Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Printable)

Enjoy a moist, tender quick bread with rich cream cheese and sweet caramel swirls. Ideal for breakfast or a decadent dessert.

# What You Need:

→ Bread Batter

01 - 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
02 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
03 - 2 tablespoons baking powder
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 2 cups whole milk or 2% milk
07 - 2/3 cup vegetable oil

→ Cream Cheese Filling

08 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
09 - 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
10 - 1 large egg

→ Topping

11 - 1/4 cup caramel sauce

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Whisk together brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until well blended.
03 - Beat eggs, milk, and vegetable oil in a large bowl or stand mixer until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent tough texture.
05 - Divide half the batter evenly between prepared loaf pans, spreading to create an even base layer.
06 - Beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg in a separate bowl until smooth and creamy.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a continuous line down the center of batter in each pan.
08 - Top with remaining batter, spreading gently to completely cover the cream cheese filling.
09 - Drizzle caramel sauce in stripes over each loaf. Gently swirl knife through caramel and batter once or twice—avoid over-swirling.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean. Some cream cheese residue is acceptable.
11 - Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Cool completely before slicing for clean cuts.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cream cheese layer stays impossibly creamy while the bread stays tender for days
  • That caramel ribbon creates these gooey pockets that make every slice feel like a treat
  • Mixes up in one bowl without any fancy techniques or waiting time
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter makes the bread tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The toothpick test is tricky here; a little cream cheese on the skewer is normal and expected
  • Underswirling the caramel is better than overswirling; you want distinct ribbons, not blended flavor
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and prevent lumps in the cream cheese layer
  • Making your own caramel sauce takes minutes and tastes infinitely better than store-bought
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