Moist Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Okay, I need to talk to you about this pumpkin bread. It’s soft, ridiculously moist (there’s a little trick for that, I’ll get to it), and packed with warm cinnamon-nutmeg-pumpkin-pie-spice flavor in every single bite. Then there’s the cream cheese frosting on top, which honestly should just be considered mandatory.
It comes together in one bowl in about 10 minutes, no mixer skills or special equipment needed. Coffee-and-a-slice breakfast, afternoon snack, actual dessert — this bread says yes to all of it.
This Pumpkin Bread Gives Me Joy!
Alright, so here’s the thing — I make this every single fall, and I mean every year without fail, because it just delivers every time. The whole secret is texture. Soft, tender, moist for days, not because of luck but because of one simple trick: you tent the bread with foil while it cools instead of letting it sit uncovered. That’s it. That’s the whole trick. It traps the steam instead of losing it, and the bread stays soft way longer than you’d expect. It’s genius!
The spice mix is exactly what you want from a fall bread — cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice — nothing fancy, nothing you have to hunt down. And I’ll be honest, I don’t think this bread is complete without the cream cheese frosting. Without it, it’s a solid snacking bread. With it, it’s the reason there’s only one slice left by the next morning.
It’s also really forgiving if you want to make it your own — I’ve got some stir-in ideas below. And if you’re already a cream cheese frosting person like me, my Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is basically this bread’s fancier older sibling.
Pumpkin Bread Ingredients & Instructions
Please note that these pictures are meant to provide a helpful visual overview of the recipe. Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Step-by-Step Instructions:
A Few Things I’ve Learned:
Here’s what I’ve learned after making this way more times than I probably need to admit. First: do not skip the cooling step. I know it’s tempting to slice into it right away, but tenting it with foil while it cools is genuinely what makes this bread so moist, so give it those extra minutes.
Second, check your spice jars. If that pumpkin pie spice has been in your cabinet since two Thanksgivings ago, it’s probably why your bread tastes a little flat instead of cozy. Fresh spices make a bigger difference than people think.
This bread also freezes really well, so I almost always make a double batch. Wrap the cooled, unfrosted loaf tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months — future you will be thrilled to pull it out and frost it whenever the craving hits.
And if you’ve got kids (or a kid at heart) who like a little extra, mini chocolate chips folded into the batter are always a hit at my house. If you’re craving that same cozy spice combo in a different form, my Pumpkin Streusel Muffins are a good grab-and-go option.
Jess’s Final Thoughts
Honestly, this bread makes my whole house smell like fall the second it hits the oven, and it’s about as hard to mess up as it gets — which is exactly why it’s been on repeat in my kitchen for years now. Make it once and I’d bet it becomes a regular in yours too.
If you try it, tell me how it goes — leave a comment or tag me on Instagram, I genuinely love seeing it. And if pumpkin’s already taken over your kitchen, my Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze are a reader favorite I think you’ll love next.
Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
Moist Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting has deep pumpkin flavor, cozy spices and moist texture, it's a dessert that works for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
PUMPKIN BREAD:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil or refined coconut oil
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 of a 15 ounce can pure pumpkin. About 1 cup.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup water
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons of milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan; set aside. You can also line the loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together; flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice and set aside.
- In a stand-alone mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (hand-held mixer works, too) cream together the vegetable oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Next, mix in eggs one at a time along with the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Next, mix in pumpkin puree and water, again scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Lastly, add the bowl of dry ingredients a little at a time and mix just until incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time with vary based on your oven's temperature. If the top of the bread starts browning too much, tent a piece of aluminum foil on top the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
- Remove pumpkin bread from oven and let for about 10-15 minutes. You can tent it with a piece of aluminum foil to cool completely - this will make the bread really moist!. Once cooled completely, turn the pan to remove the pumpkin bread and frost!
- To make the cream cheese frosting, use a hand-held mixer or a stand-alone mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Cream together the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar until fluffy and smooth. Add milk if necessary - you don't want the frosting to be too runny as it should sit on top of the bread, not fall down the sides. Only use milk if necessary. Frost cooled bread and enjoy!
Notes
For extra moistness, let bread cool for 15ish minutes then gently cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. This trick will help produce a very moist bread.
Maybe it’s just me… but where does it say how much cream cheese to use for the frosting? I have looked and looked at the ingredient list and the instructions. Am I missing it?
4 ounces! I apologize – it was not on the recipe card. It has since been updated. Enjoy!
Why do you use unsalted butter and then add salt to it ? That makes no sense to me.
I like to use unsalted or low sodium ingredients because I can then control the amount of salt. If you use salted butter, simply omit the salt – you don’t want to add too much.
Hi Jessica: do you wrap the entire loaf in plastic after taking it out of the pan?
Yes, you can do that or you can wrap it while it’s still in the pan. Just make sure it’s not crazy hot, just warm. Enjoy!
I added raisins and nuts. Super good.
yum!
This is an amazing recipe. I had to bake a little longer and added pecans.
Thank you!!