This pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting is the ultimate fall dessert and snack recipe that's guaranteed to be loved by everyone. It's easy to make with ingredients you already have on hand, and it's done in about 2 hours!
If you've landed here, you're like me and love pumpkin baking season! Not only do I love desserts, but I am a huge fan of pumpkin sweets.
You'll want to try Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread next as well as this incredible Pumpkin Cupcake recipe (they also have cream cheese frosting!). And, if you want a quick fix, whip up No Bake Pumpkin Cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
There are quite a few reasons to dig into frosted pumpkin bread, and I know you'll agree.
- Seasonal: A pumpkin loaf is a staple for fall, with warm spices like cinnamon, and ginger. It wraps you in coziness, and is basically autumn in loaf form!
- Moist and Flavorful: Pumpkin bread is known for it's tender, soft crumb, thanks to the pumpkin puree. The puree adds both moisture and rich flavor.
- Mini or Standard: You can make this recipe in 3 mini loaf pans or 1 standard loaf pan.
- Cream Cheese Frosting: If you like it, there's nothing that can compare to cream cheese frosting! It's the perfect pairing for this loaf, and balances the sweetness and spices.
- Multitasker: Pumpkin bread isn't just for dessert! It works as breakfast in place of a muffin, a mid-afternoon snack, or a treat packed into a sack lunch.
- Customizable: I list loads of variations below. You can add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even extra cinnamon to make this pumpkin bread your own treat.
Jump to:
Ingredients
It's time to pull out the fall spices, (replace them if they are a few years old!), and make pumpkin desserts. You may already have canned pumpkin in the pantry, and I'm sure you've got baking ingredients.
Here's what you'll need, and you can see the recipe card below for quantities.
- All-purpose flour: I give the weight of the flour so you can be very precise for success.
- Leavenings: Baking powder and baking soda are needed for the perfect leavening and lift.
- Salt: It's a great way to bring out the flavors of all the ingredients.
- Spices: I use a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. I like the balance of a homemade spice mixture, but you can use store-bought pumpkin pie spice too.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar.
- Eggs: I always use large eggs for my measurements.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado or canola.
- Pumpkin puree: I test my recipes with the Libby brand, but you can also make your own or use a different kind. You may get slightly different results depending on if the puree is thick or thin.
- Frosting: I use a half recipe of my classic Cream Cheese Frosting, and the directions are in the recipe card.
How to make pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting
Heat the oven first thing, then prep and measure out your ingredients before you start mixing. Grease and line your baking pan as well, then you'll be ready to go.
- Step 1: In a large bowl mix together the flour, leavening, salt and spices.
- Step 2: In another bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin puree.
- Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Step 4: Use a whisk to blend the wet and dry ingredients together to form a batter.
- Step 5: Spread batter into prepared pan.
- Step 6: Once cooled, cover pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.
Expert tips
While one standard loaf is classic, I love to make quick-breads in mini loaf pans. This recipe will make 3 mini loaves. They are easy to bake and don't over-brown, they are fun to eat, and easy to gift.
Storage and Freezing instructions
- Room temperature: Store the entire frosted loaf, or what's left after snacking, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: You can chill the loaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: It's easiest to freeze individual slices of the pumpkin bread, wrapped in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped slices in a ziplock bag once frozen and keep frozen up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Thaw slices of pumpkin bread in the fridge overnight.
Variations & Substitutions
As with any recipe, making a variation or substituting an ingredient will change the original! Try any of my recommendations below if you'd like.
- Mini loaves: You can make this recipe in 3 mini loaf pans (5-by-3-inches). the baking time is different. See recipe card.
- Gluten-free: Use a good 1-1 gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I use Cup4Cup. You will need to increase the baking time quite a bit for gluten-free. Use my testing techniques to check for doneness.
- Spices: You can substitute my combination of fall spices for 2 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice. Or try a pre-made Apple Pie Spice.
- Buttercream instead of cream cheese frosting: Swap out the cream cheese frosting for some of my Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream. You can also frost the cake with some Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Nuts: You can add up to ½ cup chopped pecans, pepitas, or walnuts into the batter.
- Sweet potato: You can swap the pumpkin puree for roasted, pureed sweet potato. Note that the bread will be more dense and may need more baking time.
- Chocolate chips: You can add up to ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter for an extra sweet treat.
Equipment
Your equipment can have a big impact on how the recipe turns out. First, have an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heated to the correct temperature.
I like mixing quick-bread batters with a dough whisk so I don't over-mix the batter. A standard whisk will also work just fine.
Stone bakeware and glass loaf pans take longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, so it's imperative to test the quick bread by touch as well as a toothpick as described. Thin, dark colored loaf pans absorb heat more efficiently so the bread can have a darker crust. Opt for a lighter-colored loaf pan.
FAQ
Overbaking is a primary cause; even a few extra minutes in the oven can dry out the bread. Too much flour or too little liquid can also lead to dryness—be sure to measure your ingredients accurately. Use the tips in the recipe card for perfect pumpkin bread.
Insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The top should spring back when gently touched, and the edges should start to pull away from the pan.
You can add up to ½ cup of chocolate chips, chopped nuts, dried fruit such as currents or raisins, or shredded coconut to the batter before baking.
Canned pumpkin puree is the most convenient pumpkin to use for pumpkin bread. Don't use the can labeled pumpkin pie filling, just pumpkin puree. I tested using Libby brand, but I've also used Trader Joe's brand. If you make your own, make sure it is the same consistency as canned pumpkin.
More pumpkin dessert recipes
For more pumpkin recipes make a beautiful Pumpkin Cake Roll, or Pumpkin Cream Pie, perfect for any fall holiday. Get more bread and quick-bread recipes below.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Pumpkin Loaf
- 1⅓ cups (170g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup neutral oil (avocado or canola)
- 1¼ cups (10 ounces) pumpkin puree (Tested with Libby's brand)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar (sifted only if there are hard lumps)
Instructions
Pumpkin Loaf
- Heat oven to 350º˚F. Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray then line it with parchment paper hanging off 2 of the sides. Secure parchment with metal binder clips if desired. Or prepare 3 mini loaf pans (5-by-3-inches) the same way.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- In a second medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, and pumpkin puree.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients then whisk together until quite smooth. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan (or pans) and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, and/or top springs back when gently touched: Standard loaf 43 to 46 minutes, mini loaves 30 to 33 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- When bread is almost completely cool make the frosting: In a mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. With the mixer running on low speed, add the confectioners' sugar about ½ cup at a time. After each cup scrape the inside of the bowl and turn mixer to medium-high speed. Then reduce speed to low and add more sugar. This will ensure a smooth frosting.
- When bread is cool spread a thick layer of frosting on top. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Notes
-
- Gluten-free: Use a good 1-1 gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. I use Cup4Cup. You will need to increase the baking time quite a bit for gluten-free. Use my testing techniques to check for doneness.
-
- Spices: You can substitute my combination of fall spices for 2 ½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice. Or try a pre-made Apple Pie Spice.
-
- Room temperature: Store the entire frosted loaf, or what's left after snacking, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
-
- Fridge: You can chill the loaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
-
- Freeze: It's easiest to freeze individual slices of the pumpkin bread, wrapped in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped slices in a ziplock bag once frozen and keep frozen up to 2 months.
-
- Thaw: Thaw slices of pumpkin bread in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Mia says
Oh! This bread is divine! It is so moist and perfectly spiced. I love using mini loaf pans and I may even share a loaf with a neighbor!❤️
Britney says
This is the BEST pumpkin bread recipe. It bakes perfectly every time and the cream cheese frosting is the literal icing on top! So good!