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The Ultimate Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This ultimate pumpkin chocolate chip bread with cream cheese swirl is the result of twelve attempts to recreate a beloved bakery loaf. It features a perfectly moist pumpkin base, generous tangy cream cheese ribbons, and melty chocolate chips in every slice.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if available)
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (360g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (175g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 8 ounces (226g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (for cream cheese swirl)
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for cream cheese swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position a rack in the center. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides for easy lifting.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, the egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until completely smooth. Set aside at room temperature.
  3. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips: Reserve about 2 tablespoons of chips to sprinkle on top. Gently fold the rest into the batter.
  7. Layer the batter and swirl: Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the batter in an even layer, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Pour the remaining batter on top and smooth gently. Take a butter knife or skewer and drag it through the batter in a figure-eight pattern—just a few passes.
  8. Top with reserved chips: Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top.
  9. Bake for 55-65 minutes: Start checking at 55 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top is browning too fast (around 45 minutes), tent loosely with foil.
  10. Cool completely: Let the bread cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter—stop when flour just disappears. Room temperature ingredients matter for best results. Limit swirling to 3-4 passes for distinct cream cheese ribbons. Let bread cool completely before slicing to avoid crumbling. Bread tastes even better the day after baking as flavors deepen.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, chocolate chip bread, cream cheese swirl, fall baking, pumpkin recipe, quick bread

Find it online: https://lyrafeast.com/the-ultimate-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/