Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling is a delicious dessert that is moist, sweet, and ideal for Fall. Tender and flavorful, with a rich cheesecake filling inside.

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling is one of my favorite desserts to serve on Thanksgiving, because it is moist pumpkin bread, with a delicious cheesecake layer. Also, it has the perfect amount of spice, with an amazing texture.  When you bite into it, you have the feeling that you are combining the best of both worlds – a soft bread with a slice of cheesecake inside.

This delicious, sweet, and moist dessert is a great take on my classic pumpkin bread, by adding a layer of real cheesecake filling you don’t expect (but love). The rich filling is luscious and takes this classic dessert to a whole new level. 

As exquisite as this bread is and fancy as it looks, it is incredibly easy to make. Made with budget friendly, basic ingredients. It only takes 20 minutes to make and about one hour to bake!

Why you will love this recipe

• Both decadent and delicious: It looks as good as it tastes.
• No special skills or tools: You can make it yourself with no special tools.
• A handful of ingredients: Just basic baking ingredients and some pumpkin baking items.
• Versatile: It tastes great all year long, but you can also change the pumpkin for apple, banana, pears, or peaches.

What you’ll need to make pumpkin bread with cream cheese filling

Special items:

• Loaf pan – I use a 10×5-inch loaf pan.
• Bowls – For mixing.
• Spatula – To mix and smooth batter. 
• Cooling rack – For cooling the bread.

Ingredients:

• Flour – I use all-purpose flour. You can use the flour you typically bake with.
• Baking soda: Make sure you use a good-quality brand. It is important in leavening. I use Arm & Hammer because it is considered a standard of purity.
• Baking powder – Another important baking product that should be a quality brand, baking powder increases the volume of your bread.
• Salt – Kosher salt is what I like to use because it is clean and pure, with no additives.
• Cinnamon – To add a warm, sweet flavor and increase the elasticity of gluten in the dough.
• Nutmeg – Another warm spice found in many baked goods with cinnamon, it also has a hint of nuttiness.
• Cloves – With some spiciness, cloves are added to the bread for a touch of pungency.
• Ginger – Works with the cloves to keep the cinnamon and nutmeg from being too sweet.
• Pumpkin spice—It includes the four spices above as well as allspice to ensure plenty of all of these flavors.
• Butter – Must be softened to room temperature and should be unsalted.
• Eggs – Large eggs, also warmed to room temperature.
• Sugar – Use white granulated sugar for the best results. Powdered sugar will not work.
• Brown sugar – Packed light brown sugar is best. If you want it richer, more like molasses, you can use dark brown sugar.
• Pumpkin puree – Make sure it is not pumpkin pie filling. That has sugar and other spices in it.
• Cream cheese – It must be softened to room temperature and has to be brick-style.
• Sour cream – Full-fat and should also be at room temperature.
• Egg – Large and warmed to room temperature.
• Sugar – Only use granulated white sugar.
• Flour – All-purpose flour is what I recommend.
• Vanilla – I highly recommend you use 100% pure vanilla extract for the best flavor with no bitterness.

How to make Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling?

1. Make the flour mixture: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, pumpkin spices, and nutmeg. Then, whisk together the dry ingredients until combined. 
2. Pumpkin batter: Next, in a separate large bowl, add butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and beat together using an electric mixer. 
3. Cream cheese mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the cream cheese filling ingredients. Using an electric mixer beat on medium-high speed until fully combined. Set aside. 
4. Combine: Then, add the flour mixture to the batter mixture and whisk together to make the pumpkin mixture. 
5. Layer: Grease a 5-inch loaf pan with some cooking spray. Next, add half of the mixture to the bottom of the pan. Then, add the cream cheese layer over it. Lastly, top with the remaining pumpkin batter. 
6. Bake: Transfer to a pre-heated oven, and bake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown. 
7. Serve: Remove the whole loaf from the pan, then slice it, and serve!

Expert tip

Avoid filled pumpkin bread falling apart

If you followed all the directions, and the beautiful pumpkin bread is falling apart, let’s find out what may have gone wrong. First, it may have had too much flour. I mention this in the FAQs section. It could be a flour-measuring issue or a liquid-measuring issue. The oven may have been too hot. You may have baked the bread too long. On the other hand, the middle may not have gotten done enough.

Since this is a filled bread, it will automatically gooey in the middle. The trick for this is to let it cool completely so it sets before you try to move it. Leave it in the pan for at least 15 minutes before turning it upside down on the rack to cool. Then, let it finish cooling completely before moving it to the fridge, where I would let it set even longer. It is like cheesecake. It has to be set.

Another faux pas in making quick breads is adding too much moisture. In the case of pumpkin bread, people often use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree. This is a sure way of getting too much moisture in your bread, and it will be too soggy to stick together.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Pepitas: You know what would be perfect on top? Pumpkin seeds! I made my roasted pumpkin seeds, and everyone loved it. Just one batch was enough to top one loaf, and I had enough to snack on, too, which was good because I like to snack while cooking.
• Flavored cream: Instead of plain cream cheese, add some flavor with cinnamon, maple, honey, or brown sugar.
• Chopped nuts: Make your pumpkin bread crunchy with chopped walnuts or pecans added to the batter.
• Dried fruit: Pumpkin would pair wonderfully with some raisins, dried cranberries, or cherries.
• Chocolate filling: Turn your filling chocolatey with some chocolate chips or chocolate baking wafers.
• More layers: If you do not want one thick layer of cream cheese filling, use two. You could even make it into a swirl.

Serving suggestions:

Here are some fun ideas I came up with to serve this delicious bread.

• Even though it is creamy on its own, this bread goes great with any flavor of ice cream. Especially vanilla.
• Spreading this with my thick, rich cream cheese frosting would make it even more incredibly creamy and decadent.
• Make it a whole pumpkin meal with pumpkin pot roast, carrots, potatoes, and pumpkin mac and cheese.
• Take thick slices of this bread and make some French toast for the kids. It may get messy but it will still be delicious.
• Enjoy a slice with a glass of my Starbucks pumpkin spice latte copycat. Other than coffee, you only need four ingredients.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my pumpkin bread soggy?

The most common reason for soggy pumpkin bread is how you let it cool. When it comes out of the oven, you must let it sit in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Then, turn it over onto a cooling rack, remove the parchment, and let it finish cooling that way. If that is not the issue, it could also be that you used too much liquid or did not cook it long enough. Try cooking it for another 10 or 15 minutes and see if that helps. Another problem could be that you did not use enough leavening or let it sit out too long before baking it.

Why are there holes or air bubbles in my bread?

If you overmix your batter, you can create too much air, creating voids, tunnels, and air bubbles. Even when you are mixing it by hand, this can still happen. You should only stir it until it is mixed. Overmixing can also cause your bread to be tough or chewy. This happens with many quick breads, just like cakes and brownies. I would suggest only using 15 to 20 light strokes with a spoon to mix the ingredients together.

Why did my pumpkin bread come out dry?

Measurement of the flour is the most likely culprit. Many people do not realize that when they scoop their flour with a measuring cup, they pack it into the cup, giving them an extra big amount. The best way is the spoon and level method. If you have a sifter, you should sift your flour first. If not, use a fork or knife to break it up and incorporate air into it. Then, gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup, slightly above the rim. After, use a knife or your finger to scrape off the excess.

How to store:

• Refrigerate: Wrap in plastic and place in a sealed container in the fridge to save for up to five days. 
• Freezing: First, cool the loaf completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic food wrap, Next, wrap in aluminum foil or place it in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before slicing.
• Defrost: Thaw in the fridge overnight for the best flavor and texture.

More delicious pumpkin desserts:

Recipe tips:

• Do not let your batter sit out too long before baking it; otherwise, you may have soggy bread.
• Let your bread cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning it over on a rack and letting it cool the rest of the way upside down.
• Be careful not to overmix your batter. You should only need 15 to 20 light strokes by hand.
• Do NOT use the spreadable whipped cream cheese. Only the brick cream cheese will work.
• Also, pumpkin pie filling will not work for this recipe. You need pumpkin puree.
• A toothpick test may not work with this bread since the cheesecake may not be set like bread. Just go with 50 to 55 minutes. If it is still jiggly after 50, cook for five more minutes.
• Always use the spoon and level method to measure flour.