Introduction
Oh, fall! That time of year when the leaves start to change, the air gets crisp, and all you want to do is cozy up inside with something warm and delicious baking in the oven. For me, the smell of pumpkin spice is the official signal that cozy season has arrived. And what better way to celebrate than with a loaf of incredibly moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin bread? But wait, this isn’t just any pumpkin bread, my friend. We’re adding a dreamy, tangy cream cheese swirl that takes this classic to a whole new level of amazing. This recipe is so easy, you’ll want to make it every weekend, and trust me, your kitchen (and your taste buds!) will thank you.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast: No complicated steps or long proofing times here! This is a quick bread, meaning you can have it mixed and in the oven in no time.
- Easy: If you can stir, you can make this bread. It’s a super simple recipe perfect for beginner bakers and seasoned pros alike.
- Giftable: Wrap up a loaf or slice some up for friends and neighbors. It makes a thoughtful and always-appreciated homemade gift.
- Crowd-pleasing: Seriously, who doesn’t love pumpkin and cream cheese together? This bread is guaranteed to disappear quickly at potlucks, brunches, or just sitting on your counter.
Ingredients
Gather ’round, let’s look at the stars of our show. Most of these are probably already in your pantry!
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree: Make sure it’s plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling! That gorgeous orange stuff is the key to our pumpkin flavor and moisture.
- 2 large Eggs: Our binders, helping everything come together beautifully.
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder & 1/2 tsp Baking soda: These leaveners work together to give our bread a lovely rise and tender crumb.
- 3/4 cup Light brown sugar & 1/4 cup Granulated sugar: A mix of sugars for moisture and sweetness. Brown sugar adds that lovely, subtle caramel note that pairs so well with pumpkin.
- 1 3/16 cup Flour: Just your basic all-purpose flour will do the trick!
- 1/2 tbsp Pumpkin pie spice: The quintessential fall spice blend! If you don’t have this, see my substitution tips below.
- 1/4 tsp Salt: Don’t skip the salt! It balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and depth to both the pumpkin batter and the cream cheese swirl.
- 1/4 cup Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil like vegetable or canola works great here. It helps keep the bread incredibly moist.
- 4 oz Cream cheese: Make sure it’s softened! This is the base for our tangy, creamy swirl.
- 1/4 cup Sour cream: Our secret ingredient for the swirl! It adds a beautiful tanginess and makes the cream cheese mixture extra smooth and luscious.
How to Make It
Okay, let’s get this deliciousness happening! Follow these simple steps and you’ll be enjoying warm pumpkin bread in no time.
- Prep your pan and preheat: First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan (a 9×5 inch pan works best). This helps prevent sticking!
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good mix so everything is evenly distributed.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix just until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Seriously, stop mixing as soon as you don’t see streaks of dry flour. Overmixing can make your bread tough, and we want it super tender!
- Make the cream cheese swirl: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth and creamy. A fork or a small whisk works great here.
- Layer and swirl: Pour about half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese layer.
- Create the swirl: Use a knife, skewer, or chopstick to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture through the pumpkin batter. Don’t over-swirl; you want distinct layers and pockets of cream cheese! Just a few passes through the batter will create beautiful swirls.
- Bake: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin batter part of the bread comes out clean. Be careful not to hit a cream cheese pocket when testing! If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove it. This helps it hold its shape. Then, carefully invert it onto the wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Substitutions & Additions
Want to shake things up or adapt the recipe? Here are a few ideas!
- No Pumpkin Pie Spice? You can make your own blend! Try whisking together 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, and a pinch of ground cloves.
- Add Some Crunch: Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the pumpkin batter for added texture.
- Chocolate Lover? Chocolate chips are delicious in pumpkin bread! Stir in 1/2 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips with the dry ingredients.
- Different Oil: Melted unsalted butter can be used instead of oil for a slightly different flavor, though oil tends to make quick breads incredibly moist.
- Streusel Topping: Craving more texture? Mix together 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tbsp cold butter (cut in) until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the loaf before baking.
Tips for Success
A few little pointers to ensure your pumpkin bread turns out perfectly every time!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best results with the cream cheese swirl, make sure your cream cheese is properly softened. If it’s too cold, it will be lumpy. The eggs and sour cream at room temperature also help everything mix together more smoothly.
- Don’t Overmix: I can’t stress this enough! Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to a tough bread. Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear.
- Test for Doneness Correctly: Since there’s a cream cheese layer, testing for doneness can be tricky. Insert your toothpick into the pumpkin batter part of the loaf, away from the swirl. You want it to come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.
- Cooling is Key: Allow the bread to cool in the pan for the recommended time. This helps it firm up before you try to remove it, preventing it from breaking. Cooling completely on a wire rack before slicing gives you cleaner slices.
How to Store It
Once your beautiful loaf is baked and cooled (if it lasts that long!), here’s how to keep it fresh.
Store completely cooled bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cream cheese swirl makes refrigeration a good idea for extending its life. You can also freeze individual slices or the whole loaf (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then foil) for up to 3 months. Thaw slices at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave.
FAQs
Got questions? I’ve got some quick answers!
Can I use fresh pumpkin puree?
Yes, but make sure it’s very thick and not watery. You might need to drain off excess liquid if using homemade.
Do I have to use sour cream in the swirl?
The sour cream adds lovely tanginess and smoothness, but you could omit it and just use softened cream cheese, maybe adding a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream if needed for consistency.
How do I get a good swirl?
Don’t go crazy! Just a few passes with a knife or skewer through the batter layers is enough. You want distinct ribbons, not a fully mixed-in batter.
Can I make this into muffins?
Absolutely! The baking time will be much shorter (usually 20-25 minutes). This recipe should yield about 12 muffins. You’ll layer the batter and swirl mixture in muffin cups.
Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Bread
Celebrate fall with this incredibly moist, perfectly spiced pumpkin bread featuring a dreamy, tangy cream cheese swirl. This quick bread is fast, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- larger bowl
- Spatula
- Wooden spoon
- Small bowl
- Fork
- Small whisk
- Loaf pan 9x5 inch works best
- Knife
- Skewer
- Chopstick
- Oven
- toothpick
- aluminum foil Optional, for tenting
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree plain, not pie filling
- 2 large Eggs
- 0.5 tsp Baking powder
- 0.5 tsp Baking soda
- 0.75 cup Light brown sugar
- 0.25 cup Granulated sugar
- 1.1875 cup Flour all-purpose
- 0.5 tbsp Pumpkin pie spice
- 0.25 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 0.25 cup Oil neutral-flavored like vegetable or canola
- 4 oz Cream cheese softened
- 0.25 cup Sour cream
Instructions
- Prep your pan and preheat: First things first, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan (a 9x5 inch pan works best). This helps prevent sticking!
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give it a good mix so everything is evenly distributed.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla extract until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix just until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Seriously, stop mixing as soon as you don't see streaks of dry flour. Overmixing can make your bread tough, and we want it super tender!
- Make the cream cheese swirl: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth and creamy. A fork or a small whisk works great here.
- Layer and swirl: Pour about half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese layer.
- Create the swirl: Use a knife, skewer, or chopstick to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture through the pumpkin batter. Don't over-swirl; you want distinct layers and pockets of cream cheese! Just a few passes through the batter will create beautiful swirls.
- Bake: Place the loaf pan in the preheated oven. Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin batter part of the bread comes out clean. Be careful not to hit a cream cheese pocket when testing! If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.
- Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove it. This helps it hold its shape. Then, carefully invert it onto the wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Substitutions & Additions:
- No Pumpkin Pie Spice? Use 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, pinch ground cloves.
- Add Some Crunch: Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Chocolate Lover? Stir in 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Different Oil: Melted unsalted butter can be used instead of oil.
- Streusel Topping: Mix 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp cold butter (cut in) until crumbly; sprinkle over top before baking. Tips for Success:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream are softened/room temp for smoother mixing.
- Don't Overmix: Mix dry and wet ingredients just until combined to avoid tough bread.
- Test for Doneness Correctly: Insert toothpick into pumpkin batter only, avoiding cream cheese pockets.
- Cooling is Key: Cool in the pan and then completely on a wire rack before slicing. Storage:
- Room temperature: Airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Airtight container for up to a week (recommended due to cream cheese).
- Freezer: Wrap tightly (plastic then foil); up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or warm gently in microwave. FAQs:
- Can use fresh pumpkin puree if very thick; drain if watery.
- Sour cream adds tang and smoothness; can omit, maybe add milk/cream for consistency.
- To get a good swirl: Use a knife/skewer; just a few passes for distinct ribbons.
- No Pumpkin Pie Spice? Use 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, pinch ground cloves.
- Add Some Crunch: Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Chocolate Lover? Stir in 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.
- Different Oil: Melted unsalted butter can be used instead of oil.
- Streusel Topping: Mix 1/4 cup flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp cold butter (cut in) until crumbly; sprinkle over top before baking. Tips for Success:
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream are softened/room temp for smoother mixing.
- Don't Overmix: Mix dry and wet ingredients just until combined to avoid tough bread.
- Test for Doneness Correctly: Insert toothpick into pumpkin batter only, avoiding cream cheese pockets.
- Cooling is Key: Cool in the pan and then completely on a wire rack before slicing. Storage:
- Room temperature: Airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Refrigerator: Airtight container for up to a week (recommended due to cream cheese).
- Freezer: Wrap tightly (plastic then foil); up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp or warm gently in microwave. FAQs:
- Can use fresh pumpkin puree if very thick; drain if watery.
- Sour cream adds tang and smoothness; can omit, maybe add milk/cream for consistency.
- To get a good swirl: Use a knife/skewer; just a few passes for distinct ribbons.