Moist, delicious, and perfectly spiced this pumpkin bread is filled with a cream cheese swirl. This easy recipe for pumpkin cream cheese bread is the perfect fall breakfast or snack.
I am thrilled pumpkin season is upon us again. Although I live in Southern California where summertime weather lasts well into October, I can blast my AC and bake some pumpkin bread and daydream of wearing sweaters and boots in NYC or England.
Each year I always make a few of the same pumpkin treats, my pumpkin cheesecake recipe- which is made with a Biscoff Crust and my oat flour pumpkin bread.
I think pumpkin and cream cheese just go so well together so I decided to make this cream cheese swirled pumpkin bread. The beauty of this recipe is how simple and easy it is.
Make sure you use pure pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is incredibly moist so for this recipe, we only need a little bit of oil and only one egg for the pumpkin bread batter.
Let's get to the recipe.
What are the ingredients for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread?
Pumpkin Bread
- Vegetable Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Pure Pumpkin Puree
- Large Egg, at room temp.
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
You can totally make your own blend of pumpkin pie spice at home with spices you probably already have in your cupboard! Check out my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
For the cream cheese layer, you'll need
- Cream Cheese softened to room temp. this is crucial for a smooth cream cheese layer, if the cream cheese is too cold it will produce a lump layer!!
- Granulated Sugar
- All-Purpose Flour
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Large Egg, at room temp.
How do you make pumpkin cream cheese bread?
Start by preheating your oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
In a large bowl mix together the vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down so everything is evenly combined.
In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gently fold the dry ingredients until just combined.
Don't overmix the dry ingredients, you want to mix just until no flour streaks remain.
In a medium bowl whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined and totally smooth.
Once fully combined, whisk in the egg until fully combined. Pour on top of pumpkin bread layer, spreading cream cheese into an even layer.
Pour ⅔rds of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Using a spoon and spatula place the remaining pumpkin bread batter on top trying to cover the cream cheese layer completely and evenly.
Bake the quick bread for approximately 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with no wet batter.
Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before inverting to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
Try some of my other pumpkin recipes?
You can totally make your own blend of pumpkin pie spice at home with spices you probably already have in your cupboard! Check out my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice.
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Moist, delicious, and perfectly spiced this pumpkin bread is filled with a cream cheese swirl. This easy recipe for pumpkin cream cheese bread is the perfect fall breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 2oz (¼ cup) Vegetable Oil
- 66 Grams (⅓ Cup) Brown Sugar
- 66 Grams (⅓ Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 8oz (1 Cup) Pure Pumpkin Puree
- 1 Large Egg, at room temp.
- 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 188 Grams (1 ½ Cup) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temp.
- 50 Grams (¼ Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Large Egg, at room temp.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
- In a large bowl add the vegetable oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla extract mix to combine.
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gently fold the dry ingredients until just combined. Pour ⅔rds of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla extract. Once fully combined, whisk in the egg until fully combined. Pour on top of the pumpkin bread layer, spreading cream cheese into an even layer.
- Using a spoon and spatula place the remaining pumpkin bread batter on top trying to cover the cream cheese layer completely and evenly. Bake for approximately 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean with no wet batter. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before inverting to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
Keywords: pumpkin recipe, quick bread, cream cheese quick bread
Pat says
Dreaming of this loaf right now while I am at work..... Most certain this is what ill be making after work this evening!
★★★★★
Aimee Wadley says
Sooo yummy! I made this today and love it! I accidentally put in double the cream cheese but it still turned out amazing! I also added pecans, cinnamon and brown sugar as a topping ... yummm!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Pecans and cinnamon sound like a great addition, I will have to try it out Aimee! Thank you for reviewing the recipe!! XX Liz
Calli says
This recipe was great! The flavor was so pronounced and the cream cheese just added to it! I love all of her baking recipes, especially her cupcake ones.
The only issue I had was when poured the batter into the pan. I recommend doing more of a half-and-half when it comes to putting the bread batter into the pan. The 1/3 I had saved at the end to put on top of the cream cheese wasn’t quite enough, so I ended up using a spoon to fold the cream cheese all throughout the bread. Otherwise, awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review Calli. And thanks for the tip on the batter ratio!! Take care. XX Liz
Carolyn Sue Smith says
Hi !!
Just wondering you can use low fat cream cheese in this recipe?
I love anything pumpkin !
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Carolyn, thanks for reaching out. I don't think that should be a problem, it just won't be as rich and creamy! Just make sure it's softened to room temperature fully. Please report back and let me know if you have any further questions. XX Liz
Lillian says
this recipe was delicious!!! I think I added the cream cheese part too close to the top so the tops of the loafs kept falling off lol! but thank you so much for sharing:)
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Lillian, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe, I appreciate it more than you know!! So happy to hear you enjoyed the pumpkin bread, sounds like you know for next time to put the cream cheese a little more down 🙂 Take care. XX Liz
patti says
I love this recipe. Yummy and so easy to make. Perfect way to start the fall season. 5 star!!!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks so much for coming back to review the recipe Patti, I am so pleased you enjoyed the pumpkin cream cheese bread!! Take care. XX Liz
Derek Robertson says
I was so excited about this recipe but the bread didn’t rise at all. I make a lot of breads and this is the first time I’ve ever had this happen. I followed the recipe exactly but it was very dense and flat... I don’t know how anyone else had a good result.
★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Derek, I am so sorry you had a bad result. I actually just remade this cake tonight and had no problem with it rising. I would double-check your baking soda and baking powder are fresh, if not then your cake will not rise. You also want to make sure not to overmix the cake batter and that your oven is heated to the correct temperature. A lot of oven runs hotter or colder, so if you don't have it calibrated often I suggested an oven thermometer. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if I can help with anything else. XX Liz
Tatyana says
This was a great recipe to get back into baking with. Easy to follow instructions, the ingredients were all easy to find and didn’t take that long. I didn’t use all spice or nutmeg in my bread but it was still stupid flavorful. I added chocolate chips to the top for a nice extra sweetness. I’d definitely use this recipe again!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks so much for coming back to review the recipe Tatyana, the chocolate sounds like a great addition!! Take care. XX Liz
Diane says
I made these this morning and while the inside was delicious, the top of and sides were not moist, it appears dry on top. What did I do wrong?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Diane, I am so sorry your bread didn't turn out just right! I would think that it could be a number of things. The number one being that the bread was overbaked. Your oven may need to be calibrated, most home ovens are off and are running cooler or hotter, you can buy a cheap oven thermometer on amazon to test your oven. Also if you used a bad pan that doesn't conduct heat well, or a glass pan retains heat so will continue cooking long after it's out of the oven. Also, overmixing the batter can create a tougher cake, which in turn could create a drier cake. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if I can help in any way!! Take care. xX Liz
Alana says
Question: do you store in or out of the fridge? Thank you!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Alana, thanks for reaching out. I personally keep the bread at room temperature unless it is very hot in that case I keep it in the fridge. No matter what though I always keep it in an air-tight container. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe. I would love to know what you think! XX Liz
Debby says
I've made this pumpkin bread in the past and I continue to come back to it. It's amazing. My family loves it and so do I.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Debby, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe I appreciate it so much!!! So glad you have been able to have success with this recipe many times! Take care. XX Liz
Heather says
I made this bread for my husband's birthday. We just needed a low-key "cake" this year, for obvious reasons. It was perfect. Mine fell a little bit, but I'm sure it was because I didn't have very much of the pumpkin part on top and I swirled it. But it was still very yummy! Thank you!
★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Heather, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe I appreciate it so much!!! This is such a good idea to use as an easy birthday cake. Take care. XX Liz
Afzan says
Hello from Malaysia! I’ve tried your recipe and turned out so tasty! In Malaysia we dont have pumpkin spice or anything related to it, so I was curious to try the recipe. Easy to prepare and happy with the result.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Afzan, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe I appreciate it so much!!! And hello from Malaysia, I love how the internet can connect us from 1000 of miles apart!! Glad you were able to try and enjoy this American quick bread!! Take care. XX Liz
Jaqui G says
It never says where and when to add the baking powder. I assumed to the bread and not the cream cheese layer, but that layer ended up runny and kind of melting into the bread so maybe it was supposed to go in that layer?
★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Jaqui, I am so sorry about the confusion. The baking powder was supposed to go in with the rest of the dry ingredients for the bread layer. The cream cheese layer is quite runny but should bake up thicker. Please let me know if I can help with anything else. XX Liz
Ann says
Made this yesterday and it is fantastic, added an orange glaze poured over the top. My cream cheese layer was very runny and sort of “melted” in with the top layer but next time I’ll try half and half when adding the batter before and after the cream cheese. Regardless, it’s great and I’ll make it again soon for Christmas gifts. Thank you for sharing.
Emily says
Can I sort of marble out the cream cheese mixture within the batter? Is that a safe call or should I just keep it in the middle of the bread?
By the way, that one star you got wasn’t fair. It looks like a fabulous recipe and you’re right. It probably was an old baking soda. Much love!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Emily, thanks for reaching out. You can totally marble the cream cheese if you want, I just worry the cream cheese would end up not having such a pronounced flavor. Because it's so spread out and there isn't a ton of it that you would lose some of the oomph you get from the one layer of CC. But if you are not worried about that then for sure go ahead and swirl! Thank you for the vote of confidence! I hope you love the pumpkin bread, keep in mind this isn't a super sweet bread!! Please let me know if I can help with anything else! Take care. XX Liz