Brown Sugar Swirl Pumpkin Breakfast Cake

5 from 3 votes
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Cake for breakfast it is! Pumpkin breakfast cake is a delightful breakfast cake to snack on all season long. It’s made with a delicious brown sugar pumpkin swirl and chocolate chips.

Pumpkin chocolate chip bars in a baking pan with a knife.
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This recipe was inspired by our new pumpkin muffin recipe and our pumpkin pancake recipe. We wanted to come up with a breakfast bread, er cake, that satisfied our sweet tooth, yet that was naturally sweetened.

Our pumpkin breakfast cake is light and fluffy thanks to all-purpose flour and is extremely moist thanks to pumpkin puree, mashed banana, and coconut oil. The pumpkin brown sugar topping is the bee’s knees and adds a hint of sweet to every bite. Bake it at 350ºF for 40 minutes.

What is in pumpkin breakfast cake?

This recipe calls for pantry staples such as all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla extract, eggs, and coconut oil.

Two eggs and mashed sweet potato in a bowl.

Recipe Variations

  • Turn it into muffins: instead of baking this as bread, feel free to fill a muffin tin instead. Bake at 350ºF for 20-23 minutes.
  • Use white whole wheat flour: we tested this recipe with white whole wheat flour. While it does come out a bit dense, it’s still delicious.
  • Add-ins: if you’re not a chocolate chip for breakfast kind of person, feel free to swap it for a chopped nut.
  • Don’t love bananas?: you can use applesauce instead for a less intense flavor.
A brownie with chocolate chips and caramel sauce in a baking pan.

FAQ

Can you make this breakfast cake without eggs?

While we haven’t tested this, feel free to swap the eggs for flax eggs, instead.

Can you make this gluten-free?

To make this recipe gluten-free, swap the all-purpose flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

Can I use a loaf pan?

This cake will fit in a loaf pan. Adjust the bake time and let cook for 50-60 minutes. If the top starts to brown, tent it with a piece of tin foil.

Pumpkin cheesecake bars in a baking pan with chocolate chips.

Storage

Store leftover cake in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

Freezer Directions

Cook the cake as directed and then let it cool for 1 hour. Remove it from the pan and then wrap it tightly in a piece of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Chocolate chip cookie bars on a white plate.

Serving Suggestions

Since this is a breakfast cake, we suggest serving this with a hot cup of pour over or French press. I personally topped mine with a scoop of peanut butter (because I’m obsessed) and a drizzle of maple syrup.

5 from 3 votes

Pumpkin Breakfast Cake

Pumpkin breakfast cake is the ultimate fall breakfast made with a brown sugar pumpkin swirl and chocolate chips.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 12
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Ingredients 

Dry

Wet

Pumpkin Topping

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper.
  • Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
  • Next, add the banana, pumpkin, and eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla, almond milk, and maple syrup and mix again.
    Two eggs and mashed sweet potato in a bowl.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
    A bowl filled with flour and a wooden spatula.
  • Finally, add the coconut oil and mix. The batter should be thicker. A runny batter will result n a mushy center. Transfer the batter to the lined pan.
  • In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin and brown sugar. Add dollops of the brown sugar mixture to the top of the batter. Use a knife or toothpick and swirl the pumpkin over the top of the cake. Top with more chocolate chips.
    A brownie with chocolate chips and caramel sauce in a baking pan.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, turn the pan 180º, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
    Pumpkin bread in a baking pan with chocolate chips.
  • Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out mostly clean. It will continue to bake for a few minutes.
  • Gently lift the parchment paper and place the cake on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Tips & Notes

  • This recipe was rewritten on October 5, 2023.
  • You may need to thin out the batter with 2-4 tablespoons more almond milk if it is not pourable.
  • The bake time may vary based on what oven is used and if you are baking at elevation.

Watch It

Nutrition

Calories: 226 kcal, Carbohydrates: 37 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 7 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 13 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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rachel @ atheltic avocado
September 26, 2015 10:08 am

This is recipe after my own heart! pumpkin, chocolate, cake for breakfast- nuff said 🙂

Les @ The Balanced Berry
September 25, 2015 11:05 pm

This pumpkin breakfast cake sounds (and looks) fabulous! This would be perfect for meal prep 🙂 And girl, you’re coming to my city! Have a blast, you’ll love it up here. Let me know if you need any more recommendations of things to do!

Robert Cordes
September 25, 2015 1:30 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
I am going to have my wife make this for my birthday instead of a big-ol cake. Looks fantastic.

Becky
Becky
September 25, 2015 10:26 am

Was wondering about an alternative pan to use also since I don’t have a cast iron. I’m guessing a basic cake pan will do but I think the cooking time or temp will have to be adjusted. Any ideas?

Lauren
Lauren
September 25, 2015 8:45 am

Yum, this looks so good! Perfect for my never ending addiction to all things pumpkin. What is an alternate dish to cook this in if I do not have a cast iron skillet?

Diana
Diana
September 25, 2015 8:38 am

Any suggestions to make gluten free?

Diane T.
Diane T.
September 25, 2015 10:19 am
Reply to  Diana

I’ve been having good success with recipes by ust replacing wheat flour with All Purpose Gluten Free flour (Krusteaz or Bob’s Red Mill)

Stella @ Stellicious Life
September 25, 2015 8:31 am

It looks divine Lee! I love anything pumpkin, so pumpkin season can’t come soon enough for me 😉

Have a great weekend in Seattle!

My grandma’s turning 90 this weekend, so we’ll have lots of family celebrations and birthday cakes! (which I’ll be making 😉

Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen
September 25, 2015 7:35 am

Yum this sounds SO perfect!!! I’ll be headed to Seattle area at the end of October. My friend lives nearby, and we’ll definitely be hitting up Pike’s Place for some donuts from Daily Dozen Doughnut Company <3 The gum wall is sweet (literally, but kind of sick too, haha). Have fun, can't wait to see pics!

Emily
Emily
September 25, 2015 7:19 am

This sounds fantastic, but MFP estimated it at 1,600 calories per serving. Whoa, I can’t believe that! Do you have accurate nutritional values?

dashofpie
dashofpie
September 25, 2015 7:57 am
Reply to  Emily

I calculated it through MFP at 274 calories for each serving (8 total).

Emily
Emily
September 30, 2015 9:12 pm
Reply to  dashofpie

Awesome! Thank you both! 🙂 🙂

Theresa
Theresa
September 25, 2015 4:49 am

You have to do Pike’s Place market, of course! And for breakfast, Lola’s was AMAZING. Was just there last month, cool city! Enjoy