Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
There’s something so comforting about baking with pumpkin. The warm spices, the soft texture, and that sweet cream cheese layer make this bread irresistible. It’s the perfect treat to enjoy with your morning coffee or as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 ½ tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In another bowl, mix pumpkin purée, brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, oil, sour cream, 1 egg, and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Spread two-thirds of batter in loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 ½ tablespoons flour, 1 egg, and ¼ cup granulated sugar until smooth.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over batter. Top with remaining pumpkin batter.
- Bake 45–55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into pumpkin portion comes out clean. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly.
- Cool in pan at least 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Use Room Temperature Cream Cheese: It blends more easily and creates a smoother filling.
Check for Doneness Carefully: Because of the cream cheese layer, insert the toothpick into the pumpkin portion, not the cream cheese.
Avoid Overmixing: Stir the batter just until combined to keep the bread tender.
Let It Cool Before Slicing: The cream cheese layer needs time to set, so allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes.