Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Pumpkin is one of the best fall flavors (and my personal favorite). And while you’ve probably had your fair share of pumpkin bread, this Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread might just ruin all of the others for you. This loaf is soft, warmly spiced, and has a thick creamy ribbon of cheesecake that bakes right through the center. Every bite is rich, cozy, and exactly what fall should taste like.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
This recipe is easy but delivers stunning results with little effort! With a batter that has an optional overnight fermentation step for those sensitive to gluten, you choose if you want to bake this bread right away or let it rest. I like to use my own blend of spices to get that perfect “pumpkin spice” flavor.
Why Use Sourdough in this Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread?
Using sourdough discard in this sourdough pumpkin cream cheese bread adds a slight tang, enhances moisture retention, and makes the crumb softer and more tender. The fermentation process also helps break down gluten, making this loaf easier to digest.
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Tools You’ll Need:
• Hand mixer or sturdy whisk- for blending batter and mixing cream cheese filling.
• Mixing bowls- (1 large, 1 medium)- to mix batter and cream cheese filling.
• Whisk and spatula– to combine ingredients and spread batter in pan.
• 9×5-inch loaf pan- to bake your loaf. I love these pans from USA linked here https://amzn.to/3SrVIC6. Avoid using glass pans, as this takes much longer to bake the bread and doesn’t cook as evenly.
• Parchment paper– to line your pan to avoid burning.
• Kitchen scale (optional)– for accurate measuring- especially helpful with sourdough baking.
• Wire cooling rack- to cool your loaf.
Gather Your Ingredients:
Pumpkin Puree– Brings natural sweetness, moisture, and tenderness to the bread, while giving the bread that classic flavor we want!
Avocado Oil- Adds moisture and keeps the loaf soft and tender. You can substitute for any neutral cooking oil.
Greek Yogurt– Adds moisture and tang to balance sweetness and enhance tenderness of the crumb. You can also substitute for sour cream.
Brown sugar– Helps to sweeten the loaf and gives that fall flavor from the molasses.
White sugar– Boosts sweetness and supports the rise and golden color.
Vanilla extract- Enhances the flavor and brings warmth.
Sourdough starter- (flat or past peak, can be cold or room temperature). Adds depth of flavor, moisture, and just a whisper of tang—without making this bread “sour”. Key for fermentation.
Eggs (room temperature)– provide structure and lift with moisture, works as a binder for ingredients. Helps the cheesecake filling set up.
All-purpose flour- Gives the bread structure while keeping it soft and cakey.
Baking powder + Baking soda– Ensures the right rise and tenderness.
Salt- Balances sweetness and enhances all the other flavors.
Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, and Cardamom- Rounds out the pumpkin flavor and brings that classic pumpkin spice warmth. You can substitute these spices for a pumpkin spice blend of you prefer, but I like to mix my own to guarantee the flavor is the same each time.
Cream Cheese– the base of the cheesecake filling layer. Bring a rich tanginess that blends with the pumpkin perfectly!
Powdered Sugar- sweetens and stabilizes the cheesecake filling. You can substitute for granulated white sugar and add 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch if you don’t have this on hand.
Now, let’s bake!
Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 1 egg yolk (18g)
- 2 tbsp (30g) plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup (80g) sourdough discard
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180g) pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup (60g) avocado oil or neutral oil
- ½ cup (95g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
Dry Ingredients:
- 1½ cups (185g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 6 oz (170g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 3 tbsp (24g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp (8g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Step 1: Mix the Batter
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, Greek yogurt, sourdough discard, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin purée, and oil until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to wet. Beat wet ingredients with a whisk or a hand mixer until everything is well combined. Do not overmix.
Overnight Fermentation: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8–12 hours for added fermentation benefits.
Step 2: Make Cheesecake Filling
If you fermented batter overnight, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for an hour to soften the batter.
Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. In a bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, and salt. Mix on low with hand beaters until smooth. Add egg to mixture and beat on low until just combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5” loaf pan with parchment.
If batter was fermented overnight, gently mix with a spatula to combine ingredients.
Pour half the batter into the pan, and spread to the edges. Pour the cheesecake filling over the top. Use a spatula to spread the cheesecake filling to the edge.
Use a spatula to drop spoonful’s of remaining pumpkin bread batter all over the top of the cheesecake filling, then spread top layer of batter to the edge gently. It’s best to work with small amounts of batter and try to drop it evenly over the top, to cover the cream cheese rather than spreading batter. If some of the cheesecake filling pokes through, that’s okay! This step will create your cream cheese swirl.
Use your spatula or a butter knife to draw a line down the center of the batter, this will help guide your bread to split evenly down the center when it rises.
Transfer pan to preheated oven, and bake for 60 minutes, tenting with foil if browning too quickly. A toothpick inserted into the bread portion should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. Internal temperature of bread portion of the loaf should read 200-205 F.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and refrigerate for 1 hour to help the cheesecake filling to set up.
Slice and serve! Enjoy!
Yield: 1 standard 9×5” loaf
Storage:
Room Temperature
-Store the fully cooled loaf tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temp for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator
-Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
FAQ’S:
Can I skip the overnight fermentation?
Yes! you can bake the same day, just mix the batter and bake!
Can I use fresh pumpkin purée instead of canned?
Yes, but make sure it’s well-drained to avoid excess moisture.
Why did my cream cheese sink?
This can happen if you have too little batter in the pan when you add the cheesecake filling. Make sure the pan is half full before adding the cheesecake filling.
Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Equipment
- Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Spatula
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Sourdough Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp (30g) plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup (80g) sourdough discard
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180g) pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup (60g) avocado oil or neutral oil
- ½ cup (95g) white sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
Dry Ingredients:
- 1½ cups (185g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 6 oz (170g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp (24g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp (8g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Mix the Batter:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, Greek yogurt, sourdough discard, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin purée, and oil until smooth.1 large egg, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp (30g) plain Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup (80g) sourdough discard, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ cup (180g) pumpkin purée, ¼ cup (60g) avocado oil or neutral oil, ½ cup (95g) white sugar, ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.1½ cups (185g) all-purpose flour, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Add dry ingredients to wet. Beat wet ingredients with a whisk or a hand mixer until everything is well combined. Do not overmix.
- Overnight Fermentation: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8–12 hours for added fermentation benefits.
Make Cheesecake Filling:
- If you fermented batter overnight, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for an hour to soften the batter.
- Allow cream cheese to come to room temperature. In a bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, and salt. Mix on low with hand beaters until smooth.6 oz (170g) cream cheese, softened, 3 tbsp (24g) powdered sugar, 1 tbsp (8g) all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Add egg to mixture and beat on low until just combined. Set aside.1 large egg
Assemble and Bake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5” loaf pan with parchment.
- If batter was fermented overnight, gently mix with a spatula to combine ingredients.
- Pour half the batter into the pan, and spread to the edges. Pour the cheesecake filling over the top. Use a spatula to spread the cheesecake filling to the edge.
- Use a spatula to drop spoonful’s of remaining pumpkin bread batter all over the top of the cheesecake filling, then spread top layer of batter to the edge gently. It’s best to work with small amounts of batter and try to drop it evenly over the top, to cover the cream cheese rather than spreading batter. If some of the cheesecake filling pokes through, that’s okay! This step will create your cream cheese swirl.
- Use your spatula or a butter knife to draw a line down the center of the batter, this will help guide your bread to split evenly down the center when it rises.
- Transfer pan to preheated oven, and bake for 60 minutes, tenting with foil if browning too quickly. A toothpick inserted into the bread portion should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. Internal temperature of bread portion of the loaf should read 200-205 F.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and refrigerate for 1 hour to help the cheesecake filling to set up.
- Slice and serve! Enjoy!
