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Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread

Pumpkin Spice Pull Apart Bread with fluffy, golden layers and a cinnamon-sugar pumpkin filling baked into a loaf pan. Drizzle a quick cream cheese glaze over warm, pull-apart squares for a tender, spiced finish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin dough
  • 0.75 cup warm milk
  • 2.25 tsp yeast Active dry yeast or instant yeast
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 0.25 cup melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3.25 cup flour
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For pumpkin spice filling
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
For glaze
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 loaf pan

Method
 

Activate the yeast and make the dough
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the warm milk and yeast, then add the sugar, melted butter, egg, and pumpkin puree. Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
  2. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and knead for 7-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and keep the dough warm for best rise.
  3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size. The dough should look puffy and spring back slowly when pressed.
Fill and shape the pull-apart loaf
  1. Roll the dough into a 12x16 rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Aim for even thickness so the layers bake uniformly.
  2. Brush the rectangle with the melted butter, then sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the surface. Leave a small border so filling doesn’t spill too much.
  3. Cut the rectangle into 4 strips lengthwise. Keep the strips aligned for the stacked layers.
  4. Stack the 4 strips and cut them into 6 square stacks. You should have 6 chunky stacks for the loaf pan.
  5. Place the stacks on their sides in a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
Bake and glaze
  1. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Tent with foil halfway through to prevent over-browning.
  2. Make the glaze by mixing cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the warm loaf right after baking so it soaks into the layers.

Notes

For the best pull-apart texture, use warm (not hot) milk and watch the dough rise—if your kitchen is cool, it may take closer to the full rising time. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; rewarm slices in the microwave for 15-25 seconds. Freeze baked bread without glaze for up to 2 months, then thaw and glaze after reheating. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese in the glaze (texture remains creamy enough).