Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Cream Cheese Swirls

Moist pumpkin chocolate chip bread with a cheesecake-like cream cheese swirl, big bittersweet chocolate chips, and a healthy twist from Greek yogurt and avocado oil. One batch makes two loaves.

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread with cream cheese swirls is one of my favorite breads to bake in the fall and winter. My family and friends love it, and it’s usually gone the same day I make it.

There’s a whole can of pumpkin in the batter, a homemade pumpkin spice blend, and a generous amount of big bittersweet chocolate chips. Layers of sweetened cream cheese bake into a smooth, cheesecake-like ribbon that runs through every slice. Full-fat Greek yogurt and avocado oil make it healthy-ish without giving up a moist, tender crumb.

If you love the combination as much as I do, the same spice blend and cream cheese filling also go into my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with cream cheese and streusel.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Pumpkin puree: One full 15 oz (425 g) can. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has sugar and spices added.
• Full-fat plain Greek yogurt: Keeps the bread moist.
• Avocado oil: Gives a soft, tender crumb. Any neutral vegetable oil works.
• Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla extract works as a 1:1 swap. You’ll just miss the dark specks of vanilla bean in the crumb.
• Brown sugar: Mixed into the wet ingredients until it dissolves.
• Bittersweet chocolate baking chips: The big baker’s-style chips give you pockets of chocolate instead of tiny specks.
• Homemade pumpkin spice: Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and clove. Or use 2½ tablespoons store-bought.
• Cream cheese: Two 8 oz blocks, softened, for lump-free filling. Use brick-style cream cheese, not whipped or tub-style.
• Milk: Thins the filling slightly. Water works too.

How to Make Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread with Cream Cheese Swirls

1. Prep the oven and pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 1 lb loaf pans.

2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, avocado oil, vanilla bean paste, and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Dissolving the sugar first gives you a smooth batter.

3. Mix the dry ingredients. Set aside ⅔ cup of the chocolate chips for the top. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and the remaining 1⅓ cups of chips.

4. Combine. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Set aside.

5. Make the cream cheese filling. In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour, milk, and egg with an electric mixer or whisk until completely smooth, with no lumps.

6. Layer the loaves. Start with a layer of pumpkin batter in each pan, then alternate with the cream cheese filling until the pans are ¾ full.

7. Swirl and top. Run an offset spatula, or any thin utensil, through just the top layer to swirl the cream cheese and pumpkin batter together. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top.

8. Bake. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. If the tops get too dark, cover them loosely with foil.

9. Cool. Let the loaves cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Slicing while warm smears the cream cheese layer and can leave the crumb gummy. Once cool, refrigerate them.

How to Store Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

• Refrigerate it. Unlike plain pumpkin bread, this loaf has a cheesecake-like filling, so it belongs in the fridge once completely cool. Wrap it well or store it in an airtight container, and refrigerate it within 2 hours of setting it out, or within 1 hour if it’s above 90°F.
• Freeze it. Wrap whole loaves or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then seal in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw it in the fridge. Move frozen loaves or slices to the fridge rather than thawing them on the counter, so the cream cheese filling stays cold the whole time. Overnight is usually enough for a whole loaf.
• Serving. Enjoy it cold straight from the fridge, when the swirl slices most cleanly, or let slices sit out briefly to take the chill off. To serve it warm, microwave a slice for 10 to 30 seconds just before eating.

Variations on Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

For more texture, add:

• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Toffee bits

Instead of bittersweet chocolate chips, try:

• Dark chocolate chips
• Milk chocolate chips
• White chocolate chips
• Butterscotch chips
• Cinnamon chips
• Peanut butter chips

Make it a muffin: The same flavors come in muffin form, with a crunchy cinnamon streusel on top, in my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

Frequently Asked Questions

This pumpkin chocolate chip bread is made for the holidays. Bring a loaf to Thanksgiving or Christmas, wrap one up for a neighbor, or keep both for slow mornings with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

If you bake it, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a rating and a comment below, and save it to Pinterest so it’s ready for next fall.

Looking for more baking recipes? For another easy quick bread, my lemon blueberry bread with walnuts is ready for the oven in 10 minutes. To round out a holiday dessert spread, there’s my bakery Swiss roll cake, custard bread pudding with vanilla sauce, baked cinnamon apples, and giant flourless chocolate cookies.

Thanks so much for stopping by!