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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34 Comments
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Nancy
Nancy
April 28, 2020 8:44 am

Love the presentation as well as the ingredients. Has anyone tried using a glass pie plate or pan?

Lindsey
Lindsey
January 29, 2019 5:03 pm

could you use gluten free flour instead?

Jen
Jen
October 7, 2018 3:09 pm
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
I substituted raisins for the chocolate chips and olive oil for the coconut oil (I’m newly, severely allergic to coconut and palm now ?). It turned out amazing. I’m going to adjust some more, too account for the extra moisture, but man oh man! I could not resist eating about 3 slices!

Stephanie
Stephanie
October 18, 2015 8:00 am

Can we use soy milk instead of almond milk?

Anja Skrba
Anja Skrba
October 13, 2015 5:12 am

Breakfast cake? Ok, I’ll definitely have to give this a try…! 🙂

Thanks for sharing this Katie!
xx
Anja

rachel
rachel
October 9, 2015 3:31 pm

No baking soda or powder?

rachel
rachel
October 12, 2015 7:28 am
Reply to  Lee Funke

Awesome! Thank you for responding! I tried it without but the texture was a bit strange but flavor was great! Can’t wait to try again!

class
September 27, 2015 10:49 pm

I love the cake make by chocolate much.

Kelsey
September 27, 2015 5:11 pm

Cross your fingers I remember to look at my Pinterest this week so I can pick up the ingredients to make this next weekend! =)