We are obsessed with the cream cheese layer and the crunchy top of this pumpkin cream cheese bread. Mix that batter up in a bowl and bake for 1 hour and you’ll have delicious pumpkin bread in no time.
There were a few non-negotiables that were discussed when developing this pumpkin cream cheese bread. The first non-negotiable was that it had to have the creamiest cream cheese swirl. Not just because it looks amazing, but because elevate every slice.
The second non-negotiable was that the pumpkin bread had to have a crunch on the top. A mixture of texture was a must! Lucky for you, the bread turned out perfectly!
What is in Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
- Butter: Make sure the butter is fully softened so it can really incorporate well with the sugar.
- Light brown sugar: We love light brown sugar with this pumpkin cream cheese bread because it adds warmth to the flavor.
- Eggs: Eggs help bind both the pumpkin layer and cream cheese layer together.
- Pumpkin puree: The pumpkin puree is KEY to making a great pumpkin bread. Make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin puree, and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Vanilla extract: Don’t skip this! It helps enhance the pumpkin flavor in the bread.
- All-purpose flour: This is our main dry ingredient in this pumpkin cream cheese bread. It’s just enough to avoid dense bread.
- Baking powder: This helps the pumpkin bread rise.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Amp up the delicious pumpkin flavor and add a bit of warmth and spice to the bread with pumpkin pie spice.
- Cream cheese: That’s right, cheese lovers! The cream cheese adds great creaminess and tang to the bread. Make sure it’s fully softened so it mixes easily with the other ingredients.
- Maple syrup: The maple adds great depth of flavor, but also a little bit of sweetness to the cream cheese layer.
- Vanilla bean paste: Gosh, we love vanilla bean paste. It enhances the tanginess and sweetness in the filling but also adds little specks of vanilla bean to the filling.
Substitutions + Variations
While we recommend following our baking recipes to a tee, here are some swap suggestions if you don’t have an ingredient or two:
- Flour: try using white whole wheat flour instead.
- Sugar: we’ve made this bread with brown sugar and absolutely love the warm flavors that it brings to this recipe. Granulated white sugar will work, too!
- Spices: Have homemade pumpkin pie spice at home? Try that or even gingerbread spice!
- Vanilla Bean Paste: If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, feel free to swap out the caviar from ½ a vanilla bean or use ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Maple Syrup: we love the warm flavor that maple brings to the cream cheese layer of this bread, but honey will work just fine as well.
- Feel free to add in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the bread batter.
more pumpkin recipes
Pumpkin Bread Tips
Soften the cream cheese: We can’t stress this enough! You want to make sure your cream cheese is softened so that it can fully incorporate into your pumpkin bread batter.
Don’t over mix: When in doubt, do NOT over mix the batter. If you do so, you risk over-whipping the eggs, which will leave you with a flat, dense loaf.
Let cool completely: This is probably our #1 tip for preventing a bread flop. We’re speaking from experience here when we say let the bread cool completely before slicing! The bread continues to bake as it cools and if you cut it too soon it may fall apart or seem undercooked.
Use a toothpick to test doneness: There is nothing worse than over or under-cooking your pumpkin cream cheese bread bread. So? Make sure to use a toothpick to test the doneness before removing it from the oven. Stick your toothpick in the middle of the bread and press it halfway down. If it comes out clean, you know it’s done!
Make it!
Homemade Cream Cheese
Did you know that you can make homemade cream cheese with 3 ingredients — milk, lemon juice and salt? So the next time you’re all out, use our homemade cream cheese tutorial!
How to Store Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Let your bread cool completely before transferring it into an air-tight container, such as a gallon-size plastic bag.
We recommend storing this pumpkin cream cheese bread in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Looking to freeze? Read on!
To Freeze Pumpkin Banana Bread
This loaf is extremely easy to freeze. Simply remove the pumpkin bread from the pan and let it cool completely. Once cooled, tightly wrap it with a piece of tin foil, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Pro tip: you can also freeze slices of this bread instead of the entire loaf. Just cut the loaf Into slices and continue freezing as directed.
When thawing: remove the pumpkin cream cheese bread from the freezer and let sit at room temperature on the counter top until fully thawed. Do not refreeze once thawed.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this pumpkin cream cheese bread with a big dab of butter or peanut butter!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Ingredients
Pumpkin Layer
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- For the Cream Cheese Layer
Cream Cheese Layer
- 6 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- First, make the pumpkin layer. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy– about 1 minute.
- Next add the eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice and mix just until no large lumps of flour remain. You don’t want to overmix!
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and set the rest aside.
- Next, make the cream cheese layer. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg, maple syrup, flour, and vanilla bean paste.
- Top the first pumpkin layer with the cream cheese mixture. Then, pour the remaining pumpkin batter on top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
- Bake at 350ºF for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the bread from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Slice and enjoy. Store any leftover bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Tips & Notes
- Vanilla bean paste: option to swap the vanilla bean paste for 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
