Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese

This pumpkin bread with cream cheese just smells like Thanksgiving and Christmas when the bread is baking in the oven. Use your homemade pumpkin pie spice for this recipe.

Pumpkin bread with cream cheese filling is one of the best treats to come home to!
Pumpkin bread with cream cheese filling is one of the best treats to come home to!

Even though this is called a “bread” it’s really more of a cake. If you sneak a taste of the batter before it’s cooked, it will taste just like a rich pumpkin pie batter.

Pumpkin Bread

Finding the right ingredients is absolutely key to making your pumpkin bread with cream cheese taste just right.

  • Pumpkin puree: Use the can of pure pumpkin, versus the ‘canned pumpkin pie”. This way you can add all your mix-ins as necessary.
  • Pumpkin spice: I love a good spiced bread. Go ahead and add more spice after tasting the batter.
  • Flour: I used all-purpose flour as my flour base. You can also use a cake flour for a smoother texture.
  • Cream cheese: Adding a cream cheese frosting to the cake is the perfect compliment to this zesty cake. If cream cheese frosting isn’t for you, you can skip it. Make sure to use a block of cream cheese instead of the tub, the block will have less moisture and is easier to bake with.

How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese

Making this pumpkin bread is only a few more steps than making your standard pumpkin pie. Adding the cream cheese on top takes it from a bread to a cake. It’s easy to slice and easy to travel with if you want to share this recipe with friends and family. I do recommend pre-slicing it so that it’s easy for folks to grab a piece without too much hassle.

Pumpkin bread with cream cheese is a family favorite!
Pumpkin bread with cream cheese is a family favorite!

The easiest and fastest way to make this bread is to make it in three parts: the dry ingredients, the wet ingredients and the cream cheese frosting.

After mixing the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a mixer. Mix until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter. Set aside and then make the cream cheese mixture. The cream cheese will do best at room temperature. It’s best to set it out of the fridge an hour or two before you’re ready to make the bread. This way, the cream cheese will be soft enough to mix with the sugar and there won’t be any lumps.

Looking for a gluten free version of pumpkin bread? Replace the flour for almond flour for a gluten free pumpkin bread with cream cheese.

Pumpkin Spice

One of the best parts of this recipe is the spice that is involved when baking it. Not only does the spice fragrant the batter but it also makes the entire house smell like pumpkin spice when it’s baking.

My secret to this recipe is actually making my own pumpkin pie spice, also known as pumpkin spice. It’s just a combination of five spices that you probably have sitting in your pantry right now.

Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ll admit, the cream cheese element of this recipe isn’t entirely necessary. However, it is very delicious and adds an extra layer of deliciousness to the recipe. If you are lactose intolerant or don’t feel like adding it, feel free to omit the cream cheese entirely from the recipe.

If you do want to add the cream cheese frosting, however, make sure to grab an 8oz block of cream cheese. The kind that is packaged in foil. This cream cheese has less moisture in it and more fat, making it much better for baking.

Make sure to put your cream cheese out for an hour or so before baking, since you will need the cream cheese at room temperature before beating it with the powdered sugar. Using cream cheese directly from the fridge will make your frosting lumpy since it will be difficult to evenly mix when it is cold.

Which Pan to Use for Pumpkin Bread?

For this recipe, I used a 9×5 baking pan. You could probably use a larger flatter baking pan, such as a casserole dish (like a 10×8) in a pinch. If you do end up needing to use a different pan, just spread the cream cheese frosting out on top of the batter and reduce the bake time.

If you are using a baking pan to make a loaf, make sure to adequately spray the pan so that the bread will easily come out of the mold. In this recipe, I also lined the pan with parchment paper, to reduce any kind of friction with the pan and the batter. It also makes for incredibly easy removal.

Use a 9x5 pan when making pumpkin bread with cream cheese
Use a 9×5 pan when making pumpkin bread with cream cheese

If you don’t want that thick layer of cream cheese, you can use a more shallow pan and then add the cream cheese on top so it spreads out a bit more. This way you won’t have a dense layer of frosting.

Other Pumpkin Recipes

Looking for more pumpkin recipes for the holidays?

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Sarah Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

45

minutes
Calories

310

kcal

Ingredients

  • Pumpkin Loaf
  • 1 3/4 cups 1 3/4 all-purpose flour

  • 15 oz 15 pumpkin (1 can)

  • 1 tbsp 1 pumpkin spice

  • 1 tsp 1 baking soda

  • 1/2 tsp 1/2 salt

  • 1 cup 1 granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 brown sugar

  • 2 2 eggs

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 neutral oil

  • 1 tsp 1 vanilla extract

  • Cream Cheese:
  • 8 oz 8 block of cream cheese

  • 1/4 cup 1/4 powdered sugar

Directions

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×5 baking pan with parchment and spray with cooking oil. Set aside.
  • Make the cream cheese. Whip together the room temperature cream cheese and the sugar. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin spice. Set aside.
  • Beat the wet ingredients together. With a mixer, combine eggs and pumpkin. Add in oil and vanilla. When just combined add in the dry ingredient mixture one-fourth of a cup at a time. Beat until just combined.
  • Add the batter to the baking pan and then add the cream cheese in a vein down the middle of the pan.
  • Bake. Put the pan in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. It is finished baking when a fork comes out clean.
  • Rest. Let the cake cool before serving.

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