An easy cream cheese pumpkin bread recipe. A swirl of cream cheese in the middle of a moist and easy to quick bread. And the bread is easily made without a mixer too!
I don’t know about you but I could have a pumpkin spice latte in May. No lie. But maybe it is because there is a “pumpkin” season that makes it all the more special.
The cinnamon. The nutmeg. Your kitchen just smells better when there is something pumpkin-y (don’t you just love the made up words today?) in the oven, don’t you think?
The cinnamon. The nutmeg. The brown sugar. Oh my!
Anyways, back to this bread. This cream cheese pumpkin bread is moist (sorry, guys if you hate this word), tender, and has an easy sweetened cream cheese filling hiding in the middle. It lots of brown sugar, homemade pumpkin pie spice, and a good dash of vanilla extract, and of course pumpkin!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy To Make – The pumpkin batter is quick to whip up and doesn’t need a mixer. I still use one for the cream cheese filling, but if the cream cheese filling is soft enough you don’t need one.
- Make Ahead Bread – I actually prefer and recommend enjoying this bread the next day. I wrap the bread up and let it sit overnight. The bread will soften and become so moist!
Ingredients needed for the pumpkin batter:
Ingredients needed for the cream cheese filling:
Ingredients Notes
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own DIY pumpkin pie spice blend!
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie filling which has added ingredients.
- Cream Cheese: I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the best results and NOT cream cheese in the tub.
How To Make Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread
Make the pumpkin bread batter
- Prepare cream cheese filling. In a small bowl, with an electric mixer (or if the cream cheese mixture is soft enough you can use a wooden spoon.) Beat together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin, and water.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients. With a spatula, stir to combine until the last of the flour has been mixed in. Stop mixing at this point to avoid overmixing.
Assemble the bread
- Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Spoon the cream cheese filling into the loaf pan.
- Spread to cover the pumpkin batter carefully with a spatula, spreading to the corners.
- Top with the remaining pumpkin batter. It’s Ok if some of the cream cheese filling shows, but try to carefully cover it up as best you can. Then go ahead and bake the bread (60-70 minutes).
Recipe Tips
- Wrap the bread up. The key to this moist tender bread? After you take it out of the oven, wrap the bread in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight. Trust me. I know it’s going to be tough, but waiting a day is going to make this bread out of this world.
- Measure your flour correctly. Be sure to measure your flour correctly by spooning and leveling. If you over measure your flour you will end up with a tough bread.
- Make sure your leavening agents are fresh. Test your baking powder by adding a teaspoon to a 1/4 cup of hot water. Test your baking soda by adding a teaspoon to a 1/4 cup of vinegar. If they bubble they are good to go.
Recipe FAQ’s
You most certainly can. Try adding chocolate chips, raisins, currants or dried cranberries.
You definitely can, although it’s a delicious surprise that everyone will love!
I recommend full-fat cream cheese for best results. And use brick-style cream cheese, not cream cheese in the tub.
You want to insert a toothpick, knife, or cake tester into the center of the bread and see if there are moist crumbs clinging to the bread. If you see raw batter, continue to bake for additional time. Just make sure you don’t insert the tester so far that you reach the cream cheese layer.
Yes quick breads freeze beautifully. Let the bread thaw completely then I wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap, and then either a final layer of tin-foil or place in a sealable plastic bag. Freeze for 3 months. When ready to enjoy, I unwrap the bread and let it thaw at room temperature before slicing and serving.
You can store this bread, wrapped, at room temperature for up to one week.
More Quick Bread Recipes
Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (23 g) all-purpose flour
For the bread
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 2/3 cups (134 g) granulated sugar
- 2/3 cups (142 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (227 g) pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
Instructions
- Prep pan and oven. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan. I like to line mine with parchment paper as well and grease lightly again.
- Prepare cream cheese filling. In a small bowl, with an electric mixer (or if the cream cheese mixture is soft enough you can use a wooden spoon.) Beat together all the filling ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin, and water.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and pour in the liquid ingredients. With a spatula, stir to combine until the last of the flour has been mixed in. Stop mixing at this point to avoid overmixing.
- Add to pan. Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spoon the cream cheese filling into the loaf pan. Spread to cover the pumpkin batter carefully with a spatula, spreading to the corners. Top with the remaining pumpkin batter. (It's ok if some cheesecake batter is showing, but try to cover it as best you can!)
- Bake the bread. Bake the bread for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean; and that same tester inserted about 1/2" into the top of the loaf doesn't encounter any totally unbaked batter. Avoid the cream cheese filling layer. You should see moist crumbs, not raw batter. Mine was perfect at 60 minutes, so begin checking your bread at 60 minutes, but every oven is different so you may need additional time.
- Cool the bread. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and continue to cool. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap, and store it overnight before serving for best texture.
Video
Notes
- Storage: You can keep this bread, wrapped, and stored at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freezing: Let the bread thaw completely then I wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap, and then either a final layer of tin-foil or place in a sealable plastic bag. Freeze for 3 months. When ready to enjoy, I unwrap the bread and let it thaw at room temperature before slicing and serving.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat variety for best results. And use brick-style not the tub kind.
- Mix-ins. You can stir in chocolate chips, raisins, currants, or dried cranberries to the batter if you want. Add 1/2 (up to 2/3 cup) of your choice mix-ins.
Patti says
I just took it out of the oven and will wait until tomorrow to taste. The recipe was very easy to put together. I can’t wait.
Heather says
Thank you Patti..let me know how you like it!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
That looks amazing. I have to try this! Yum!
Heather says
Oh yeah, it tastes as good as it looks 😀 I hope you enjoy, Jacqueline!
Shashi says
A loaf of this would not last long in my house! Yum! So darn scrumptious!
Heather says
Definitely be sure to grab yourself a slice before letting everyone know it’s done, Shashi! 😉 Hope you enjoy!
Katherine says
I love the cream cheese swirl! What a great quickbread for fall.
Heather says
It’a one of my favorite seasonal recipes – and I hope you FALL in love with it, too! 😀
Kechi says
You literally took this pumpkin bread to the next level!! What a beauty 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Heather says
Thank you, Kechi! It’s one of my favorites and I hope you love it, too!
Helen says
This sounds so delicious and looks just beautiful with the cream cheese swirl! Great recipe.
Heather says
Thank you for your sweet comment, Helen! I hope you enjoy 🙂
Erika says
Oh my! This must be heaven!! I go nuts for pumpkin so I will definitely try this!! I love your pictures and your writing and I’ve already bookmarked your blog among my favorites… waiting for new posts!!! 🙂
Heather says
Thanks Erika! Let me know if you end up trying it 🙂 And thank you so much for the kind words and bookmarking my site. Can’t express enough how much that means!