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Welcoming in fall with this (one bowl) Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Banana Bread….better than your coffee shop. Moist pumpkin banana bread sweetened with maple syrup, swirled with cream cheese, topped with sweet cinnamon sugar, and served warm. Perfect for all of the autumn weekends ahead, and best enjoyed just out of the oven with a generous smear of salted maple butter. So GOOD!
I held off as long as I possibly could. But out of serious demand, I am finally sharing my pumpkin bread recipe with you guys. Some of you may remember a couple of weeks back when I gave a sneak peek at this bread (along with all the test variations) on Instagram. Ever since that day I’ve gotten message, after massage asking when I will be sharing the final recipe. I was going to wait until October to share pumpkin recipes. But after receiving so many messages, I’m realizing that you guys want it now.
So here is it, pumpkin bread…but with all my own little twists. Because you all know me, I love to give recipes my own spin.
This isn’t your average pumpkin bread. It’s so much better than what you’d find at the coffee shop. And oh my gosh, it’s incredibly moist, so delicious, and easy too. Just one bowl and pantry ingredients!
And…I’m not saying this is healthy, BUT it’s sweetened with bananas and maple syrup and made using coconut oil.
So hey, it’s at least healthier!
I have to say, this bread did take me a while to get just right. I even made it one last time yesterday, just to be sure it was ready to share. But I can confidently say that this pumpkin bread is pretty close to perfect.
Think sweet, super moist (so sorry if you hate that word, but I just don’t know how else to describe it), filled with flavors of pumpkin spice, and swirled with rich cream cheese. The best way to welcome in autumn, right?
Yes, obviously.
Here is how I make this easy pumpkin bread
One of the keys to this recipe is the bananas. But here’s the thing, you can barely taste the bananas, and that’s kind of the goal. Instead, the bananas help lend moisture and sweetness to the bread without actually having to add in lots of butter and sugar. It works SO well. Better than regular banana-less pumpkin bread.
If I wouldn’t have had so many brown bananas on the counter I never would have thought to add them to this pumpkin bread. But I am so glad I did, it’s a game-changer.
Be sure to use extra brown bananas that are mushy and a couple of days past their prime. This will give you the best results.
Once the bananas are well mashed, add in all the other wet ingredients, then stir in the dry.
I used maple syrup as the sweetener. Mostly because I LOVE the warming flavor it adds to baked goods this time of year. Coconut oil keeps the bread moist, and a touch of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice add in all the cozy flavors.
Tip: If you love baking with pumpkin during the fall, stock up now with this 12-pack of organic pumpkin. This is not an ad, it’s just what (and how) I buy my canned pumpkin. Plus, I love that I never run out…even when the grocery store has a shortage.
Ok, moving on. Divide the batter between two bread pans, swirl in the cream cheese, then finish each loaf with a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. The cream cheese and the cinnamon sugar are not a MUST, but they sure are DELICIOUS.
Now, bake and wait…the absolute hardest part. But the upside is that the house smells incredible as this bread bakes away in the oven.
That final (extra special) finishing touch
While the bread bakes, mix together a little butter and maple syrup to create a salted maple butter for serving.
Is this really needed? No, but as I said above, it adds that extra special finishing touch. Especially if you plan to enjoy this warm. There’s nothing better than warm cream cheese pumpkin bread and a light smear of salty, maple butter.
I know it’s only Tuesday, but seeing how easy this is, I’m thinking some afternoon baking sounds just perfect.
Live up the season of cozy, and bake this up today, tomorrow, or this weekend…just do it soon. Freeze one loaf for an “emergency” (your family shows up unannounced for Sunday morning brunch). Or be extra generous and make your best friend’s week by wrapping this up and leaving it at their doorstep after work. Trust me, they will love you forever.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try one of these…
6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter
Cream Cheese Swirled Brown Sugar Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Chai Pumpkin Cake with Maple Browned Butter Frosting
If you make this cream cheese swirled pumpkin banana bread be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
watch the how to video:
Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with Salted Maple Butter
Servings: 18
Calories Per Serving: 297 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 medium overly ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup mashed, see notes)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup melted coconut oil (see notes)
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar
Salted Maple Butter
- 4 tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9x5 inch) bread pans.2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, mix until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared bread pans. 3. Place the cream cheese in a gallon size zip-top bag. Snip a small opening off of the corner of the bag. Squeeze out teaspoon size amounts directly into the pumpkin batter, using 4 ounces of cream cheese per bread pan. Gently swirl the cream cheese. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over top the batter.4. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until center is just set. 5. Meanwhile, make the maple butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter and maple syrup.6. Remove the bread and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting...or just eat it warm with a smear of maple butter (you should do this!). Enjoy!
Notes
To Replace the Banana: use an additional 3/4 cup pumpkin or unsweetened applesauce. But again, I like the bread best with bananas. You do not taste them.
To replace the Coconut Oil: use an equal amount of melted butter.
To Freeze: Bake as directed, cool each loaf completely, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or on the counter for a few hours.Â
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.Â
Storing:Â this bread keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature.Â
Hi Teaghan! I love this bread recipe! Please talk to your team about a possible book signing in Miami at Merrick park one day!! It’s a high end mall and on the south end of Miami. We would love to meet you here!!
Hey Christina,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! I will look into a Miami book signing:) Xx
I’m eating a no processed sugar diet and this bread (along with some of your others) really hits the spot. The fact that it uses all whole wheat flour is also a plus for me. Thank you so much for this recipe. Please please make more, I love having options. I’ve been leaning into the spiced butters as well, I used the one from the most recent banana bread here and it was a great choice!
Note: I omitted the cream cheese and the cinnamon sugar.
Thanks so much Nicole!! I love to hear that this bread was such a hit, thanks for making it:) xx
I absolutely loved this bread and would not change a thing.
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Family loved it. With maple butter, but especially with pumpkin butter. It did taste more like banana bread to us, so next time more pumpkin. Happy fall y’all!
Thank you so much! Happy Fall to you and your family! xT
This bread is so yummy. I particularly love that it is sweetened with maple syrup rather than refined, white sugar.
The first time I made it, the cream cheese was quite stiff making it difficult to swirl. This time, I thinned the cream cheese with 2TBS milk using my immersion blender. Also found that dropping the cream cheese in by the teaspoonful worked fine, then swirled it with a table knife. I didn’t lose any cream cheese by using a plastic bag.
Thanks so much for trying out the recipe!! Have a great week! xT
This bread is really good however I wish I read the comments before baking. There was no pumpkin flavour, all you could taste was banana, delicious but was looking for a pumpkin loaf not banana bread.
Hey Steph, I’m really sorry you didn’t enjoy this bread! Thank you for the feedback!
Loved the texture but the banana flavor takes over. I’ll definitely make it again with some adjustments. So easy!
Thank you Andrea! xT
My FAVORITE pumpkin bread recipe ever! Love the combination of the pumpkin and banana, and I absolutely love the HEALTHY ingredients included in this recipe. I used two very ripe bananas and excluded the cream cheese and came out perfect. Thank you!
I was a little disappointed very mild pumpkin flavor. I didnt expect to taste the banana and it was the strongest flavor. However, it was very moist and still had a nice flavor.
It wasn’t bad but I wish I added walnuts because it definitely tasted like banana bread. Also baked for 45 min and still raw inside, ended up needing about an hour. (Altitude 5600’)
Is the pumpkin butter homemade. Wondering if there is a recipe for it? I have never seen before.
Love that this is sweetened with banana and maple syrup.
Hi! Here is my recipe for pumpkin butter! https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/6-ingredient-spiced-pumpkin-butter/
This turned out better the second time I made it; I used just under 1 cup of mashed bananas (for me it was 2 bananas instead of 3) and then did 1 tbsp each of cinnamon and pumpkin spice to boost the flavor. I also used way less cinnamon sugar on top as a personal preference. It’s not like a sweet banana or zucchini bread but still very good especially with the maple butter.
Thank you for your comment! xT
So bummed! It just wasn’t what I was looking for as the weather cools down. The banana flavor was too evident and I barely got any pumpkin coming through. It was super moist and had great texture, though!
Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Thank you for letting me know! xT