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Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl Recipe | Moist & Easy Fall Loaf

Make this easy Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl — moist, spiced, and bakery-perfect. Includes tips, substitutions, and storage instructions.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Pumpkin Bread:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

granulated sugar

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Add-Ins:

  • ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
  • A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top for crunch

Instructions
 

  • Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
  • Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, combine pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, and sugar. Whisk until smooth and slightly glossy — that’s how you know your batter will bake up moist.
  • Make the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently until just combined. (Overmixing here is the enemy of tenderness.)
  • Prepare the Cream Cheese Swirl: Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until completely smooth and creamy. No lumps allowed — room temperature ingredients are key.
  • Assemble the Loaf: Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the loaf pan. Spoon half the cream cheese mixture in dollops on top. Add the remaining batter, then finish with the rest of the cream cheese.
  • Create the Swirl: Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl the cream cheese into the pumpkin batter in a zigzag or figure-eight motion. Don’t overdo it — two or three passes are plenty.
  • Bake: Bake for 60–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
  • Cool Completely: Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Wait until it’s fully cooled before slicing — it’s worth the patience.