Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Our recipe for pumpkin bread bakes no ordinary orange loaf. The secret surprise inside—a thick layer of cream cheese filling—tastes like a slice of tangy, creamy New York cheesecake, making this pumpkin cream cheese bread ascend to holier-than-thou ranks.

That’s not the only aspect we love about our recipe: Dates, walnuts and raisins dance throughout the pumpkin bread, and a from-scratch vanilla icing is poured right on top of the golden-baked loaves. Oh, and did we mention this recipe makes three loaves of pumpkin bread with cream cheese? Give two away or stash them in the freezer to eat another day.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread Ingredients

• Sugar: You can use granulated sugar, brown sugar or a mix of both sugars to sweeten this pumpkin cream cheese bread. I personally love using brown sugar in my fall baking for its deep, caramelly flavor.
• Canned pumpkin: Not all canned pumpkins are made the same. Some are more watery than others, while some have an off-metallic taste. That’s why our Test Kitchen pros sought to find the best canned pumpkin brands for fall baking. The findings may surprise you—and, no, it’s not the organic brands!
• Canola oil: We use canola oil instead of melted butter to keep the loaves softer for longer.
• All-purpose flour: This is the best type of flour for quick breads. All-purpose flour is doctored with a mix of hard and soft wheat to lend strength and stability to the loaves while keeping a soft, tender, moist crumb.
• Leaveners: Test your baking powder and baking soda to make sure they’re still working at their best. The last thing you want is three flat loaves to emerge from the oven.
• Spices: There is no shortage of fall spices in this pumpkin bread with cream cheese. Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves make this recipe super cozy and flavorful.
• Walnuts: Toast the nuts before adding them to the batter. Toasting takes away a walnut’s raw edge and brings out its naturally rich, nutty flavor.
• Dried fruit: Another sweet surprise we have in our loaves is the inclusion of raisins and dates.
• Cream cheese filling: It’s the star of the show! You’ll need two packets of softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, 2% milk and one room-temperature egg to make the filling. Feel free to add a tiny bit of vanilla extract or vanilla paste for a subtle flavor boost.
• Toppings: While optional, we love drizzling a homemade vanilla icing on our cream cheese pumpkin bread and scattering extra walnuts on top.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8×4-inch loaf pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment, then grease the papers.

Step 2: Beat the cream cheese filling

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In a small bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese, sugar, 2% milk and egg until smooth.

Step 3: Make the pumpkin bread batter

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In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the sugar, canned pumpkin, eggs, oil and water until well blended.

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In another bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and cloves. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture.

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Fold in the walnuts, raisins and dates.

Step 4: Layer the batter and the filling in the pans

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Divide half the batter evenly among the three prepared pans.

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Spoon the cream cheese filling over the batter to within 1/2 inch of the sides of the pans. Cut through the filling with a butter knife to swirl.

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Cover the filling completely with the remaining batter, then cut through the batter again to swirl.

Step 5: Bake the loaves

Bake the pumpkin cream cheese loaves until a toothpick inserted in the bread portion comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes.

Cool the loaves in their pans for 10 minutes. Remove the loaves from their pans and onto wire racks to cool completely to room temperature.

Step 6: Decorate the loaves

If desired, decorate with a vanilla icing and extra walnuts. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough of the milk to reach a drizzling consistency. Drizzle the icing over the bread, then sprinkle the top with walnuts.

Cut the loaves into slices and enjoy! Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.

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Recipe Variations

• Lower the sugar: For a cream cheese pumpkin bread with less sugar, use 3/4 cup Splenda (or a similar sugar alternative) and 2-1/4 cups regular sugar. For the filling, replace the sugar with 1/4 cup Splenda or another substitute.
• Make it dairy-free: To make the cream cheese filling dairy-free, use your favorite vegan or dairy-free cream cheese in the same weight amounts. You can also swap in your favorite nondairy milk for the whole milk.
• Swap the nuts: Not a fan of walnuts? Pecans, almonds, hazelnuts or macadamia nuts can be used instead.
• Add a cream cheese frosting: To add even more cream cheese flavor to this pumpkin bread, omit the vanilla icing for a cream cheese frosting instead.

How to Store Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Stash any leftovers of the pumpkin bread with cream cheese in the fridge. To keep this bread fresh, store it in an airtight container for up to a week.

Can you freeze pumpkin cream cheese bread?

Yes, you can freeze the bread. Make sure the loaves are completely cooled to room temperature before wrapping them up to freeze. You don’t want to trap any excess moisture from steam. When you’re certain they’re cool, wrap the loaves in storage wrap (two layers doesn’t hurt!) or store in resealable freezer bags. You can keep the loaves in the freezer for two months. When you’re ready to eat, defrost them in the fridge until thawed.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread Tips

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What if I don’t have three 8×4-inch pans? What other size pans can I use?

We get it, most people have only one 8×4-inch loaf pan. To substitute one of the 8×4-inch loaf pans, use two 5-3/4×3-inch mini loaf pans or one 9×5-inch loaf pan. Keep in mind that the two mini pans will take a little less time to bake since they are smaller, and the 9×5-inch loaf pan will create a thinner bread loaf.

How do I make sure the middle is done before the outside burns?

It can be tricky to tell when quick breads with fillings are ready to come out of the oven. For the best results, use a digital thermometer and take the loaf out between 200° and 205° degrees. Another trick is to cover the loaf with aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. This ensures the middle cooks while the top stays golden.

How should I serve pumpkin cream cheese bread?

One slice of this pumpkin bread with cream cheese is pretty spectacular all on its own, but you certainly can dress it up with extras. Drizzle on maple syrup, homemade whipped cream or cinnamon whipped cream, or add a thick slather of pumpkin butter or a pad of butter from a high-quality butter brand.