Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze

Soft & Moist Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze. Filled with spices & vanilla – this pumpkin bread recipe is perfect for fall!

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with fall.

Loves: Thanksgiving, leaves, comfy sweaters, fall flavors….

Hates: shorter days, colder weather, the inevitable return of winter…

But since I can’t control the weather, today I’m embracing fall. Helloooooo Pumpkin!!!!!! So I’m making a delicious Pumpkin Bread that’s packed with pumpkin flavor, has lots of spices & vanilla, is super moist & tender, and has that slightly springy yet still dense texture. Then, a cream cheese glaze just takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.

Now despite my love/hate relationship with fall, I 110% love this recipe – I’ve been perfecting it for years as my fall recipe favorite. And just why is this my recipe go-to (apart from it being absolutely amazing)??? Because I, Fiona Mary, have no idea how to make pumpkin pie. Seriously – no clue. Crust, pie filling…. no idea. Which is why I’ve spent so much time perfecting this pumpkin bread instead. We can’t be good at everything. So I chose easy pumpkin bread.

So what makes this super moist pumpkin bread so delicious?? Well, there’s definitely no skimping on flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves are your spice trifecta of deliciousness. Brown sugar for deep caramel taste. Lots of vanilla. And of course… Pumpkin.

As a note – this recipe is for pumpkin bread with canned pumpkin. Make sure you aren’t using pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugars – so it won’t turn out with the right taste or consistency. 

And for the perfect consistency. Dense, moist, slightly springy, a super soft crumb. Well there my internet friend, let’s discuss. First, we’re using 2 eggs for extra softness and sour cream for more moisture. I may hate sour cream on potatoes…. but I can’t deny how perfect it is for baking muffins & loaves. And finally, the pumpkin adds extra moisture too to create a superbly fantastic texture. Lastly, like all muffin & loaf recipes, be very careful not to over mix your batter. In the last step you’ll fold in your dry ingredients into the wet until just combined using a wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Remember, more mixing = hard & tough pumpkin bread.

Cream cheese glaze? I had to do it. Totally optional. Totally delicious. You definitely won’t regret it. You’ll have perfect Pumpkin Bread every time! What’re your favorite fall recipes??

Here’s some of my favorites for fall!

• Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Bread

This Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze is soft & moist with the perfect texture. Filled with spices & vanilla - this pumpkin bread recipe is perfect for fall!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 306kcal

Author: Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Bread

• 1 and ⅔ cups all-purpose flour , spooned & leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter , melted and cooled to room temperature
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling)
• 3 tablespoons sour cream

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

• 2 oz brick-style cream cheese
• ½ to ¾ cups icing sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and grease & flour the sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices for about 30 seconds and set aside.
• In a separate large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla and continue beating until mixed. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the sour cream and pumpkin and whisk together until combined. Finally, fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Only mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. An inserted toothpick should come out clean and the sides should be starting to pull away from the pan.
• Allow the loaf to cool in its pan for about 15 minutes, then remove and continue cooling on a wire rack.
• While the loaf is cooling, make the glaze. Beat the cream cheese with a stand or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed. Once softened, slowly add the icing sugar and milk or cream one tablespoon at a time. The glaze should be smooth. Drizzle it on top of the loaf.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal