If you’re a fan of pumpkin bread, you’ll be thrilled with this kicked-up Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread with a ribbon of cheesecake!

This over-the-top Pumpkin Loaf is the perfect way to kick off the fall season. 

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread slices on a white platter.

Why You Must Make

What happens when you spread a layer of cream cheese in the middle of your pumpkin bread batter? A marvelous ribbon of cheesecake appears in every slice. This cream cheese-filled pumpkin bread is a moist, spicy quick bread with a sweet surprise in the middle!

  • Instead of spreading butter or cream cheese on your slices of pumpkin bread, each slice comes with a layer of sweetened cream cheese!
  • If you love pumpkin bread recipes, adding a cream cheese layer elevates it to another level.
  • It’s truly delicious!
Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread slices stacked on a white dessert plate.

How to Make

  1. Preheat the oven and prep the pans.
  2. Make the pumpkin bread batter, then make the cream cheese filling batter.
  3. Pour slightly more than a quarter of the batter into each pan, then drop spoonfuls of the filling over the pumpkin batter.
  4. Spread the filling to cover the pumpkin batter.
  5. Then divide the remaining pumpkin batter over the filling. Don’t overfill the pan as you’ll want room for the bread to rise.
  6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

I actually made a triple batch of this classic, moist pumpkin bread and a double batch of filling. One plain loaf for Nick, the cream cheese naysayer. And two for the cream cheese fans. Bill won’t touch pumpkin except in pie, so one less palate to factor into the plan.

I thought of swirling in the filling, but marbleizing has never been my forte. Be sure not to overfill your pans (I may have a wee bit of experience with this situation!) and try to estimate when half the pumpkin batter is in the pan before adding the cream cheese mixture.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread on a white ceramic board with sliced pieces.

Expert Tips

  • PRO-Tip: Make sure to purchase pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has additional ingredients that are not needed in this pumpkin bread recipe.
  • Have your eggs and cream cheese at room temperature for easy incorporation.
  • Don’t overfill your loaf pans. ¾ full is the goal.
  • Use leftover pumpkin bread batter to make muffins. Use a muffin tin or ramekins to bake them.
  • These loaves can take up to an hour and a half to fully bake. It depends on the weight of your pan and how your oven works.
  • Start checking at the one-hour mark by inserting a toothpick into a couple of spots on each loaf. If it comes out clean, your loaf is done. If not, continue baking and checking every 10 minutes or so.
  • If your bread is browning too fast and it’s still not done, you can tent it with some aluminum foil.
  • PRO-Tip: Let the loaves cool for about 15 minutes before removing them from the pan. You’ll want the crust to solidify before inverting. 
  • Slice when the loaves are cooled completely.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Quick Bread?

Bread that does not require kneading or rising time is considered quick bread along with soda bread. They rely on baking powder or baking soda for leavening instead of yeast. This cream cheese pumpkin bread is an example, along with muffins, most biscuits, and popovers.

How Do You Serve Pumpkin Bread?

We usually eat plain slices, but smeared with creamy butter is another delicious option. You can also toast it if desired. Apple butter would be a nice seasonal topping to offer along with butter. Plus, if you love cream cheese, the spreadable version will give you a double fix!

How Do You Store Pumpkin Bread?

Wrap traditional pumpkin bread in plastic and keep it at room temperature for 3-4 days. After that, it’s best to keep it in your refrigerator. If your bread is filled with cream cheese, keep it refrigerated. It can also be frozen, if wrapped airtight, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

You May Also Like

Stay in touch through social media @ InstagramFacebook, and Pinterest. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And if you love the results, please give it a 5-star rating in the recipe card.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread A moist, delicious pumpkin loaf with a ribbon of cream cheese in the middle!

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Bread

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Yield 36 servings

A classic, moist and tender pumpkin bread with a ribbon of sweetened cream cheese filling

Ingredients

For pumpkin bread:

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups pumpkin
  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cloves
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅔ cup water

For the filling:

  • 8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 tablespoons flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease two standard loaf pans. I also put a rectangle of parchment on the bottom of each pan and grease that as well.
  2. Combine sugar and oil. Add the rest of the ingredients in order. Mix till combined and set aside.
  3. Whip together filling ingredients till smooth and set aside.
  4. Pour a little more than a quarter of the batter into each pan (about 1 3/4 cups). Drop spoonfuls of half the filling over top of the pumpkin batter and then use a spoon or offset spatula to spread the filling to cover the pumpkin.
  5. Repeat with the second pan. Use the remaining batter to fill each about ¾ full. You can bake any excess batter in ramekins for muffins.
  6. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

Do not over-mix the batter or your bread will have tunnels.

There will be some excess pumpkin batter, so reserve enough to make 2-3 muffins so your bread pans do not overflow.

My bread pans are heavy duty and they took 1 1/2 hours to bake. Make sure to check and recheck your loaves with a toothpick so your bread is not underbaked.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 3816Total Fat: 163gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 605mgSodium: 2672mgCarbohydrates: 550gFiber: 8gSugar: 358gProtein: 49g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

IFBC

Three of the most giving, kind food bloggers out there!!!

Joan of Chocolate, Chocolate and More

Kim of Kiss My Smoke

and

Dionne of Try Anything Once

IFBC

First time meeting two of my long-time blogger friends!

IFBC

Crazy after-hours shenanigans…loads of laughs with these gals!

IFBC

Hanging out with my Dorista friends!

IFBC

Bonus: Going out to dinner with my sister, Mary!