs: large eggs provide some extra fat and give the cake some structure. 

Vanilla Extract: a must-have in any good cake recipe! 

Chocolate Chips: we’re using semi-sweet chocolate chips throughout the batter. Then, we spread mini chocolate chips on top for even more chocolatey goodness!

Cream Cheese: be sure to brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese from the spread from the tub.

Confectioner’s Sugar: also known as powdered sugar, this creates the sweet flavor we look for in frosting. 

Ingredient Substitutions and Additions

• Butter – Need to keep this recipe dairy free? You can swap out the regular butter for a vegan butter instead.
• Flour – I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but I think it could work well if you use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten free flour. My favorite is Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
• Brown Sugar – Swap the brown sugar for coconut sugar if you prefer. Note that the cake may be slightly less sweet. Coconut sugar is not quite as sweet as traditional brown sugar, but the cake will still be tasty!
• Cream Cheese – you can use a plant-based cream cheese if you like!

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Measuring Cups / Measuring Spoons
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Silicone Spatula
• Parchment Paper
• Wooden Skewers
• Offset Spatula

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Step 1: Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, grease a 9×13 sheet cake pan with avocado oil or non-stick spray, and line it with parchment paper. 

Step 2: Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined, and set the mixture aside. 

Step 3: Next, whisk the melted butter, applesauce, pumpkin puree, dark brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl until smooth. 

Step 4: Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients just until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain. Then, fold in the chocolate chips. 

Step 5: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using an offset spatula to spread it out in an even layer. 

Step 6: Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Step 7: Add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the ingredients on high until smooth and creamy. Next, add the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Beat the frosting on low speed for about 30 seconds to incorporate the ingredients. Then, switch the mixer to high speed, and beat the frosting until it’s light and fluffy. 

Step 8: Once the cake has cooled completely, cover it with the prepared frosting. Then, sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top. 

Tips and Tricks

• Use a kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients. This is the best way to ensure proper measurements so your cake turns out perfectly! 
• Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting. Otherwise, it’s more likely to crumble or sink. 
• Place the frosted cake in the fridge to chill to help the cream cheese frosting set up a bit. 

How to Store

Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Can I Freeze This Recipe? 

You can freeze the pumpkin chocolate chip cake without the frosting. To do so, let it cool completely. Then, wrap the pieces in plastic wrap, transfer them to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months! 

Thaw in the fridge overnight, and prepare fresh frosting when you’re ready to serve. 

More Delicious Cake Recipes

• Homemade Carrot Cake
• Apple Coffee Cake
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
• Brown Butter Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I hope you give this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake a try! It’s sweet and perfectly spiced and the cream cheese frosting makes it amazing! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.

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Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Sierra Inn