This pumpkin cream cheese bread is a soft and moist pumpkin loaf cake swirled with a decadent cream cheese filling. It's topped with a crunchy cinnamon pumpkin seed streusel that adds the perfect crisp texture in every bite. I used olive oil in the pumpkin batter to keep it extra soft and moist for many days to come!
I love making a loaf of this and keeping it on hand in the fridge to enjoy with coffee in the mornings. It's really the perfect breakfast and brunch loaf.
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🍞 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Creamy cheesecake filling: A simple vanilla cream cheese mix layered into the center creates the most beautiful, creamy rich filling.
- Pumpkin: A moist, spiced pumpkin olive oil cake makes the perfect loaf base that remains soft and tender even after refrigeration.
- Cinnamon streusel: Crunchy buttery cinnamon streusel with pumpkin seeds makes the perfect topping that adds a beautiful crisp texture.
- Easy: Every component is approachable and easy to make.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Pumpkin puree: I used store-bought pumpkin puree because it's consistent and has a strong, concentrated pumpkin flavor. If you use homemade pumpkin puree please make sure that it's the consistency of thick hummus or Greek yogurt.
If you have leftover pumpkin puree I strongly recommend making my pumpkin pie bars. They're creamy, easy to make and have a brown butter shortbread crust!
Pumpkin spice: Since I bake so much, I love having premixed pumpkin spice on hand. You can make it yourself using my pumpkin pie spice recipe too! it's just a blend of spices that you probably already have on hand.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and richness into the pumpkin loaf.
Olive oil: I opted for oil as opposed to butter for this cake so that it stays soft and moist when it's eaten cold out of the fridge. The cheesecake swirl is so delicious when it's chilled so I needed the loaf cake to match this! Use extra virgin olive oil for a touch of grassiness and olive flavor, or opt for a light olive oil or even vegetable oil for a neutral flavor.
Dark brown sugar: I find that the caramel and molasses flavor of dark brown sugar complements pumpkin beautifully so that's what I used for the loaf cake batter.
Cream cheese: Brick style full fat cream cheese has the best consistency for baking and will create a rich, firm cheesecake swirl that holds its shape.
Pumpkin seeds: A sprinkling of crunchy pumpkin seeds adds a beautiful crunchy texture. I used raw pumpkin seeds and they roasted slowly in the oven as the pumpkin streusel bread baked.
👩🍳 How to make pumpkin streusel bread
Pumpkin bread step by step
Prep: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line the bottom and sides of a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 1: Combine eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk them together with a wire whisk until it starts to foam on top, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add oil, pumpkin puree, sour cream, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin spice into the bowl. Whisk together well to combine.
Step 3: Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the bowl. Fold it in with a whisk until a thick batter forms. Stop mixing as soon as no more dry streaks of flour remain.
Step 4: Set the batter aside to rest and hydrate while you make the cream cheese filling.
Cream cheese filling step by step
Step 1: Add softened cream cheese into a medium bowl. Mix it with an electric mixer or a spatula until it is creamy and smooth. Add sugar and mix until smooth again.
Step 2: Add one egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix it just until it's creamy and smooth - don't overmix.
Step 3: Place two thirds of the pumpkin batter into the bottom of the pan. Spread it up the sides of the pan a bit. Add the cream cheese filling into the middle of the loaf, keeping it in the center as much as possible. Add the remaining pumpkin batter on top and smooth it gently.
Cinnamon streusel step by step
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Mix it well.
Step 2: Add the softened butter into the flour mixture and use a fork or your fingers to mix it in until it forms lumps and crumbs and no more chunks of butter remain.
Step 3: Crumble the streusel on top of the pumpkin batter, avoiding the very center where the line was drawn. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.
Step 4: Bake the loaf for 50-55 minutes (checking at 45 minutes) until a toothpick inserted into the center doesn't come out with any orange batter covering it. It will be covered in white cheesecake batter and that's what you need.
Step 5: Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool inside the pan until room temperature. Then remove it out of the pan by lifting up on the parchment handles. This cake slices the best and is best served chilled, so I like to chill it for a few hours before serving - making it a great make ahead loaf cake.
✔️ Expert pumpkin bread cake tips
- Don't overmix the pumpkin batter: Overmixing causes a dense and tough cake. Stop mixing as soon as no more dry streaks of flour remain.
- Use softened cream cheese: This helps the cream cheese to combine and mix evenly with the other ingredients, creating a smooth and even cheesecake swirl.
- Try to keep the cheesecake swirl encased inside the pumpkin batter: This prevents it from burning on the sides and creates a beautiful thick swirl when sliced
- Don't over or under bake: This cake is a little tricky to bake because a toothpick inserted into the center won't come out clean when it's ready because of the cheesecake filling. The toothpick test will still work - it's ready when it comes out not covered in orange batter. White batter is ok.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This is the perfect make ahead pumpkin loaf because it tastes even better when it's served right out of the fridge, cold. The loaf stays soft and moist thanks to the olive oil, and the cheesecake filling is rich, thick, and creamy.
Store it the pumpkin loaf cake the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It also freezes well - store in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
❔ Why does my pumpkin cream cheese bread sink in the center?
This recipe tends to sink slightly in the center because of the cream cheese swirl. It tends to weigh down the center of the bread and prevents it from rising as much as it could. And that's ok because it is still fluffy and tender! There's noting wrong with it I promise.
The pumpkin streusel bread should still rise, but it won't be very domed in the center. If it doesn't rise at all, I recommend checking if your baking powder is expired. Check the expiry date! Dissolve equal parts of baking powder in equal parts of boiling water. If it foams then it's still active.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. Make sure that it's as thick as a thick Greek yogurt or hummus. If it's too watery, you can cook it down in a dry pan to dry up some of that excess moisture.
Yes you can easily adapt this recipe to be gluten free by substituting the all purpose flour with 1:1 gluten free flour. I haven't tested it myself but it should work. If you try it, let us know in the comments!
Yes you can, I've made it without the streusel and it worked out great! I love the crunchy cinnamon touch of the streusel on top but the pumpkin cream cheese bread still works perfectly without it - in fact the bread rises slightly more without the streusel weighing it down.
I developed this pumpkin bread recipe to be able to absorb excess moisture from the cream cheese swirl without it getting overly moist and wet. Thus, I don't recommend omitting the cream cheese swirl and would recommend finding an alternate recipe without a cream cheese swirl.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Streusel Bread
Equipment
- nine inch by five inch loaf pan
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread Batter
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup olive oil or neutral oil
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour 180g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Cinnamon Streusel
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup all purpose flour 30g
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 2 tablespoons butter slightly softened
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread Batter
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line the bottom and sides of a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Combine eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl. Whisk them together with a wire whisk until it starts to foam on top, about 30 seconds.2 large eggs, ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- Add oil, pumpkin puree, sour cream, vanilla, salt, and pumpkin spice into the bowl. Whisk together well to combine.½ cup olive oil, 1 cup pumpkin puree, ¼ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the bowl. Fold it in with a whisk until a thick batter forms. Stop mixing as soon as no more dry streaks of flour remain.1 ½ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Set the batter aside to hydrate while you make the cream cheese filling.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Add softened cream cheese into a medium bowl. Mix it with an electric mixer or a spatula until it is creamy and smooth. Add sugar and mix until smooth again.4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add one egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix it just until it's creamy and smooth - don't overmix.1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Place two thirds of the pumpkin batter into the bottom of the pan. Spread it up the sides of the pan to hold in the cream cheese filling.
- Then, add the cream cheese filling into the middle of the loaf being careful to keep it in the center as much as possible. Add the remaining pumpkin batter on top and smooth it gently.
Cinnamon Streusel
- In a medium bowl, combine sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Mix well.2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Add the butter into the flour mixture and use a fork or your fingers to mix it in until it forms lumps and crumbs and no more chunks of butter remain.2 tablespoons butter
- Crumble the streusel on top of the pumpkin batter, avoiding the very center where the line was drawn. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top.2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- Bake the loaf for 50-55 minutes (checking at 45 minutes) until a toothpick inserted into the center doesn't come out with any orange batter covering it. It will be covered in white cheesecake batter and that's what you need.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool inside the pan until room temperature. Then remove it out of the pan by lifting up on the parchment handles. This cake slices the best and is best served chilled, so I like to chill it for a few hours before serving - making it a great make ahead loaf cake.
Notes
- Don't overmix the pumpkin batter to prevent a dense, dry cake
- Use softened cream cheese to help it easily combine with the other swirl ingredients
- Try to keep the cheesecake swirl encased inside the pumpkin batter
- Don't over or under bake, it's ready when it comes out not covered in orange batter.
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