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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!

overhead photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with 2 slices of bread cut and cinnamon sugar in photo

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!

overhead photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread in bread pan before baking

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.

overhead photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread on cooling rack after baking

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.

overhead close up photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with 3 slices of bread cut

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.

side angled photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with multiple slices cut and stacked on top of each other

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.

overhead close up photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with 2 slices of bread cut

Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try one of these…

6 Ingredient Spiced Pumpkin Butter

Spiced Pumpkin Maple Latte

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

Salted Maple Butter

US Customary - Metric

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. 
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horizontal photo of Cream Cheese Swirled Pumpkin Bread with 1 slice cut

This post was originally published on September 24, 2019
4.14 from 774 votes (679 ratings without comment)

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Comments

    1. Hey Jessica,
      Yes that would work, just reduce your baking time. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. This was pretty good! However, I tasted way more banana than pumpkin. Also my bread came out more dense than fluffy. Any advice on what I did wrong? I followed the recipe exactly, aside from using vegetable oil instead of coconut oil.

    Reply

    1. Hey,
      So sorry you had issues with the recipe. Are you sure you didn’t adjust anything? I do not have any banana flavor in my bread. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Looking forward to making this!! I was just wondering if the maple syrup is the pure kind of if you are using more like a pancake syrup like mrs butterworth

    Reply

    1. Hey Ashlee,
      I like to use real maple syrup. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Angela,
      I haven’t tested that, but you could certainly give it a try! Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Anita,
      You could use vegetable or canola oil in place of the coconut oil. Let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love the recipe. Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. Hello Tieghan!
    It’s gluten free F.Murphy again. This is yet another scrumptious pumpkin recipe I’d love to try. Is there a way I can substitute GF pastry flour in this recipe? Or do I need to add something else. What would you recommend? Thanks! Mrs. Murphy

    Reply

    1. Hey Mrs. Murphy,
      I would recommend using an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 2 stars
    “Pumpkin bread” is a misnomer given the number of bananas. Would have expected a more pleasant texture from a site with such ostensibly well-vetted recipes. Like the nutter butter recipe from this site, flavor is sacrificed for health (where smaller portions might do the trick). Definitely not worth it if you’re below the middle class, either, given the expense of coconut oil and maple syrup.

    Reply

    1. Hi Briella! I am sorry this recipe did not turn out well for you. Is there anything I can help with? I hope you love some other recipes on my site! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    I really enjoyed this recipe. I don’t bake much so I always appreciate when I find recipes with simple pantry ingredients. I thought this was simple to throw together and liked that it made more than one loaf. I made a loaf and made the remaining batter into muffins.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    I have the bread in the oven now and so far my house smells amazing. I did a few things different, used a little less coconut oil, when I add mashed bananas to anything I mix them with a little milk and a dash of vanilla so I didn’t want the mix to be overly wet. The milk will keep it M word LOL. I mixed in the cinnamon sugar by accident so I skipped it on top but will are the maple butter to even it out. I also did 3/4 of a cream cheese bar instead of 4oz who doesn’t love cream cheese?! I’ll let you know how it turns out but so far so good!! Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Haha I am glad this recipe turned out so wonderful for you, Stephanie! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Obsessed. I made this a few times last fall and it was seriously just beyond good. I left off the topping only bc I was being lazy! I love that the bread overall without it isn’t too sweet though. A perfect morning snack.

    Reply

  12. 3 stars
    I was so excited about making this bread! It sounded AMAZING! However, it turned out very dense. I kept cooking it thinking it was just undercooked, but nope just very dense. :/ It still tastes lovely, but the texture is unpleasant. I used a kitchen aid mixer to mix wet and then dry ingredients. Maybe I over mixed it. ??‍♀️

    Reply

    1. Hey Jessica! I am sorry you had some trouble. Was there anything you did differently at all? Any ingredients different? Method of baking this? Any info will be helpful to help me problem solve and figure out what might be happening for you. It’s hard to know without knowing any details.

      If I had to guess, it could be that you used your stand mixer and over mixed the batter. Next time, try mixing the batter by hand instead. This is how I like to do it.

      Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hi Clarissa,
      Yes you can use pumpkin pie filling but I would reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup since the pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. HI! You would need 2 square baking pans. I am not sure on the cooking time, but I would guess around 25-30 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply