Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread
This no-fuss recipe makes an amazingly soft and spongy pumpkin bread with a sweet swirl of cream cheese in the middle. Perfect for fall baking and holidays!
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Table of Contents
About Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread
The cooler months are the best time to whip up some baked comfort foods, and this cream cheese pumpkin bread goes perfectly with crisp evenings and autumn leaves.
Because with sweet and mellow pumpkin in a moist and spongy homemade bread, wrapped around a sweet layer of cream cheese, this bread is everything that holiday baking should be.
How long does homemade bread last?
When stored in the refrigerator (due to the cream cheese layer) in a sealed container or covered in plastic wrap, this bread should remain good for up to six days. And like most homemade breads, the flavor of this loaf will intensify after two days.
Can pumpkin bread be frozen?
Yes, it totally can!
When stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, this pumpkin bread will keep its “best” quality for about two or three months. After that point, the texture of the bread might change, but it will remain good for up to six months frozen.
Can you swirl the cream cheese layer?
Absolutely! Just use a knife to gently drag and bob through the batter (careful not to scrape the sides or bottom!) once all the layers are assembled.
Notes & tips for this pumpkin bread recipe
- This recipe has changed over the years, primarily because I learned how to properly measure flour. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it can make a huge difference! You can read more about how to measure flour (and other common ingredients) here: Measuring 101.
- Over the years, I’ve slowly adapted this recipe to better suit my baking methods and tastes. If you’ve made this bread before and want to make the original version, you can find a similar recipe here.
More great pumpkin recipes
More bread recipes
How to make pumpkin cream cheese loaf
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and egg until smooth and creamy. Set this bowl aside for now.
Step 2 – In another large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3 – In (yet another!) large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla extract, and egg until nice and smooth.
Step 4 – Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the pumpkin mixture, then use a spatula to fold them together until combined.
Step 5 – Spray a 9×5 bread loaf pan with cooking spray, then scoop in about 1/2 of the pumpkin batter. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Next, pour in all of the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin, smoothing out this layer as well. Finish off by adding the remaining 1/2 of the pumpkin batter on top of the cream cheese. Use a spatula to make the top nice and even.
Step 6 – Bake!
Step 7 – Let cool, then cut and enjoy!
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
Pumpkin Bread
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
Instructions
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- In a large bowl, whisk together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and egg until smooth. Consistency should be thick; when you raise the whisk, none of the cream cheese mixture should easily drip off. If it does, add another 1 tablespoon of flour and mix well. Set bowl aside.
For the Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the 9×5 bread loaf pan with baking spray, then set aside.
- In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set bowl aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla extract, and egg until smooth.
- Pour the sifted dry ingredients in with the wet, using a spatula to gently toss and stir, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix until just combined and dry ingredients are no longer visible.
Putting it all Together
- Pour 1/2 of the pumpkin batter into the prepared bread pan, pushing batter into corners and smoothing with a spatula.
- Next, pour the cream cheese filling into the pan, smoothing out the filing with a spatula. Do not worry about pressing into corners.
- Finally, pour the remaining pumpkin batter on top of the filling and gently pull & spread to cover the sides and corners, careful not to disturb the cream cheese layer beneath. Be sure pumpkin layer completely covers the cream cheese layer.
- Bake bread for 50-65 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. To ensure bread is fully baked, check the bread in multiple spots
- Let baked cream cheese pumpkin bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice pumpkin bread and serve immediately.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
