Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread is a spiced American baked good featuring a hidden citrus-scented center. This recipe uses pumpkin puree and warm spices like cloves and cinnamon to create two moist loaves that are better than any coffee shop slice.

Joanna Gaines’s approach here relies on a low baking temperature to ensure the dense cream cheese layer cooks through without burning the crust. Most recipes blast the heat at 350°F, but keeping your oven at 325°F is the only way to get that perfectly flat top and tender crumb. If you rush the heat, the outside of the bread will get tough and dark before the middle even starts to set.

The orange zest in the filling is the one detail you shouldn’t overlook. I’ve found that the tiny bit of citrus oil completely changes the flavor, cutting through the heavy sugar and making the pumpkin taste much brighter. When you’re layering the batter, don’t try to swirl it too much or the cream cheese will just vanish into the pumpkin. A clean, distinct layer looks much better and gives you a better contrast in every bite.

Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

For the Pumpkin Bread:

• 1 2/3 cups (200g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup (245g) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) white sugar

How To Make Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

• 1. Heat the oven: Set your oven to 165°C (325°F) and grease two 8×4 inch loaf tins with butter or cooking spray. Make sure you get the spray right into the bottom corners so the bread pops out easily after it’s done.
• 2. Mix the filling: Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg, and orange zest in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth and has no white lumps. Set this aside on the counter so it stays easy to pour.
• 3. Combine dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Giving these a quick sift or a thorough whisking ensures you don’t end up with a bitter clump of baking soda in your finished bread.
• 4. Whisk the wet ingredients: Grab another bowl and mix the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, and sugar until everything is a smooth orange color. Make sure the eggs are fully broken down and the sugar doesn’t feel gritty at the bottom.
• 5. Fold the batter: Stir the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the flour just disappears. Stop mixing immediately once it’s combined; overworking the batter will make the bread rubbery instead of soft.
• 6. Layer the tins: Pour half of the pumpkin batter into your prepared pans, then spoon the cream cheese mixture over the top in an even layer. Cover the white centers with the rest of the pumpkin batter, using the back of a spoon to spread it to the edges.

Don’t worry if the layers aren’t perfectly flat. As the bread rises in the heat, the batter will level itself out, trapping the cream cheese right in the middle for that classic striped look.

• 7. Bake until set: Put the tins in the oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Stick a toothpick or skewer into the center; if it comes out with just a few crumbs and no wet batter, the loaves are ready to come out.
• 8. Cool before slicing: Let the bread rest in the pans for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. If you try to slice the bread while it’s still hot, the cream cheese layer will be too soft and will smear across the knife.

Recipe Tips

• Use pure pumpkin puree. Make sure the can says “100% Pumpkin” and not “Pumpkin Pie Filling.” The pie filling already has sugar and spices added, which will throw off the measurements and make your bread far too sweet.
• Soften the cream cheese thoroughly. If the cheese is cold, it won’t blend with the sugar and orange zest. Leave it on the counter for at least two hours so it reaches a texture that’s easy to beat into a smooth cream.
• Divide the batter evenly. Since this recipe makes two loaves, use a measuring cup to scoop the pumpkin batter into the pans. This ensures both loaves finish baking at the exact same time so one doesn’t dry out while the other finishes.
• Don’t over-grease the pans. Use just enough spray to coat the surface. If there’s a pool of oil at the bottom of the tin, the base of the bread will turn out greasy and won’t develop a nice crust.
• Measure the flour correctly. Instead of scooping the flour directly with the measuring cup, spoon it into the cup and level it off with a knife. Packing the flour down too tightly leads to a dry, crumbly loaf.
• Store it in the fridge. Because of the high moisture content and the dairy in the middle, this bread stays freshest and safest when kept cold. It also makes the cream cheese layer feel much more like cheesecake when you eat it.

What To Serve With Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

A hot cup of coffee or a spicy chai tea is the perfect partner for this bread. The bitterness of the drink works well with the warm cloves and sweet pumpkin.

If you want a decadent breakfast, a small smear of salted butter on a room-temperature slice is worth trying. The salt helps the pumpkin pie spice stand out even more.

Storing & Reheating Tricks

• Fridge: Keep the cooled loaves in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic for up to 5 days. Since there’s cream cheese inside, you shouldn’t leave this out on the counter for more than a couple of hours.
• Freeze: This bread freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Wrap the entire loaf in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil; just thaw it in the fridge overnight before you want to serve it.
• Reheat: A quick 10 seconds in the microwave is all you need to take the chill off a slice. You can also toast a piece in a toaster oven, but watch it closely as the sugar in the bread will cause it to brown very fast.

Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 slice, based on 10 slices per loaf):

• Calories: 280 kcal
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 41g
• Sugar: 26g
• Sodium: 240mg

FAQs

Can I make this Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread in one large loaf pan instead of two?

No, the batter is too heavy and would take too long to cook in a single pan. The middle would stay raw while the edges burnt, so it’s much safer to stick with the two smaller tins.

Why did my pumpkin bread sink in the middle?

This usually happens if you open the oven door too early or if the baking soda is old. The cream cheese is heavy, so the bread needs a strong rise and steady heat to hold that weight up.

Can I use low-fat cream cheese?

Yes, you can use Neufchâtel or low-fat cream cheese, but the center won’t be quite as rich. Avoid using the whipped cream cheese in a tub, as it has too much air and won’t set correctly.

Can I add nuts to this Joanna Gaines Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread?

Yes, folding half a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts into the pumpkin batter adds a great crunch. Just make sure the nuts are chopped small so they don’t interfere with the layering of the cream cheese.

How do I get the orange zest off the fruit easily?

Use a fine microplane or the smallest holes on a box grater. Be sure to only take the orange part; the white layer underneath is very bitter and will ruin the sweet flavor of the filling.

Check out More Recipes:

• Joanna Gaines Whipped Cream
• Joanna Gaines Meatballs Recipe
• Joanna Gaines Mexican Rice
• Joanna Gaines Cupcake Recipe
• Joanna Gaines Banana Muffins