Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop! 

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

I have a weakness for pumpkin bread. I’m obsessed with the irresistible moistness of the bread and just cannot resist to these warm and comforting fall spices. Together with my banana bread, they count among my favorite fall treats to indulge with a latte or a cup of tea and a great book, loved in my favorite coffee shop or simply at home on the sofa. It’s the little things…

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

So pumpkin bread it is! This time I took it up a notch with this recipe, added some brown butter and paired it with brown sugar. Together they create some deep smoky and slightly nutty flavors that makes your bread extra special. Then I added a simple cream cheese swirl in the center. The result? A loaf coming out ultra moist and slightly sweet with the perfect amount of spice. This cream cheese pumpkin bread is sure to hit the spot this fall!

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

Key ingredient for cream cheese pumpkin bread

This brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese comes in 2 parts: the pumpkin bread on one side, the cream cheese filling on the other. Here are the key ingredients you will need to make this recipe extra delicious:

  • Pumpkin puree. Choose pure pumpkin puree, and make sure it is not a can of pumpkin pie filling or you will ruin your recipe. Pumpkin puree is what will bring all the pumpkin flavors to the recipe and makes it super moist and tender.
  • Warm spices. Hints of cinnamon and allspice are key to this recipe and will make it extra flavorful.
  • Brown butter. I prepared this pumpkin bread with brown butter rather than just melted butter. This bring some subtle smoky flavors to the bread.
  • Brown sugar. It brings both deep flavors and deep colors to this pumpkin bread. Brown sugar is also a little bit softer than granulated sugar, which brings additional moistness to the bread.

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

Ingredients for pumpkin bread: pumpkin puree, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, granulated sugar, brown sugar (light or dark), eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract.

Ingredients for cream cheese filling: cream cheese (softened at room temperature), egg, sugar, all-purpose flour.

How to make this cream cheese pumpkin bread?

The recipe comes into 4 steps. Always start with making the brown butter so it has time to cool off a little before using. Then prepare the pumpkin bread batter. Once it’s ready, prepare the cream cheese filling. Finally, assemble the bread and bake!

1. Start with making the brown butter. If you are not familiar with brown butter, no worries, you’ll see that it’s actually easier than it seems. Simply place butter in a saucepan over medium heat and swirl the pan as you go (do not touch with a spatula), until butter starts to turn brown and slightly burned in color. Once you see the result, remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly. It’s important to not over-cook brown butter as it tends to evaporate.

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

2. Make the cake batter. Now the easy part, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk all the wet ingredients (finishing with brown butter) in a separate bowl, then gradually pour in the brown butter, whisking constantly until fully incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

3. Now mix all the cream cheese filling ingredients together, using an electric hand mixer. The texture should be smooth and soft.

4. Assemble the pumpkin bread, layering the cake batter and cream cheese in between, and making a few swirls in the batter as you go. And voilà, it’s ready to bake!

Variations around the recipe

You can make this brown butter pumpkin bread on its own, without the cream cheese filling. It works a wonder! Others will also love to make muffins out of it.

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

Pro tips for making cream cheese pumpkin bred

  • Do not overmix the batter. This would lead to a tougher, chewier bread.
  • Use room temperature ingredients to make the cream cheese filling. Cream cheese in particular should be softened, and egg used at room temperature preferably.
  • When making brown butter, you will know it’s ready when it’s turning golden brown and develops some toffee-like or caramel aromas. Constantly swirl the pan when melting butter to brown butter without touching it with a spatula.
  • Wait until your pumpkin bread is fully cooled to slice it. This ensures a clean cut and enables the bread to hold its shape.

What to do with extra pumpkin puree?

You will most likely have some pumpkin puree leftover if you are using a 15-ounces can of pumpkin puree to make this recipe (and even more if you use a 29-ounces can). Here are some ideas to use up pumpkin puree leftovers:

More bread recipes to enjoy!

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!

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Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 45 mins
  • Cook Time: 50 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
  • Yield: 1 loaf 1x
  • Category: Quick breads
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop! 

Ingredients

Scale

For the pumpkin bread:

  • 1 stick (115g) butter, unsalted
  • 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 cup (225g) pumpkin puree
  • ⅓ cup (90g) sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (90g) brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs

For the cream cheese filling:

  • 4 ounces (110g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease the bottom and the sides of a 9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
  2. To make brown butter, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat until browning, swirling the pan as needed. Do not wait too long or melted butter will evaporate a little. Allow to cool slightly before using.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and both sugars until no lump remains. Gradually pour in the slightly cooled brown butter, whisking as you go.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.
  6. To make the cream cheese filling, beat softened cream cheese, egg, flour and sugar with an electric hand mixer for a full one minute or until very smooth.
  7. Spoon about half of the cake batter into the loaf pan, then spread the cream cheese filling into one layer, making a few swirls using the tip of a knife. Cover with the remaining cake batter and smooth out the top.
  8. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let the bread cool into the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn the cake upside down onto the rack.

Notes

NB: For a quicker version, this brown butter pumpkin bread can also be made without the cream cheese filling. Alternatively, you can turn it into individual muffins.

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Brown Butter Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Brown butter pumpkin bread with cream cheese is the ultimate fall treat to indulge. This pumpkin bread is soft, moist, loaded with pumpkin spice flavors, and better than in your favorite coffee shop!