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This cozy cinnamon and cream cheese pumpkin bread includes a cinnamon sugar swirl topped with a cream cheese swirl to make the most decadent pumpkin bread! A few extra steps, but so worth it for this fall favorite recipe. Perfectly spiced and topped with a slight crunch form the cinnamon sugar topping, this is the recipe everyone will beg for!

Slices of pumpkin bread with cinnamon sugar and cream cheese swirl on plates.

Why We Love This Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread
Ingredient Notes
Ways To Vary This Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage
More Fall Baking Recipes
Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread Recipe
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After quite a few rounds of testing this pumpkin bread recipe, I was very close to giving up. I wanted to figure out a way to have a cinnamon sugar swirl as well as a cream cheese swirl through the pumpkin bread.

When I finally layered one on top of the other, it was PERFECTION. This fall recipe is going to be a new tradition for sure. A simple bake that anyone can do, but feels so fun and fancy, and delish of course!

Why We Love This Cinnamon and Cream Cheese Swirl Pumpkin Bread

I was on a mission with this cozy fall recipe. After many flops, we nailed it and this may be the best pumpkin bread I have ever had. The way the cream cheese layer and the cinnamon sugar layer can almost be pulled apart like a cinnamon roll is perfection. I cannot wait to hear what you think about this recipe!

This cream cheese cinnamon swirl pumpkin bread:

feels super extra, but is actually very easy to make
includes all the coziness of a fall recipe with the warm spices, pumpkin, etc.
includes a crunchy cinnamon sugar top because we are all about texture!
can be a simple breakfast recipe, a dessert recipe, something to bring to Thanksgiving, or a just because the weather is cooling off treat!

Try these other favorite baked goods recipes: Pumpkin Carrot Muffins, Cake Mix Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Spice Molasses Cookies, Pumpkin Chip Banana Bread, or these Apple Crumble Bars!

Ingredient Notes

Flour, oil, eggs, cream cheese and other labeled ingredients for recipe.

Make sure to use canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. The canned pumpkin is plain pumpkin purée but pumpkin pie filling is sweetened and spiced so using that will end up being a lot more than what you want overall in flavor.
Molasses is technically optional in this recipe, but if you can, add it because it adds a richness that can’t be matched!
Room temperature cream cheese and eggs make for the creamiest cream cheese layer.
The flour that is added to the cream cheese layer is very much needed. This helps absorb any liquid so that this layer holds it’s shape better overall in the middle of the bread.

Ways To Vary This Recipe

make your own pumpkin spice: you can make your own pumpkin spice versus using store-bought for a really nice cozy spiciness
skip the cinnamon sugar topping and add a brown sugar cream cheese frosting like I use in this pumpkin bread recipe instead!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Whisk the cinnamon sugar together in a small dish and set aside. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt and baking powder to a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Eggs, brown sugar and regular sugar whisked in bowl.

Step 2: In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, brown sugar and oil until smooth.

Pumpkin and other ingredients added sugar and egg mixture.

Step 3: Add in the molasses, vanilla, pumpkin and milk and whisk until smooth.

Pumpkin bread batter in bowl with spatula.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir or fold gently to combine until no streaks of flour.

Cream cheese with egg, cinnamon and sugar added to bowl with it.

Step 5: In one more small bowl (I know, this one requires some dishes), mash the cream cheese with a fork to break it down a bit and then add the other ingredients.

Cream cheese mixture in bowl with whisk.

Step 6: Whisk until smooth.

Pumpkin bread batter in bread pan topped with cinnamon sugar mix.

Step 7: Line a 1.25 lb. (9x5inch) bread pan with parchment. Pour half of the pumpkin bread batter into the pan and spread to make it even. Sprinkle most of the cinnamon sugar mixture over top to cover it completely, reserving about 1 ½ Tbsp for the top of the bread.

Cream cheese layer spread over top of cinnamon and sugar layer in bread pan.

Step 8: Spoon or pour the cream cheese mixture over top of the cinnamon sugar layer. Spread it slightly and gently. It doesn’t need to go all the way to the edges, but If it does, that is fine.

Cinnamon and cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread batter prepped in pan before baking.

Step 9: Pour remaining pumpkin bread batter over the cream cheese mixture and gently spread to completely cover. Sprinkle rest of cinnamon sugar over top to cover.

Baked pumpkin bread in pan topped with cinnamon and sugar.

Step 10: Bake for about 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool until ready to serve!

Recipe Tips

Make sure you use a 9×5 inch loaf pan. I made the mistake of using an 8×4 inch pan and it baked way over. The 9×5 inch is also called a 1.25 lb loaf pan. The layers and amount of batter need the extra space!

Bake time can vary based on your oven and other factors, so if it seems that the top of the bread is getting brown but the bread is not ready, you can loosely tent with foil to keep the top from burning.

Slice of pumpkin bread with a cream cheese and cinnamon sugar layer on plate.

Storage

You can actually store this bread at room temperature for about 2-3 days in an airtight container (wait until it’s fully cooled). For longer storage, you can refrigerate it.

This will also freeze well once cooled. We prefer to wrap it twice, once in parchment paper and then in foil for the best protection from frost. I also will store single slices sometimes.