Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread

I make this bread a lot - every other week at least, because I make the goodies for our morning church service that often, and this bread is always part of what I serve. (There might even be an uprising if I omitted it one week!) I've also brought it to breakfast at MOPS a few times, and I'm always asked for the recipe.

This recipe comes from Barb Cole who was a neighbor of ours when I was a child. The original recipe is actually for a 9”x13” cake, with chocolate chips (and nuts) mostly on top and not throughout. The following recipe includes notes for making the cake instead of bread. Note, too, that when I make this bread, I always make a double batch so I can get three 9”x5” loaves out of it. A single batch should make two 8”x4” bread pans or the single 9”x13” pan. The size of the loaf will affect baking time, so make sure you set your timer for a shorter time and check the loaf to make sure it's done instead of just baking for a longer time!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread/Cake

Ingredients

1¾ c boiling water

1 c uncooked oatmeal

½ c butter, cut in pieces

1 c brown sugar

¾ c white sugar

2-3 large eggs, slightly beaten (use 2 for cake, 3 for bread)

1¾ c flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¼ c cocoa

1 ½ c chocolate chips (or as many as desired!)

¾ c nuts (optional)

Directions

Assemble ingredients.

(please note that all pictures show a double batch!)

Pour boiling water over oats. Add butter. Let sit 10 minutes.

While the oat mixture is sitting, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. (Yes, I sift it. Both my flour and my cocoa are very prone to lumps, and I don't want the lumps to show up in my bread – as they have a few times in the past!)

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together with a fork – they just need to be mostly broken up so they'll blend into the batter better.

Once the 10 minutes of sitting time are up, stir the oatmeal mixture until butter melts completely. Add the sugars and stir thoroughly, breaking up any brown-sugar lumps as you go.

Add the eggs and mix well.

Add the flour mixture to the oatmeal mixture all at once. Mix well.

For bread:

Add all chocolate chips to the mixture and mix well.

Pour into two 8”x4” inch loaf pans (or three 9”x5” pans if you're doing a double batch) Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes (50 minutes if you have the double batch in the larger pans).

Cool slightly in pan, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

For cake:

Add about 1/2 c chocolate chips to mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Evenly distribute remaining chocolate chips and nuts (if desired) over top. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Cut and serve from pan.

Happy Baking!