Skinny Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mini Loaves
Can we all just stop for a moment to appreciate fall before it’s gone and winter is here?
There’s something so perfectly comforting about the cool fresh air gently blowing the warm colored leaves across the ground. It makes me want to curl up in a big cozy sweater with a good book and sip on a pumpkin spiced latte whilst taking bites of pumpkin loaf in between chapters.
Too much pumpkin at once? I think not.
Really, there are so many delicious foods on my list for fall but I had to start with this recipe because of a serious Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte craving a few weeks ago. At the time, the heat was a bit too much for a hot drink so I ordered a pumpkin cream cheese loaf made by La Boulange instead. The second that moist pumpkin flavor hit my tongue, I immediately jotted down a mini loaf pan on my shopping list and set out to recreate my own version at home.
La Boulange’s pumpkin loaf claims to be reduced-fat which I personally favor, but the ingredient list was a weeeee bit long for my taste. I did my best to keep my ingredient list short and I actually made them twice in effort to perfect the texture and flavor while keeping them skinny. Luckily, the second time was a charm.
They turned out moist and fluffy with a hint of richness from the molasses and just enough sweetness from the cream cheese topping. Actually, I had to bring half of them to work because I don’t think the whole skinny part matters if you eat the entire pan in one sitting. Ahem.
Skinny Pumpkin Cream Cheese Mini Loaves
Yield: 8 mini loaves or 2 regular loaves
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 45
Ingredients:
For the loaves
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 pasture-raised eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
For Cream Cheese Swirl
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (I used vegan cream cheese)
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and sift dry ingredients (from all purpose flour to pumpkin pie spice) together in a large bowl then set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients (from eggs to canola oil) in a separate large bowl and stir until mixed well.
- Add 1/3 of the dry mixture at a time to the wet mixture while stirring just until combined. Careful not to over-stir.
- Grease a mini loaf pan and divide batter until each is about 3/4 of the way full.
- Make the cream cheese swirl by combining all of the ingredients and beating on high for one minute. It just be slightly fluffy and thick.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of the mixture in a line lengthwise down the center of the loaf and swirl with a knife into the batter. I used just enough for a light swirl but if you prefer more cream cheese flavor, feel free to double or triple the amount.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 (closer to 35 if using more than one tablespoon of the cream cheese swirl) minutes. Stick a toothpick or knife in the center and if it comes out clean then they are done. Allow to cool for five to ten minutes before serving. They can be refrigerated in air tight container for up to 3 days.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
Yum, yum, YUM! I love pumpkin & am going to start making some recipes (like this one!) ASAP… I wanted to wait until the official start to fall to rekindle my pumpkin obsession but now that it’s here, pumpkin pancakes here I come! :)
I’m getting super excited for all the pumpkin recipes popping up on blogs! This looks wonderful, per usual! I love how adorable mini loafs are and the cream cheese swirl is awesome.
I am so into pumpkin this season… thank you blogland. I have liked it before but have not cooked/baked with it this much like ever!
The loaf looks gorgeous… I bet your kitchen smelled heavenly
First off the craziest thing happened…you were in my dream. Except it wasn’t you per se, just someone claiming to be you. And you warned me not to schedule my posts since blogger was only was cutting out pieces of my post and posting them anyway. It was trippy…not gonna pretend like I didn’t wake up freaking out. On the bright side you were the one who saved the day!
Thoughts on subbing GF flour in this? I need this in my face.
Well, I’m glad I could be of help!! :)
I think GF AP flour might work but I wouldn’t know for sure until I tried it. You should make a GF version for your blog!!
I actually bought a bunch of mini-loaf pans at World Market last year because they were just so adorable! I’ve used them to make little brownies, banana breads, and cornbreads! Now I need to try these yummy pumpkin loaves! I love that they’re healthy-ish too!
I’m pretty powerless against a recipe with pumpkin in, especially when cream cheese is involved! Those two go together so well. Pinning this and hopefully trying asap!
Thanks Kelly! They do go together perfectly. I hope you like them if you get a chance to make them. I know it can be hard to make other recipes when you have to cook new things for your own blog. There’s so much I miss out on because I am trying to think of something unique…sigh.
Your recipes have been incredible looking lately. I get so overwhelmed sometimes when blog reading because there are just so many things I NEED to make! ;)
I hear you- I am constantly overwhelmed by all of the great recipes on the web. There just isn’t enough time in the day!
Anything consisting of the words skinny and pumpkin must be amazing! All these pumpkin recipes popping up are making me feel all giddy inside! This loaf looks fabulous! I’ve already pinned it!
Thanks Katherine! :)
I still have a can of pumpkin I bought a couple of weeks ago in the cupboard, but this might be the recipe I bring it out for ;-) I love the idea of adding a cream cheese swirl, that sounds amazing!
Since we get, like, 2 seconds of fall before it gets so so so chilly and so so so gray, I will definitely be soaking it up. Plus, I love anything mini… Adorable!
Yum! This looks incredible! I am in love with all things pumpkin and I don’t think there can ever be too much at one meal! Pumpkin latte + pumpkin loaf = Fall perfection!
These are over the top adorable, my friend! I’ve yet to make pumpkin bread this year, so this will be a fabulous first batch. The only issue is my lack of mini loaf pans…I’ll have to grab a couple at the store. Yumm!
I don’t think you could ever have too much pumpkin at once. Plus, it’s good for you, right? ;) These (1) are so adorable and (2) look SO good.
Great looking recipe! I can’t wait to dive headfirst into more pumpkin recipes and this one looks superb :D.
Oh my gosh, these look amazing! I love pumpkin loaves, and I buy this really yummy pumpkin butter from Trader Joe’s that goes with everything!
Get in my mouth now little pumpkin loaf with cream cheese swirl. Droooool. I soooo need to make this. My pumpkin cravings have hit an all time high with this recipe staring me in the face.
thanks for sharing!
These look so tasty! I LOVE cream cheese and pumpkin. Together? Heaven! The luscious cream cheese on the top. I want to bite into that so bad right now! ;)
These are beautiful and look delicious!! Thanks for the inspiration!
All I need is a giant cup of coffee to go with a slice of this gorgeous loaf! yum!
Those mini loaves are so adorable and look so darn good too! Now, I need to buy some mini loaf pans. Do you think I could use a regular loaf pan by chance?
Thanks Holly! Yes, I think a regular loaf pan would work fine. I’m not sure if it would make one or two loaves but you could always put whatever is leftover in a muffin tin.
Ok I absolutely loved that you posted this recipe! I really want to make this! I’m with you and have been holding off on going to crazy with pumpkins until end of September/October but now that it is officially pumpkin season in my book, I’m ready for this! Plus, I love that it is skinny!
Good lord this looks incredible. I cannot think of a more perfect recipe for fall. I need to pick up a mini loaf pan- that is the cutest thing ever!
Is this a joke?? That looks so effing amazing I just want to shove the whole thing at my face. I wish I could eat these ingredients! Wahhh!!!!!!!! You always make the yummiest looking stuff. You suck. Not really of course – you’re wonderful. But you make me want to break my Paleo diet and challenge every time you make food porn.
Mmm, this looks absolutely delicious! I’ve been starting to crave pumpkin bread, and your addition of cream cheese has me needing it!
These look amazing, and I’m so impressed that you could recreate them! I am quite scared of making my own recipes for baked goods. That cream cheese swirl looks to die for!
Very cute little loaves! While I’m looking forward to making at least a couple pumpkin recipes this fall, it might still be a little bit longer for me. Though, I’m really looking forward to some pumpkin pancakes or waffles. I’m weird though and might be the only girl left in the USA that is not a fan of PSL’s at all.
I love all things pumpkin so these sound amazing! I made healthy breakfast pumpkin muffins a few weeks ago. I really liked them and they were a great breakfast option but I have been thinking something a tiny bit sweeter would be nice to have around for a somewhat healthy dessert or afternoon treat.
No way I can’t wait to hear your news :)
These loaves look great! We so don’t go pumpkin crazy here at all but your making me want to. We have a cafe here that calls those mini loaves Moaves as in Mini-Loaves or Muffin-Loaves and I just love that name for them.
I am soooo ready for pumpkin recipes AND fall! I love these mini loaves!
I want to know the story of how you started baking/cooking? Did you come from a family that did it? Because sister friend…you are so good at it! These loaves…I would most definitely ruin them. Or they would just be ugly…your swirl on the top is perfect!
Girl, I’m no pro when it comes to baking. I’ve had some serious failures in my kitchen but I try my best to learn from my mistakes. I was raised by a single mother who did her best to cook for us but it often meant Hamburger Helper and Shake n’ Bake most nights. No one taught me how to cook, I just started experimenting after reading blogs for so many years. And the first time I made these, they were totally ugly. The swirl was still lighter than what I wanted the second time around but oh well. I’m no professional so these are as good as it gets!
Thanks for the compliment though! :)
These look amazing! Love the cream cheese/pumpkin combo and the cute little loaves :)
Totally making this for Thanksgiving. Looks absolutely wonderful.
I love everything pumpkin and cream cheese! Seriously… if I could, I would eat it all day, every day! I am so excited to try out this skinny pumpkin bread!!!!
Girl.
Rebekah came home last night and said, “Did you look at makingthymeforhealth??” And I was all, no, I haven’t blogged in 2 days because of work shit and she told me about this. Oh. My. Gahhh.
This looks and sounds SO freaking amazing! I’m with you – I’ve been trying to hold off on the pumpkin thing because once I start, I cannot stop, but it’s happening and I’m loving it! What I’m loving even more, though, is this! I am pinning this to keep forever this sounds SO amazing. I bet your man is thrilled that he chose you! :) Mine would be so happy if I could make stuff like this! LOL!
And like, the inside, it’s so warm and moist looking. You have talent, my friend.
Haha TELL US THE NEWS!!!!!!!!!! :)
Hahaha…you are freakin’ hilarious. I think your man is pretty happy he got such a beautiful girl with a great personality. You don’t need to know how to cook!;)
You have the best recipes! I wish I had one of these right now! It would go perfectly with this vanilla spice tea I’m drinking. I tried making a pumpkin cream cheese thing the other week and it didn’t turn out as well as yours look!
Thank you Alex! :)
Mmmmm, yes it would go perfect with vanilla spice tea! Yum.
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Now I know what I’ll be doing while the husband watches football on Sunday! I wonder if you could make 1 big loaf….I only have 2 mini loaf pans
You could definitely make one big loaf! You might have enough left over for one of the mini loaf pans too.
Oh wow! I pretty much can’t pin this one fast enough! Love the whole grains, reduced fat and super-nutritious pumpkin … and the massive YUM factor! Great photos, awesome post! :D
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Do you have the nutrition?
Hi Nikki! I don’t calculate nutrition facts due to time constraints but if you need to find out just enter the ingredients you use into My Fitness Pal and that will give you the calories.