All the comfort of a spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread with the extra crunch and sweetness of chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, and more!

The Food: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread with Chocolate Chips

Made with a mix of whole-grain flours, this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread is a wholesome way to start the morning and give your sweet tooth a little fix. I used an assortment of nuts and seeds to add more flavor and crunch to the top of the bread, but it’s easy to adapt based on what’s in your pantry. As a bonus, this recipe yields two loaves, so it’s even easier to share.

The Personal: Taking Time to Have Breakfast with Friends

Recently a friend and I shared breakfast and a slower morning. We could have made excuses, infilled extra items on our to-do lists, and rationalized all the reasons we shouldn’t take a morning “off” in the middle of the week. Instead, we cozied at his house, in the room that shines the brightest with morning light. We sipped hot coffee and dove deeper into our current respective challenges. We warmed the oven and finished baking this pumpkin cream cheese bread. We enjoyed fresh-baked slices with sides of maple-drizzled yogurt. In short, we connected and refreshed.

I’ve started to chip away at my ingrained narratives surrounding productivity, and I’m forging paths toward dreams and achievement that include mornings like this one. I know we’re not all in the same boat, and taking the time to have breakfast with a friend may be the furthest from your reality right now. However, if you are able to take the time, I encourage you to do so, especially if it includes a warm slice of pumpkin cream cheese bread.

Tips for Sharing this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

1. Bake the bread for 20-30 minutes, then finish baking the bread wherever you plan on sharing it, so it’s fresh and warm.
2. This bread pairs well with coffee (and refills). I like to support different independent roasters, and Archetype Coffee, out of Omaha, Nebraska (my birth state – woohoo!), is one a favorite in my rotation.
3. Serve this bread warm with a drizzle of creamy local honey or maple syrup.
4. Additionally, I’ll never steer you away from a quick griddle-fry of each slice in brown butter.

You Might Also Like: Fall Harvest Soup

Quinoa makes this soup creamy without the need for dairy, so it’s perfect for sharing with vegan friends. The fall flavors come from applesauce, sweet potatoes, and a hint of maple. This soup comes together quickly and easily, but the pan-fried sage adds a fragrant, show-stopping touch. You can find this recipe and many more in my book, The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook.

Julep’s Corner:

Actual footage of Julep as I was photographing this bread… snooze fest!

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread with Chocolate Chips

A whole-grain twist on a fall classic, loaded with sweet & healthy toppings for an extra crunch.

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: pumpkin

Yield: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup whole grain spelt flour
• 1 cup oat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

Toppings (optional)

• Mini chocolate chips
• Pumpkin seeds
• Dried cranberries
• Chopped pecans
• Golden flaxseeds

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (9x5 inch) bread pans.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until combined.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared bread pans.
• Dollop and distribute the cream cheese evenly between the two loaves. Use a chopstick or a knife to swirl the cream cheese throughout the batter.
• Top the bread with the toppings of your choice.
• Transfer to the oven, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the center is set and a cake tester comes out clean.
• Transfer the bread pans to a cooling rack. Serve warm and enjoy!