Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Printable format)

Moist tender loaf swirled with cream cheese and caramel. Perfect for breakfast or dessert with decadent cheesecake-like center.

# 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
03 - In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, beat the eggs, milk, and vegetable oil until well combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.
05 - Divide half of the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
06 - In a separate bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
07 - Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a line down the center of the batter in each pan.
08 - Top each loaf with the remaining batter, spreading gently to cover the cream cheese layer completely.
09 - Drizzle a stripe of caramel sauce over the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl the caramel into the batter without overswirling.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Some cream cheese residue on the toothpick is acceptable.
11 - Allow loaves to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like cheesecake and cinnamon rolls had a baby, but you dont need to wait for dough to rise.
  • The cream cheese filling stays soft and tangy even after baking, creating pockets of cool richness against the sweet bread.
  • You can make two loaves at once and freeze one for later, or gift it and look like a baking genius.
02 -
  • Do not overfill the pans, leave at least an inch of space at the top or the batter will spill over and bake onto your oven floor.
  • Softened cream cheese is non negotiable, cold cream cheese will not mix smoothly and you will end up with lumps in the filling.
  • The caramel swirl is for looks and flavor, but if you skip it entirely the bread is still delicious.
03 -
  • Use parchment paper slings in your loaf pans for easy removal, just cut a strip that hangs over the long sides and lift the whole loaf out.
  • If your caramel is too thick to drizzle, warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds until it loosens up.
  • Do not skip the cooling step, cutting into warm bread will squish the center and ruin the clean swirl effect.
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