Would you rather eat a donut, muffin, or slice of bread if they were all baked (not fried) and made out of the same batter? Hmm…interesting.
Last year I came up with a recipe for Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts that both Mike and I went crazy for. (And this is nothing short of a miracle since he’s a self-proclaimed pumpkin-hater.) Since then, I’ve wanted to re-work the batter into muffins and/or quick bread.
Then a few weeks back I saw a delightful Carrot and Cheese Cake on Joumana’s lovely blog, Taste of Beirut; I immediately knew I wanted to remake my pumpkin spice batter into a cheesecake pumpkin spice quick bread. I love being inspired by other bloggers like that.
This bread smells like warm spices and tastes like autumn. There is only a very small amount of oil in the batter (only 2 tablespoons!), since the pumpkin keeps it moist without the need for added fat. It’s perfect with tea or coffee on a crisp fall day.
If you like pumpkin, you might also like these recipes:
Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice Syrup {For Lattes and More}
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Cream Cheese Pumpkin Spice Spread
Pumpkin New York-Style Crumb Cake
- 8 oz (230 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten (I use Eggland's Best)
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs (I use Eggland's Best)
- ¾ cup (180 g) pumpkin puree (homemade or canned is fine; not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- Butter, to grease the pans
- Preheat oven to 350F; lightly grease 3 mini loaf pans with butter.
- For the cheese batter, use a handheld electric mixer to beat together all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- For the pumpkin spice batter, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, then stir in the pumpkin, canola oil, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to over-mix.
- Divide the pumpkin batter between the 3 loaf pans, then pour the cheese batter on top. Bake until golden around the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove from the pans and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
I just made mine but my cheese went to the middle of the bread. :( why?
Alex, Sorry to hear that your cheese went to the middle of the bread! Without being in the kitchen with you as you made it, it’s really difficult to guess why that happened. My best guess is that maybe your pumpkin spice batter wasn’t thick enough, but again, it’s really hard to say without being there as the bread was made. Hope it still tasted good though. :)
Instead of using cinnamon nutmeg ginger and cloves can I use pumpking pie mix? if so, how much?
Katrina, I haven’t tried this recipe using pumpkin pie spice, but I think it would work just fine. I would use about 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (instead of the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves that the recipe calls for). If you try it, let me know how it turns out! :)
Hi! Made this today, in a full-size loaf pan, at High Altitude (5600 ft) with the following adjustment for altitude:
1 Tablespoon additional oil
Greased AND Floured pan.
Extra 1/8 Cup Powdered Sugar in Cream Cheese Mixture.
Came out perfectly, cream cheese stayed on top, “popped” right out of cooled pan easily. Moist and Delicious! Thanks!
I’m a little bummed. I made this today and it didn’t turn out. The middle was nowhere near done.
Hi Natasha, Sorry to hear your bread didn’t turn out! Do you mean that the middle wasn’t done after cooking it for the recommended 35 to 40 minutes, and if so, did you try cooking it until the middle was done? (Like the recipe says, the bread is done when a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs; the time frame is a guideline.) One other thing, did you use mini loaf pans as the recipe says? It will also work in other size loaf pans, but the cooking time will need to be adjusted. Hope this helps!
Looks delicious, and I love your mug!
I used one regular sized loaf pan. I also doubled the sugar In the cheese mixture because I wanted a cheesecake taste. The cooking time was about 15 min. longer @ 325. It came out pretty tasty, I’ll probably make this again.
Can this be made with canned pumpkin?
Milyn, Yes, this recipe works well with canned pumpkin.
I just had a slice of the one I made. I used a regular size loaf pan (40 minutes at 350 degrees and then lowered to 325 for 15 minutes)and added another 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar to the cheese batter. It came out great and looks like your picture. It has a nice delicate cheesecake and pumpkin taste so I guess it delivered. My husband and boys loved it too. Thanks for sharing!
I just tried this recipe for the first time. I forgot to pick up confectioners so I used half the required amount in granulated sugar. I also used a full sized pan and cooked at 350 for 30 minutes, then at 325 for an additional 15 minutes. The toothpick still wasn’t clean so I put it in for a another 20 minutes at 350. Even though the cooking time wasn’t accurate, the recipe turned out amazing! =) I will definitely remake this using confectioners!
Ryan Amber, Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the bread! The cooking time actually is accurate if you follow the recipe as written; it says to cook 3 mini loaves at 350 for about 35 to 40 minutes (or until golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs). You made 1 regular-sized loaf (instead of 3 mini loaves like in the recipe) so of course it would need to cook longer. Also, the recipe doesn’t say to turn the temperature down to 325 and then back up to 350. Hope this helps!
Can this be frozen? If so, what’s the best thawing method? BTW this looks delicious and I’ve been waiting a while to make it; I’ve had all of the ingredients pass through my kitchen at least twice. I even went out and bought mini loaf pans! I plan to make these this week, though!
Candace, Thanks so much, I’m so happy you’re planning to make this recipe! I haven’t tried freezing it. I think the bread layer would be fine, but I’m not sure how the texture of the cheese layer would hold up once frozen and thawed. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
P.S. I have had people tell me that they’ve had good results refrigerating this bread though: they wrap it and refrigerate it for up to 5 days, and then let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
I made this and it tasted awesome! I used slightly larger pans and ended up with two loaves. I did not have time to freeze one, they were eaten up too quickly! I’ve read that freezing cream cheese will change the texture considerably, making it crumbly rather than creamy, so this’ll take a little experimentation. Thanks so much for this great recipe!
From Candace and her crew
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made this for all of my husbands fellow officers. They loved it. Instead of using pumpkin puree and the other dry ingredients. I used Pumpkin pie puree in a can and then added 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. It turned out perfectly. I also doubled the recipe and made two large loaves. Thank you again for sharing this delight. :)
This looks so yummy! Do you think the bread can be frozen or will it not thaw properly because of the cream cheese?
Sarah, Thanks so much, I’m so happy you’re planning to make this recipe! I haven’t tried freezing it. I think the bread layer would be fine, but I’m not sure how the texture of the cheese layer would hold up once frozen and thawed. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
P.S. I have had people tell me that they’ve had good results refrigerating this bread though: they wrap it and refrigerate it for up to 5 days, and then let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
I have a few different sizes of loaf pans that could be considered “mini”, and was wondering if you could give me the measurements of the pans you used. Thanks and can’t wait to try this.
Sue, This recipe yields 3 mini loaves (the mini loaf pans I use are 5 3/4 inches long X 3 inches wide X 2 inches deep).
People, a little respect …please read the recipe and follow it. If you make adjustments that is fine…but sheesh! don’t blame Faith for it not turning out right…and thanks Faith..it sure is yummy!
Shaelyn, Lol, thank you! I’m happy you like this bread, it’s one of my favs…and I need to make it soon to try to get myself in a fall-like mind-frame! :)
I wish you good luck and happiness in your new home and life in Kuwait.
Thank you so much, Tammy!
Made these tonight, everything about them was absolutely perfect!! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
These were fantastic! The recipe was perfect and I didn’t adjust anything
Thanks so much for the recipe! It looks amazing and I will be trying it out soon. I am in love with your pretty leaf dishes! Do you know where you got them?
Becky, Thanks so much, I hope you enjoy the bread if you give it a try! I got those dishes from a local vintage store – they are unmarked on the bottom. They sort-of look like thing type of thing you’d make in pottery class, so I’ve always assumed that was the case.
I’m making this recipe as we speak. A trial run before my dinner party next weekend. It smells delicious so far! I can’t wait until it is ready! The ladies from work are looking forward to it too!
Hi, I would like to try this recipe but only have a reg size loaf pan. Could you post the adjustments that would need to be made, thanks!
Heather, I haven’t made this recipe in a regular-sized loaf pan so I don’t know the specific adjustments, but you would need to increase the cooking time. If it starts to look like it’s getting too dark on top, but it isn’t done inside (i.e., if a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf is still too wet), you could try slightly decreasing the temperature or draping foil over the top of the loaf. If you try it in a regular loaf pan, let me know what works best!
Hi there! Bread came out delicious! I doubled the recipe and only got 4 mininloafs.. Hmm idk. Do they have to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese?Thanks!!
Melissa, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the bread! I left this bread out overnight (the weather was fairly cool at the time) one night and it was fine. It was gone by the next day so I’m not sure how it would fare being left out longer than that. I have had people tell me that they’ve had good results refrigerating this bread though: they wrap it and refrigerate it for up to 5 days, and then let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving. Hope this helps!
Is there a reason you can’t use the canned pumpkin pie mix?
Chrissy, Canned pumpkin pie filling (instead of solid-pack canned pumpkin or homemade pumpkin puree) typically has added sweetener and spices, which will alter the bread’s flavor (because this recipe was developed using unsweetened, unflavored pumpkin puree). I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy this recipe if you give it a try!
This bread looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
Dies this need to be refrigerated after baking?
Charita, I left this bread out overnight (the weather was fairly cool at the time) one night and it was fine. I would refrigerate it after the first day though (or on the first day if it’s hot or humid). Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Hi Faith, this is my favorite but i made them into 6 muffins and they always taste delicious and look perfect,I do add carrots know and then just to get my family to eat more veggis.. My family loves them too Thank you..