Indulge in the warm flavors of fall with our moist Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting. This moist and spiced pumpkin bread is elevated to a whole new level with the rich, nutty brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Between this recipe and Banana Coffee Cake, you'll have your friends and family begging for your breakfast recipes and brunch recipes! I make these two recipes frequently and they never disappoint.
Pumpkin season is upon us and brown butter can really elevate your desserts! I love adding it to brown butter toffee chocolate chip cookies, or in buttercream frosting on top of banana bars.
Today we are pairing it with pumpkin! Rich and nutty, this is amazing as frosting for homemade pumpkin bread.
To really get in the spirit of fall try a few more pumpkin recipes, pumpkin cheesecake bars are a great dessert table addition. Serve with cider, coffee, tea, or pumpkin margaritas.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It uses an entire can of pumpkin - no wondering what to do with leftovers!
- The tender texture is perfect for any pumpkin lover to enjoy with a cup of coffee.
- It has a wonderful balance between sweet and spice along with a moist crumb. Another sweet and moist bread favorite is blueberry cornbread with honey butter.
- The pumpkin bread and cream cheese frosting can both be made ahead of day of serving, making it really convenient.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pumpkin: Yay! An entire can! I worked hard to create a delicious recipe that uses an entire can of pumpkin so you aren't stuck with small bits in the fridge. The pumpkin flavor and cream cheese icing make the most delicious treat. I use Libby's pumpkin puree for this and my pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust!
- Sugar: Get ready, you need brown sugar, white sugar, and powdered sugar to make this amazing bread.
- Oil: I like olive oil, but you can use any neutral-flavored liquid oil.
- Eggs: Eggs add lift and create the perfect crumb. Room temperature eggs are best for baking.
- Cream Cheese: It's not just for the frosting, we use it inside the bread as well. You won't believe the taste of pumpkin cream cheese bread with this inside!
- Butter: Browning butter elevates the flavor and really gives your guests something to talk about.
- All Purpose Flour: I have not tested this recipe with any other flour.
- Vanilla Extract: I prefer to use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Spices: Pull out all your fall spices here! Use the same warm spices in Pumpkin Creme Brulee!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Have a jar of pumpkin spice? Go ahead and use 2 teaspoons in place of the called-for spices. Try using it in Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies too!
- Canola or vegetable oil will work in place of olive oil. Don't use extra virgin olive oil as the flavor will overpower the bread.
- Add ¾ cup chocolate chips and make yourself a tasty chocolate chip pumpkin bread with cream cheese.
- Add this pumpkin batter to muffin tins and make pumpkin muffins! The perfect fall treat.
- Skip the frosting if you'd like. This will make this easy pumpkin bread recipe easier to pack on the go.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese
Step 1: Combine pumpkin with sugar and oil.
Step 2: Mix in eggs until incorporated.
Step 3: Combine cream cheese in wet ingredients.
Step 4: Whisk dry ingredients separately, then add to wet and mix.
Step 5: Bake in prepared loaf pan, then let cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 6: Carefully brown butter on the stove and let cool. Add cooled brown butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl then blend with an electric hand mixer for 1 minute on medium speed until soft and smooth.
Step 7: Mix in sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk on low. Turn mixer to medium-high speed then continue mixing for 2-3 minutes until frosting is soft and fluffy.
Step 8: Frost cooled pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting and serve!
Expert Baking Tips
- Always start with room temperature ingredients, in both the bread and frosting. This will allow everything to combine quickly and easily.
- You can try and speed up the cream cheese in the microwave, but be sure not to melt it. Use 50% power and 30 second increments.
- You can make the frosting ahead of time and pop in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. This goes for most frostings, including the lemon frosting on a lemon zucchini cake.
- Allow brown butter to fully cool before adding it to cream cheese to avoid runny frosting. Try this frosting on my moist carrot cake recipe!
- Allow pumpkin bread to fully cool before adding brown butter cream cheese frosting to avoid melting that beautiful frosting.
- Check bread for doneness by inserting a toothpick to the center of the bread after 70 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean or with just a few crumbs. If wet, continue cooking in increments of 5 minutes, checking with a toothpick each time. All ovens cook differently, so cooking time may vary slightly.
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Recipe FAQs
Keep an eye on it at all times! It's very easy to make brown butter, but it's also easy to go right past nutty into burned. After melting on low-medium heat, the butter will begin to foam and be loud. Turn the temperature down slightly. Then it will quiet down and turn a lovely, rich brown. Remove from the heat immediately, place into a heat proof bowl and let cool completely before adding to the frosting.
Once frosted, you'll need to store the entire loaf in the fridge covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container. Another option is to keep the pumpkin bread with cream cheese plain on the counter for up to 24 hours, and the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend eating the brown butter cream cheese frosting and pumpkin bread within 5 days!
I prefer to line my pan with parchment paper, creating a sling. This means folding or pressing it into the corners so you can add the batter easily, and leaving a good couple inches above the long sides of the pans. Then, spray your parchment paper and pan with baking spray. After baking, the paper allows you to lift the bread out rather than turning the pan upside down. The spray oil will then allow you to peel the paper off without taking a layer of bread off.
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting can dry out if it's baked too long or if ingredients aren't measured properly. Too much flour can cause a dry bread.
Insert a toothpick to the center of the pumpkin bread with cream cheese. The toothpick should come out clean or with only a few crumbs. If toothpick is wet, continue cooking in 5 minute increments until toothpick check comes out clean.
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📖Recipe
Pumpkin Bread With Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin puree I use Libby's
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk room temperature
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup brown butter
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F, line loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with non stick cooking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the pumpkin puree, both sugars and olive oil. Mix in eggs
- Add whole block of room temperature cream cheese and mix until incorporated but chunky. Mix in vanilla and milk
Dry Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves , nutmeg and allspice
- Pour dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture then mix on low until fully incorporated
- Pour pumpkin bread into prepared loaf pan then bake for 70-80 minutes until toothpick comes out of the center with no crumbs or just a few. Allow pumpkin bread to fully cool before adding frosting
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat until melted. Allow butter to continue cooking over low-medium heat. Butter will be sputtering then start to quiet down and stop popping. Stir butter occasionally during process and watch closely. Butter will turn golden brown, remove from heat immediately, pour into a heat proof dish and allow to cool
- Add cooled brown butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl then blend with an electric hand mixer for 1 minute on medium speed until soft and smooth
- Mix in sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk on low. Turn mixer to medium-high speed then continue mixing for 2-3 minutes until frosting is soft and fluffy
- Top pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting
Laura Golden
This bread is incredible!! My daughter said it was the best thing I’ve ever made!
Thanks so much Krista ❤️
Rini Patadia
Would I be able to use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this 🙂
Krista Stechman
I have not tested this recipe with bread flour but if you do, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Tammy Cruse
I love this bread! The spices are perfect, the bread is moist and the frosting puts it over the top! Delicious!
Rebekah Bain
This was a wonderful pumpkin bread! I will say what took it over the top was the brown butter cream cheese frosting OMG!!
Krista Stechman
So glad you liked it!! Thank you!
Amy
After its cooked a frosted does it need to be refrigerated ?
Krista Stechman
It can be left at room temperature for the day but after that, it should be refrigerated.
Nan
I followed the recipe exactly but didn't like it. Came out to heavy, dough-y.
Krista Stechman
I'm very sorry you didn't like it! It sounds like it may have needed a little more baking time. Sometimes oven temperatures can vary. Please let me know if you try again 🙂
Shauna
Moist and delicious! Love the frosting
Krista
So tender and perfectly spiced. The frosting is to die for! Everyone love this bread!