Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8x4-inch loaf pans and line them with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later. Set aside.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice. Set this dry mixture aside.

Prepare the Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the canned pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce or canola oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Gently mix the batter until everything is just moistened and combined—do not overmix, as this can make the bread dense.

Fold in the Chocolate Chips: Fold in the 1½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. For extra chocolatey goodness, reserve a few tablespoons of mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top before baking.

Transfer to Loaf Pans: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. If desired, sprinkle the reserved mini chocolate chips over the top of each loaf.

Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine). If the bread is browning too quickly on top, tent the loaves with aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Cool and Serve: Allow the bread to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper overhang to lift the loaves out of the pans. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.