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Easy Pumpkin Spice Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

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This easy pumpkin spice banana bread features a tangy cream cheese swirl that makes it look bakery-worthy with minimal effort. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it’s perfect for busy mornings, cozy nights, or as a crowd-pleasing treat.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ginger, pinch of cloves)
  • 3 medium very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
  • ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil (or vegetable oil or melted butter)
  • ⅔ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides. Lightly grease the exposed ends with butter or cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until mostly smooth (a few small lumps are fine). You should have about 1 cup.
  4. Add the pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
  5. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold gently until just combined—no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.
  6. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Use a hand mixer or fork.
  7. Pour about half the banana bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread even. Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the batter (about 5-6 dollops). Pour the remaining batter on top, then add the rest of the cream cheese in dollops. Use a butter knife or skewer to gently swirl in a figure-eight motion (4-5 passes only).
  8. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes. At the 45-minute mark, check the top—if browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (test in a few spots).
  9. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then use the parchment overhang to lift it out and transfer to the rack to cool completely (at least 1 hour before slicing).

Notes

For best results, use room temperature ingredients. Do not overmix the batter. Chill the cream cheese mixture for 10 minutes before adding to prevent sinking. Let the bread cool completely before slicing to allow the cream cheese swirl to set. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin spice banana bread, cream cheese swirl banana bread, easy banana bread, fall baking, pumpkin banana bread

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