This Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze is deliciously moist, fluffy, and filled with cozy warm spices. Topped with a thick and luscious drizzle of tangy cream cheese glaze and cinnamon spiced candied pecans, it is fall bliss in bread form!! Simple to make (no mixer required!!), with minimal ingredients, this comforting fall treat is sure to impress and become a holiday staple you'll keep coming back to time and time again!!
Fall is not only my favorite time of the year but my favorite time to bake delicious Southern fall desserts. And When pumpkin season comes around, this homemade pumpkin bread recipe is on repeat at my house.
I know there are tons of pumpkin bread recipes out there but to me, this is hands down the best pumpkin bread recipe!! Let me break it down. Rich and moist, this flavorful bread is filled with creamy pumpkin and loaded with pumpkin spice flavor making it the perfect fall treat for the pumpkin lover in your life.
For a sweet and creamy finish, it is drizzled with a lusciously thick and tangy cream cheese icing AND topped with brown sugar cinnamon coated candied pecans for an epic crunch. The tender texture of the pumpkin bread paired with the warm molasses flavor and sweet crunch from the candied pecans elevate this bread from ordinary to gourmet and take it to a whole new level.
Serve this bakery quality pumpkin loaf cake at your next holiday brunch, Thanksgiving dinner, or potluck. Or better yet, sit back and enjoy a thick slice with your morning cup of coffee. Either way this delicious treat is sure to impress and become a holiday staple you'll keep coming back to time and time again.
For more pumpkin recipes, be sure to check out Pumpkin bread with Streusel Topping or my Super Moist Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake!!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – This quick and easy pumpkin bread recipe is simple to make, comes together in two bowls with no mixer, and uses ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Even better, you can make it ahead and enjoy it later making it the perfect fall make ahead treat!!
- Moist and flavorful – Each bite is soft and tender with hints brown sugar, vanilla, and warming spices. Plus, thanks to the pumpkin puree and vegetable oil, this perfectly spiced loaf stays moist for a weekl!!
- Crunchy Candied Pecans – Crunchy candied pecans are lightly toasted and coated in cinnamon sugar to deliver the ultimate flavor punch!!
- Cream Cheese Glaze – A simple and delicious cream cheese glaze tops this homemade pumpkin loaf and pairs perfectly with the rich pumpkin and warm spices.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need only a few pantry ingredients to make this comforting and easy Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze:
Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients for Candied Pecans and Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredient Notes:
- Canned Pumpkin Puree – Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkin. Libby's canned pumpkin is my favorite!!
- Sugars – I used a combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar for the pumpkin batter. Light brown sugar not only adds flavor but also adds moisture so this bread stays nice and soft. You can use dark brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand. You'll also need powdered sugar for the cream cheese glaze.
- Cozy Warm Fall Spices – This pumpkin bread is full of pumpkin flavor!! I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, ginger, and clove. All of which complement the pumpkin beautifully and balance out the sweetness of the bread and the tanginess of the cream cheese. If you do not have all the spices on hand or would prefer to use pumpkin pie spice, you totally can. I suggest adding up to one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
- Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil keeps this bread tender and super moist for days!! If you wish not to use vegetable oil, you can use an equal amount of melted butter. Or use any other neutral oil such as canola oil, or sunflower oil.
- Unsalted Melted Butter – I like to add an equal amount of melted butter and vegetable oil. Vegetable oil adds moisture while butter adds flavor. I used unsalted butter here but feel free to use salted if you prefer.
- Pecans – Candied pecans are a game changer and take this pumpkin bread to new heights. I used raw pecan halves and lightly toasted them with a combination of cinnamon, brown sugar, and a pinch of vanilla and salt. After a rough chop, they are sprinkled on top of the tangy cream cheese glaze!!
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Pumpkin is such a versatile fall flavor and can be paired with many different things. Although I love to enjoy this delicious Southern pumpkin bread recipe as is, please feel jazz it up to your tastebuds and make it your own!! Here are a few variations to consider:
- Chocolate chip pumpkin bread- Add up to one cup of chocolate chips to the pumpkin batter when folding in the last streaks of flour. You can even top your pumpkin loaf with extra chocolate chips before baking!! White chocolate chips would also be a great addition.
- Skip the nuts. Skip the candied pecans if you aren’t a fan. Alternatively, you can top the pumpkin bread with toasted pecans instead if you do not want to use candied pecans.
- Pumpkin Walnut Bread – Add 1 to 1 ½ cups of toasted walnuts to the pumpkin batter for some added crunch
- Use a different glaze. If you wish to use another glaze other than cream cheese, a maple or vanilla glaze would both be great choices. Or, make it even more festive by adding a brown butter cream cheese rum glaze!! You can also spice up your glaze and add a little ground cinnamon!!
- Leave off the glaze and sprinkle the pumpkin bread with a little powdered sugar after it has baked and cooled.
- Top the bread with your favorite cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you happen to try any from the list above or add your own spin with new ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
This quick bread recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes!! All you need is a two bowls, a whisk, and your trusty loaf pan. This pumpkin bread stays nice and soft for a whole week!! So feel free to enjoy each day with a thick slice and your morning cup of coffee. Here is how to make and bake this deliciously perfect fall treat!!
Before you start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non stick baking spray and line with the bottom with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the all purpose flour. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, spices, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and milk until fully combined. Next, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine. Add half of the dry mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk together until almost combined. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined.
Pour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
Bake. Bake for 30 minutes then cover with foil and continue to bake for an additional 25 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Let the bread cool completely before glazing and topping with the candied pecans.
Make the candied pecans. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and pecan halves. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until the sugar melts and the pecan halves are lightly toasted and well coated in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Using a fork or rubber spatula, spread the pecans out onto a parchment . Allow the pecans to cool completely then roughly chop.
Make the cream cheese glaze. In a small bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract on high speed until smooth. Then, add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Lastly, add the milk and mix until smooth.
Glaze and garnish. Top the cooled pumpkin bread with cream cheese glaze and candied pecans. Enjoy!!
Expert Baking Tips
- Properly measure your flour. I recommend using a food scale to ensure you have an accurate measurement of ingredients, especially for the flour. If you do not have a food scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butterknife. Avoid scooping directly into the flour container. Doing so will compact the flour and will lead to a dry, dense loaf cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients. By allowing the ingredients to come to room temperature, you ensure they mix together evenly and create a smooth batter. A smooth batter ensures our bread bakes up evenly and moist.
- Do not over mix. If you've ever wondered “why is my pumpkin bread dense”, it is due to over-mixing the batter!! Use a rubber spatula and only mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined
- Allow the bread to cool completely before glazing. Make sure your pumpkin loaf is completely cooled before glazing. Glazing a warm loaf will cause the glaze to melt.
- Cover with foil. To prevent overbrowning, cover the pumpkin bread loosely with foil 30 minutes after baking.
- To easily remove the bread from the loaf pan, be sure to spray the pan first with non stick baking spray. Then, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. When it's ready, lift the bread out of the pan using the parchment overhang.
- Use brick style cream cheese. Make sure to use brick style full fat cream cheese and not spreadable or low fat cream cheese when making the glaze.
- Sift your powdered sugar before adding it to your cream cheese. This ensures your glaze is nice and smooth and free of any lumps!!
Canned vs. Fresh Pumpkin
So, what type of pumpkin is best for baking? For ease and convenience, I prefer using canned pumpkin. But you can also make your homemade pumpkin puree if you choose. When choosing a pumpkin to make pumpkin puree, be sure look for small baking pumpkins such as sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. Avoid large pumpkins like Jack – o – Lanterns as they will not work here and are better suited for decorating your door for fall. The most important thing to remember when making your own puree is to remove any excess moisture prior to using it in the recipe. King Arthur has a great step by step guide all about making your own pumpkin puree!!
Frequently Asked Questions
The pumpkin bread is done when it has puffed up, has a crack down the center, and a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted in the middle and sides of the loaf comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. If it comes out completely clean, then the bread is likely overbaked. The bread should also bounce back after lightly pressed. If the cake tester comes out with wet batter, then the pumpkin bread is underdone. The best way to check for doneness is with a wooden skewer. If your pumpkin bread is still undercooked after the full bake time, bake for an additional 5 minutes then check again. I recommend you check for doneness about 10 minutes before the listed bake time (on the lower end) in the recipe. In this case, check for doneness after 45 minutes. Because every oven is different, bake times may differ.
Because of the cream cheese glaze, the pumpkin bread will need to be refrigerated. However, if the pumpkin bread has not been glazed it can be stored on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container. After removing the pumpkin bread from the refrigerator, give it that fresh out of the oven taste by microwaving individual slices for 10 to 20 seconds.
Pumpkin bread, like most quick breads, cracks on top because the bread sets due to the heat from the oven. This occurs before the rest of the batter has had a chance to rise and is a normal reaction.
There are many different reasons why your pumpkin bread is not moist. Some include using too much flour, your oven could be too hot, or you over baked your pumpkin bread.
I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour but I do not see any reason as to why it wouldn’t work!! I recommend Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Gluten Free Flour. And if you happen try this recipe using gluten free flour, let us know how it turned out for you!!
Yes, you can also bake this recipe using a muffin tin. Simply line the muffin tin with paper liners and fill to about ¾ full. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes.
If you’ve added too much liquid to your glaze, you can easily thicken it by adding more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
Storage, Freezing, & Make Ahead
Room temperature: Store the cooled, unglazed pumpkin bread at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can wrap the unglazed bread in plastic wrap and foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: Wrap the pumpkin bread with cream cheese glaze in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: To freeze, wrap individual slices with plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make Ahead: You can absolutely make this pumpkin bread recipe ahead of time. All you need to do is bake and cool the bread. Then, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 – 3 days. I recommend glazing the bread and topping it with the candied pecans once you are ready to serve.
More Fall Recipes You'll Love
It brings me so much joy when you make one of my recipes!! If you try this recipe and love it much as I do, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below. And don't forget to tag me to share your creation with me!! You can find me on Instagram @vintage_confections.
📖 Recipe
Moist Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin Bread
- 1 ¾ cup (219 g) All purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground allspice
- ¼ cup (57 g) Unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ¼ cup (56 g) Vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) Granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar
- 1 cup (244 g) Pumpkin puree
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (80 g) Whole milk room temperature
For the Candied Pecans
- ¾ cup Pecan halves
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (55 g) Light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
For the Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese softened, room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) Powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Milk
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non stick baking spray and line the long side of the pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper should make a sling and hang off the sides for the pan for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, sift the all purpose flour. Whisk in the baking soda, baking powder, spices, and kosher salt. Set aside.1 ¾ cup (219 g) All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Ground ginger, ½ teaspoon Ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon Ground cloves, ⅛ teaspoon Ground allspice
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, pumpkin puree, and milk until fully combined. Next, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.¼ cup (57 g) Unsalted butter, ¼ cup (56 g) Vegetable oil, ¾ cup (150 g) Granulated sugar, ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar, 1 cup (244 g) Pumpkin puree, 2 large Eggs, ⅓ cup (80 g) Whole milk, 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until almost combined. Then, add the rest of the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
- Bake for 30 minutes then cover with foil and continue to bake for an additional 25 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. The bread should have a dome shape and bounce back when lightly pressed. Be careful to not overbake.
- Allow the bread to sit in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, using the parchment overhang, lift the bread out of the pan and place onto the cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely before glazing and topping with the candied pecans.
Candied Pecans
- While the bread bakes, make the candied pecans. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and pecan halves.1 tablespoon Unsalted butter, ¼ cup (55 g) Light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¾ cup Pecan halves
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until the sugar melts and the pecan halves are lightly toasted and well coated in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Transfer the pecans to the prepared cookie sheet. Working quickly, using a fork or rubber spatula, spread the pecans out onto the cookie sheet. You want as many indiviudal pieces as possible and not large clumps. Allow the pecans to cool completely then roughly chop.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a small bowl using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and vanilla extract on high speed until smooth.2 ounces Cream Cheese, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low until combined, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour in the milk and mix until smooth.1 cup (120 g) Powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon Milk
- Place the cooling rack with the pumpkin bread over a parchment lined cookie sheet. Pour the glaze on top of the the cooled cake and garnish with the candied pecans. Enjoy!!
Notes
-
- Properly measure your flour. I recommend using a food scale to ensure you have an accurate measurement of ingredients, especially for the flour. If you do not have a food scale, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with the back of a butterknife. Avoid scooping directly into the flour container. Doing so will compact the flour and will lead to a dry, dense loaf cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients. By allowing the ingredients to come to room temperature, you ensure they mix together evenly and create a smooth batter. A smooth batter ensures our bread bakes up evenly and moist.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Use brick style cream cheese. Make sure to use brick style full fat cream cheese and not spreadable or low fat cream cheese when making the glaze.
- Sift your powdered sugar before adding it to your cream cheese. This ensures your glaze is nice and smooth and free of any lumps!!
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