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Perfect Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This Perfect Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl is the kind of recipe that becomes a seasonal tradition. It’s the bread you make for Thanksgiving brunch, for cozy Sunday mornings, for sharing with neighbors and friends. It’s forgiving enough for beginner bakers but impressive enough to steal the show at any gathering.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 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
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 8 oz (226g) cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position a rack in the center of the oven. Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the long sides. Lightly spray the exposed sides of the pan with non-stick spray.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with ¼ cup sugar, 1 egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until completely smooth and lump-free—this should take about 2 minutes with a hand mixer. Set it aside at room temperature.
  3. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract until smooth.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold everything together until just combined—do not overmix. A few lumps are fine.
  6. Fold in the chocolate chips. Gently fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the remaining ¼ cup for the top.
  7. Layer the batter and swirl. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the batter in dollops, spreading it gently into an even layer. Pour the remaining pumpkin batter on top and spread gently to cover. Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup chocolate chips over the top.
  8. Create the swirl. Take a toothpick or thin skewer and insert it into the batter. Drag it through the batter in a zigzag or figure-eight pattern from one end of the pan to the other, making about 6-8 passes.
  9. Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. Start checking at 55 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly around the 40-minute mark, tent it loosely with aluminum foil.
  10. Cool completely. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then, using the parchment sling, lift the bread out and transfer it to the wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are critical for the cream cheese swirl. Do not overmix the batter to avoid a dense loaf. For the swirl, use a gentle hand and make only 6-8 passes to keep distinct ribbons. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to allow the cream cheese swirl to set. The bread tastes even better on day two as flavors meld.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://jollyfork.com/perfect-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/