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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.
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.
Storing: this bread keeps well for 3-4 days at room temperature.
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe but never buy cream cheese. Finally got some and have some pumpkin butter leftover from making the cookies but I’m just now realizing that this recipe doesn’t use your pumpkin butter. I searched through what felt like 100 comments on here to see if this was already answered. Help! What should I leave out or change to use your pumpkin butter instead of the plain pumpkin puree?
Hey Hayley,
I would recommend using the pumpkin puree, you won’t get quite the same results with pumpkin butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this for a housewarming. It was literally gone within 1 minute of serving. Everyone loved it. The butter was especially a hit.
So glad this recipe was a winner! xTieghan
Hii! looks so good. could this be made into muffins too? How long would you bake?
Hey Kali,
Yes, muffins will work well here. I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This tasted more like banana bread than pumpkin bread. The recipe wasn’t bad…but would only recommend to someone who wants banana bread!
Hi Diane! I am sorry this did not turn out as expected! I hope you still enjoyed it! xTieghan
AMAZING BREAD!! It tasted like banana bread with a hint of pumpkin. Next time, I will switch the banana-pumpkin ratio so that the pumpkin flavors come out more. Nevertheless, this bread tastes excellent and came out super moist.
Thank you Samoni! xTieghan
If I were to swap the ratios, because I want pumpkin to be the more dominant flavor, using the full can of pumpkin puree, should I only use one overripe banana or two? Thank you in advance!
Hi Vanessa,
I would use just 1 banana. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
If I wanted smaller, more spaced out bits of cream cheese do you think it would work to cut the cream cheese into bits, freeze them, and then add to the mix? Or, would that affect the bake around the cold cream cheese?
Hey Nancy,
I would not freeze the cream cheese, but you could add it in smaller bits it you would like. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Yum!!!! I just made this and had to substitute butter for the coconut oil as noted in the recipe. I was nervous to bake these because I’m infamous for my breads either getting burnt to a dry crumbly brick or pulling out bread that’s still half dough. However, this bread rose and finished nicely and was done all the way through and still moist. The cinnamon sugar crust is such a cool look and the maple salted butter is a must-do!! The cream cheese in a bag went poorly on the first loaf (like, I ripped the bag and had to throw it away because cream cheese was coming out several holes) so I put the other 4oz on a plate and cut it into teaspoon sized pieces and poked those down into the dough and swirled it and it turned out great. I will be making this again!
Hi Sara! I am so happy this bread turned out so amazing for you!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
My family loves this recipe! I’ve made it twice but I struggle with the cream cheese swirl. Any help out there?
Hey Fran,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I would recommend making sure the cream cheese is at room temperature, I also like to put it into a ziplock bag and pipe it into the batter using that. I hope this helps for next time:) xTieghan
I made this except I made one big loaf in about a 12”7” pan and baked it for about an hour. It was delicious!!!
Thank you Liz!! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
My daughter sent me this recipe She follows you from the Netherlands
She made these breads and fell in love
Now it’s my turn!!! It’s in the oven right now and smells DELICIOUS
Can’t wait to take a bite
I did not have coconut oil so I used the melted butter
I also had a little difficulty poking the cream cheese with the bag but I worked it out
Should the breads be taken out of the pan to cool?♀️
Thanks for sharing your recipe?
I am so happy you loved this recipe, Bobbi! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
I only have 1 bread loaf pan, so I’d like to do the other half in a 8×8. How long would you recommend baking that for? SO excited to try it <3
Hey Sami,
I would start checking for doneness at 30 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I normally love your recipes but this one fell short of the mark. It was way too dense, definitely needed more baking powder. Also, I didn’t get much pumpkin flavor to it, it just tasted like banana bread to me.
Hi Rachael! I am sorry this did not turn out as expected for you. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
Can’t wait to try this! What would you recommend as a substitute for maple syrup if I don’t have any?
Hey Sophie,
You could use honey in place of the maple syrup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I noticed you used 2 baking bread pans…canI 1/2 this recipe for 1 baking pan?
Hey Patricia,
Yes that’s fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
If we don’t use super super ripe bananas, would this prevent the bread from filling cooking or cooking properly. It’s as if the bread couldn’t bake the whole was through; otherwise it was still tasty.
Hey Mary,
Yes, you want the bananas to be extremely mushy and soft. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan