If you’ve been following this blog at all, then you know I go a little pumpkin crazy this time of year.
I stock up on puree and go to town making muffins, pancakes, and especially bread.
I’m a total sucker for pumpkin bread recipes (and I have a bunch you can check out here).
But nothing beats a thick slice of pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirled through the middle!
The cream cheese layer bakes up soft and tangy, kind of like sneaking a cheesecake into your quick bread.
Anyway, let’s get into before I start hoarding cans of puree like it’s 2020 again!
What You Need to Make Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese
This pumpkin bread has a cozy spice, a rich swirl of cream cheese, and just the right balance of sweet and tangy.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour – the base of the bread, nothing fancy here.
- Baking soda – gives the bread a good rise without making it too fluffy.
- Baking powder – a little extra lift to keep things light.
- Salt – just a pinch to balance all the sweet.
- Cinnamon – the warm spice that makes it smell like fall.
- Nutmeg – adds a cozy, slightly nutty kick.
- Cloves – strong and spicy, so don’t go overboard.
- Ginger – brightens up the other spices with a little zing.
- Pumpkin purée – the star of the show, canned is totally fine.
- Eggs – for structure and moisture (yes, both).
- Brown sugar – gives it that deep, caramel-y flavor.
- Granulated sugar – helps with sweetness and texture.
- Vegetable oil – keeps the bread super moist for days.
- Vanilla extract – ties everything together like a good soundtrack.
- Cream cheese – thick, tangy, and turns into a dreamy swirl.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese
1. Prep the Pan
Grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line it with parchment paper if you’re not in the mood for scrubbing later.
Preheat your oven to 350°F so it’s ready to go.
2. Mix the Dry Stuff
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and all those cozy spices.
This keeps everything evenly distributed so you don’t get a surprise clove bomb in one bite.
3. Stir the Wet Ingredients
In a larger bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, and vanilla.
Stir until it looks smooth and kind of glossy.
4. Combine Wet and Dry
Add the dry mixture to the wet and stir just until you don’t see any more flour.
Don’t keep mixing after that, or your bread might end up tough instead of soft.
5. Make the Cream Cheese Filling
In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar, egg, and vanilla until totally smooth.
You can use a hand mixer or go old school with a whisk and a little elbow grease.
If your cream cheese isn’t soft enough, microwave it for 10–15 seconds so it blends easier.
6. Layer It Up
Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the loaf pan, then spoon the cream cheese mixture over the top.
Gently spread it out, then add the rest of the pumpkin batter.
7. Swirl and Bake
Take a butter knife and make a few figure-eight swirls through the batter to marble it.
Pop it in the oven and bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool and Slice
Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack.
Try to wait until it’s completely cool before slicing because the cream cheese filling needs time to set.
Wrap leftovers in foil or an airtight container and it’ll still taste great the next day (if there’s any left!).
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Recipe
Moist, spiced pumpkin bread meets tangy cream cheese in this fall favorite that doubles as breakfast or dessert.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5 loaf pan or line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- In a large bowl, mix pumpkin purée, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined—don’t overmix.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour half the pumpkin batter into the loaf pan, then spoon the cream cheese mixture on top.
- Add remaining pumpkin batter and swirl gently with a butter knife.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Your New Go-To Fall Loaf Is Right Here
If you make this once, you’ll probably end up making it again next weekend…and maybe the weekend after that.
The cream cheese swirl makes it feel like dessert, but nobody’s judging if you eat a slice for breakfast with coffee.
Just keep a can of pumpkin in the pantry at all times. It’s fall insurance.
