This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread is a soft, spiced pumpkin loaf with a sweet cream cheese swirl running through the center. Easy to make with pantry staples!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread is everything I love about fall baking in one loaf. It is a soft, tender pumpkin bread swirled with a layer of sweetened cream cheese that bakes up like a ribbon of cheesecake right through the center. It’s cozy, it’s a little bit fancy without any extra effort, and it makes your kitchen smell like autumn the second it goes in the oven.
This is one of those recipes I make on repeat once pumpkin season hits. I love a classic pumpkin bread, but this cream cheese swirl version is the one I reach for when I want something a little more special. It is great to share with neighbors, send along with my son to a friend’s house, or just keep in my own kitchen for breakfast all week long. It’s simple enough for a weeknight bake, but feels like a treat every time.
Erin’s Notes
- Simple ingredients: One bowl, two batters. The pumpkin batter and the cream cheese layer both come together quickly — no fancy equipment needed.
- Cheesecake-like swirl: You get a swirl of tangy, sweetened cream cheese running through every slice, almost like a layer of cheesecake baked into the bread.
- Great for sharing (or freezing): This loaf freezes beautifully, so you can bake once and enjoy pumpkin bread for weeks.
- Cozy fall flavor: Warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice make this taste like everything good about fall.
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the batter and helps keep the crumb tender.
- Eggs: Bind the batter together and help the loaf rise.
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps the bread moist without adding butter flavor.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the warm spices.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the batter.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Allspice: The classic fall spice blend for this bread.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Help the loaf rise properly.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness.
Cream Cheese Swirl
- Cream Cheese: Softened cream cheese is key for a smooth, lump-free swirl.
- Egg: Helps the cream cheese layer set up like a thin layer of cheesecake as it bakes.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese layer.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds classic cheesecake flavor.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cream Cheese Swirl
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 whole egg
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10X5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease well. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Once smooth set aside.1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 whole eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg and allspice.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Slowly add dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture, being careful not to overmix.
- In another bowl, prepare the cream cheese swirl. Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.8 oz cream cheese, 1 whole egg, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour about half of pumpkin batter into prepared loaf pan. Add cream cheese mixture and spread evenly. Top with remaining pumpkin batter.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread
- Mix Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl whisk together pumpkin, sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Once smooth set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Combine. Slowly add dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture, being careful not to overmix.
- Make Cream Cheese Swirl. In another bowl, prepare the cream cheese swirl. Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble. Pour about half of pumpkin batter into prepared loaf pan. Add cream cheese mixture and spread evenly. Top with remaining pumpkin batter.
- Bake. Bake the bread for 60-75 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix. Just like with muffins, mix the batter only until the ingredients are combined, or the bread will turn out dense instead of light and tender.
- Grease your pan well. A well-greased pan (or a parchment sling) makes it easy to lift the loaf out cleanly without losing any of that cream cheese swirl.
- Use pumpkin puree. Make sure it’s pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has added sugar and spices.
- Soften the cream cheese fully. Let the cream cheese come fully to room temperature before mixing so the swirl is smooth, not lumpy.
- No individual spices? If you don’t have the individual spices on hand, swap in pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Recipe Variations
- Add nuts: Fold in ½ to ¾ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for some crunch.
- Pumpkin pie spice swap: Swap the cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice for 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- Streusel topping: Sprinkle a simple brown sugar and cinnamon streusel over the top batter layer before baking for extra texture.
- Gluten-free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the all-purpose flour.
Storage
Store the bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days before it starts to dry out, or keep it in the fridge for about a week.
To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf (whole or in individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or wrap in foil. It should keep well in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge before serving. I haven’t tested this exact freezing method with this recipe personally, so treat it as general guidance rather than a tested timeline.
