This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.

This paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl cheesecake is a tender and spiced paleo pumpkin bread, layered with a sweet, dairy-free cream cheese filling. One of my very favorite paleo fall recipes, this paleo pumpkin bread next level! It will become one of your favorite paleo fall recipes, too.

Paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl sliced

If there’s one food I miss on a paleo diet, it’s cream cheese. Slathered onto bagels (Oh… now I miss bagels, too), spread across warm slices of paleo pumpkin bread, stirred into herb dips, whipped with butter and sugar and piped onto muffins? Cream cheese is my jam. Coincidentally… also quite like cream cheese on toast with jam, now that you mention it.

Alas, cream cheese isn’t exactly paleo-friendly, even though I do include some dairy, like yogurt and butter, in my diet. When it comes to food I make for us to enjoy at home, though, I keep conventional, non-fermented dairy out of it. That doesn’t mean my craving for the tangy, creamy stuff goes away! Especially when it comes to paleo pumpkin bread.

In autumn, all the paleo pumpkin bread and pumpkin cheesecake combos are on the horizon of potential, just staring at me from their peak of perfect pairings. I’ve already shared my recipe for paleo pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with cream cheese frosting with you, so you know the paleo pumpkin bread + cream cheese love is so real. But this? This is something else.

Paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl.

Paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl sliced with one piece on a plate

Here’s how this paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl gets its wings: A layer of creamy, tangy (but still easy!) dairy-free “cream cheese” is sandwiched between layers of a tender, spiced paleo pumpkin bread with the perfect crumb, then topped with more of the sweet paleo cream cheese. The result, this paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl, is magical and indulgent with no gluten, no grains, no refined sugar, and no dairy.

It’s a Great Pumpkin miracle, pretty sure, y’all.

The truest compliment to the recipe, though, is in how entirely too fast I consumed it. During the fall and winter, I’m surrounded by holiday treats–all paleo, of course–and they beckon to me throughout the day, seducing a quick after-meal bite or mid-afternoon snack. I try my best to avoid snacking on “paleoified” treats too often, but I had positively no fight against this paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl.

Each morning, I’d jimmy a slice of this paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl out of the loaf pan, take it with my coffee to the couch, and sit there with Leo in the morning, watching Curious George and negotiating with myself about going back for seconds. Filling but not heavy, tender but not too soft, spiced but not overly so, it’s a fantastic breakfast, snack, or treat during fall and winter!

Paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl sliced with a bite out of one piece

Why This Recipe Works

  • The paleo pumpkin bread base is tender and moist but not too dense with the perfect crumb.
  • An easy and sweet, dairy-free “cream cheese” layer goes in between and on top of a couple layers of the paleo pumpkin bread, leveling up the everyday paleo pumpkin bread with a rich and tangy addition.
  • It’s totally dairy- and grain-free! Sweetened only with unrefined sweeteners, too.

Variations

  • Skip the cream cheese layer entirely if you like! You’ll still end up with the perfect paleo pumpkin bread loaf.
  • Stir a handful of chocolate chips into the paleo pumpkin bread batter for a super indulgent treat.
  • Turn the baked slices into French toast! Soak the slices in a mixture of eggs and almond milk with a few dashes of cinnamon then fry them up in ghee or coconut oil. O-M-goodness.

Tips

  • Use a high-speed blender to make sure the cream cheese layer becomes very, very smooth. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews in hot water for 4-6 hours to ensure a smooth mixture.
  • Pulse the dry ingredients for the paleo pumpkin bread together in a food processor then add the wet ingredients. Fewer dishes and steps!
  • Make sure you use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
Loaf of paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl

More Recipes To Try

Paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl sliced on a white linen
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
5 from 13 votes

Paleo Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 1 hour
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total 1 hour 15 minutes
This paleo pumpkin bread with cream cheese swirl is moist and tender, stuffed with a sweet, dairy-free cream cheese filling. 
Remove Ads
10 servings

Ingredients

Paleo Cream Cheese Filling

  • 1 cup raw cashews soaked in warm water for at least 4 hours, then drained and lightly dried
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Make the paleo cream cheese filling. Combine all ingredients in high-speed blender and blend until very, very smooth. Scrape into bowl and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly oil with coconut oil.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt, coconut sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda, and set aside.
  • In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and oil, and stir until smooth.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to combine. Pour half of batter into prepared loaf pan and use spatula to smooth. Scrape half of cream cheese filling onto surface and spread evenly with spatula. Scrape remaining half of pumpkin bread batter onto cream cheese layer and spread evenly with spatula, followed by the remaining cream cheese filling. Spread evenly with spatula.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown, then tent with foil and bake for another 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top springs back.
  • Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Keeps in an airtight container for several days.

Video

You can make the paleo pumpkin bread batter in the food processor: pulse to combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and pulse to mix well. Continue with the recipe as written.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Calories: 3936calProtein: 95gFat: 295gSaturated Fat: 120gCholesterol: 491mgSodium: 2766mgPotassium: 1718mgTotal Carbs: 276gFiber: 47gSugar: 125gNet Carbs: 229gVitamin A: 38845IUVitamin C: 21.9mgCalcium: 873mgIron: 24.4mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate this Recipe Tag @40Aprons on Instagram
Cheryl Malik

In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.

Never Miss A Meal!

New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox

A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.

Leave A Review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

23 Comments

  1. This was delicious and easy to make. I subbed Swerve for the coconut sugar in the cake part, still came out amazing. I only soaked the cashews for a few hours, as my Vitamix can handle the cashews well. I used coconut oil. The only thing I would change would be to add a little more pumpkin pie spice. I kept this out on the counter wrapped up, and it even tasted better the next morning. I love these anti-inflammatory recipes! I always feel good after eating these new Paleo creations vs feeling bloated and gross when eating foods with grains and highly processed ingredients. Normally I don’t use sugar replacements but I seem to tolerate moderate amounts of erythritol well.5 stars

    Reply

  3. This recipe is amazing (as are all of these that I have tried on this website)! I actually swapped out the maple syrup and coconut sugar with Swerve sweetener to make this more “keto friendly” and it came out fantastic!! Wow!! This will be on repeat in our house this fall! Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  4. HI there! So I’m new to this type of eating…Is this whole30 approved? This looks so good. I’m all about anything pumpkin….

    Reply

  5. Hi, Cheryl! This looks and sounds amazingly good!
    Regarding the filling, I have a daughter who is deathly allergic (i.e., anaphylactic!) to cashews and pistachios (they’re related to each other, believe it or not). Can you suggest anything else that’s fairly easy to find in stores and not too $$ in place of the cashews?
    I eat prepared sunflower butter because peanuts give me migraines. Not sure if that would be creamy enough or taste right in place of cashews in the “cream cheese”, though. Thank you in advance! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Jean Allen! So, I honestly don’t know how I would substitute the cashews. They add a richness and denseness that I don’t think you could easily replicate. Can she have vegan cream cheese or regular cream cheese?5 stars

      Reply

Where To Next?