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Quick 5-Ingredient Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This quick and easy pumpkin bread uses a clever shortcut—a boxed yellow cake mix—to deliver a moist, tender loaf with a luscious cream cheese swirl. Perfect for weeknights, it comes together in under an hour with simple ingredients you likely already have.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix (preferably Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker; avoid butter recipe or pudding-in-the-mix varieties)
  • 1 can (15 oz) 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling; Libby’s recommended)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or homemade: ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger, pinch cloves)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened (full-fat recommended; Neufchâtel or low-fat okay, not fat-free)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, letting it overhang on the two long sides for easy removal.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir with a whisk or fork until just combined; do not overmix. Batter will be thick.
  3. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
  4. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Dollop the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls over the batter.
  5. Spoon the remaining pumpkin batter over the cream cheese dollops and gently spread to the edges.
  6. Using a butter knife or offset spatula, gently swirl the batter in a figure-eight pattern about 5-6 times. Do not over-swirl.
  7. Bake on the center rack for 45-55 minutes, checking at 40 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding cream cheese pockets) comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then lift out using the parchment handles and cool completely on the rack before slicing.

Notes

Don’t overmix the batter to avoid a tough bread. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. For the swirl, less is more—just a few figure-eights. Start checking for doneness at 40 minutes. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days; freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin bread, cream cheese swirl, quick bread, easy pumpkin bread, 5-ingredient pumpkin bread, fall dessert, weeknight dessert

Find it online: https://ovenmila.com/quick-5-ingredient-pumpkin-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/