Caramel Cream Cheese Bread (Printable)

Moist bread swirled with rich cream cheese and sweet caramel, creating a decadent cheesecake-like center perfect for breakfast or 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 granulated white sugar
10 - 1 large egg

→ Topping

11 - 1/4 cup caramel sauce

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 1-pound loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
03 - In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, beat eggs, milk, and vegetable oil until thoroughly blended.
04 - Gradually add dry mixture to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Do not overmix to maintain tender crumb structure.
05 - Divide half of the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.
06 - In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg together until smooth and uniform.
07 - Spoon cream cheese mixture in a single line down the center of the batter in each loaf pan.
08 - Top each loaf with remaining batter, spreading gently to completely cover the cream cheese layer.
09 - Drizzle caramel sauce in a stripe over the top of each loaf. Using a knife, gently swirl the caramel into the batter with minimal stirring.
10 - Bake for 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with light cream cheese residue acceptable.
11 - Allow loaves to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • The cream cheese center tastes like cheesecake baked right into soft, tender bread.
  • It comes together in under an hour with pantry staples and no fancy equipment.
  • Every slice looks bakery perfect with that gorgeous caramel swirl on top.
  • It works as a sweet breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a dessert that doesn't feel too heavy.
02 -
  • Softened cream cheese is critical, cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the filling no matter how long you beat it.
  • Don't overfill the pans, leave at least an inch of space at the top or the batter will spill over as it rises.
  • The caramel swirl disappears if you stir it too much, one or two gentle drags with the knife is all you need.
  • Let the loaves cool completely before slicing or the cream cheese layer will slide right out of the middle.
03 -
  • Use a light hand when folding in the dry ingredients, overmixing activates the gluten and turns the bread tough and chewy.
  • Line the bottom of your loaf pans with parchment paper for foolproof release every single time.
  • If your caramel sauce is too thick to drizzle, warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to loosen it up.
  • Let the batter rest for five minutes before pouring it into the pans, it gives the baking powder time to activate and makes the loaves rise higher.
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