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Perfect Moist Banana Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This Moist Banana Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl combines ripe bananas and pumpkin puree for a tender, velvety crumb, topped with a tangy cream cheese swirl. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing fall treat perfect for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large or 3 medium bananas)
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for swirl)
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (for swirl)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (for swirl)
  • 1 tablespoon milk (any kind, for swirl)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a couple inches of overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the cream cheese swirl: In a medium bowl, beat together 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Mash your bananas: In a large bowl, mash 1 cup of ripe bananas with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine.
  4. Mix the wet ingredients: To the mashed bananas, add ½ cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup oil, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk until well combined and slightly glossy.
  5. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
  6. Combine wet and dry: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold together gently until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  7. Layer the batter and swirl: Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter (about 5 to 6 dollops). Pour the remaining batter on top, then add a few more dollops of cream cheese.
  8. Create the swirl: Take a butter knife or skewer and gently drag it through the batter in a figure-eight pattern. Do not over-swirl.
  9. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil after 40 minutes.
  10. Cool: Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the parchment handles to lift it out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing (about 1 hour).

Notes

Use very ripe bananas for best moisture and sweetness. Avoid pumpkin pie filling; use pure pumpkin puree. Let cream cheese soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to avoid lumps. Do not overmix the batter to keep the bread tender. Cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.

Nutrition

Keywords: banana pumpkin bread, cream cheese swirl, fall baking, quick bread, moist banana bread, pumpkin bread recipe

Find it online: https://juliamadeit.com/perfect-moist-banana-pumpkin-bread-with-cream-cheese-swirl/