Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Step 1:

Take 3 eggs and your cream cheese out of refrigerator and set on kitchen counter. The eggs will reach room temperature in 30-60 minutes. The cream cheese will soften within the same time.

Spray non stick spray into a 9×5 loaf pan, then insert parchment paper, leaving a couple inches over the sides.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients.

In a medium size bowl combine: 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder,  1 Tablespoon Ceylon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves and allspice, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare Cream Cheese Filling.

Using a stand up mixer or a handheld mixer, add 1/4 cup coconut sugar to mixing bowl, 1 egg lightly whisked, 7-8 oz of softened cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until just combined, scraping down sides. Then add 2 Tablespoons of King Arthur Gluten Free flour and blend just until combined. Remove from bowl and store in airtight container in fridge, until ready to use.

Note: Chilling cream cheese filling for 10- 15 minutes will create a good texture for spreading over pumpkin puree mixture.

Step 3: Melt Butter and Coconut Oil.

Add coconut oil and grass-fed butter in a small bowl and microwave just until melted about 15-20 seconds, then set aside to cool a bit as you prepare the pumpkin puree.

Step 4: Prepare Pumpkin Puree.

You can minimize bowls by using the same bowl of stand up mixer or a handheld mixer (cleaned of course), and add 3/4 cup coconut sugar, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 2 room temperature eggs, cooled melted butter/oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until just combined, scraping down sides as needed. 

Step 5: Add Dry Ingredients to Puree.

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder salt, and spices) into wet ingredients for only about 30 seconds to 1 minute or “just until moistened,” using mixer on low; I pour the about a half a cup of dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until moistened and repeat until all dry ingredients and puree  are gently combine.

The key is not to overmix to keep the bread tender and moist, even if there are small lumps left, as over mixing makes the loaf dense. 

Step 6: Assemble the Loaf.

1. Pour half of the pumpkin bread mixture into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.

2. Gently spread the cream cheese mixture, (that was in the fridge) over the pumpkin bread mixture.

3. Pour the remaining pumpkin bread mixture over the cream cheese mixture and spread out gently.

Step 7.

Roughly chop your 1.5 cups of pecans if needed, and sprinkle evenly over top of loaf.

Bake in oven for 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, do a clean toothpick check and if more cooking time is needed cook for another 5-10 minutes. You may want to tent aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time, to prevent pecans from burning. 

Give yourself a baking window of 60-75 minutes. For reference, my loaf took 70 minutes to cook.

Final Step.

Remove loaf from oven when done and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Serve as is, or with a dollop of non-dairy whipped cream or plain Greek Yogurt.

You can also store in airtight container if preparing ahead of time, and warm up slices in microwave or eat chilled. It’s delicious either way!