Cozy up with a slice of this unforgettable butternut squash bread. It is warm and perfectly spiced and a great alternative to pumpkin bread!
What is it
This butternut squash bread is a warmly spiced bread that is light and packed full of flavor. It is perfect with a glass of tea or coffee.
Butternut squash is actually a very good replacement for pumpkin puree which sometimes goes through shortages. The flavors are very similar, so you can use them interchangeably.
It is great to slice and enjoy during the cold autumn and winter days.
Ingredients
What I love about this butternut squash bread is very simple to put together and only requires a few simple key ingredients, most of which you may already have in your kitchen.
- Flour - This is where we get a lot of our structure. I recommend using all-purpose flour, or even white whole wheat flour.
- Sugar - The sugar adds sweetness and structure. We use two types of sugar to get the best flavor in our bread.
- Leavener - The leavener is used to help the bread rise and become nice and fluffy. We only need a little to get a great result!
- Salt - The salt enhances the flavors of all the spices and the puree to make them come alive on your tastebuds.
- Spices - We use a medley of spices including cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. You can also add a pinch of allspice, cloves, or cardamom to add more of a pumpkin spice feel.
- Butternut squash puree - The star of the recipe. The recipe also works for pumpkin puree. In fact, you can often use the two interchangeably. They have a similar flavor when baked. The benefit of using butternut squash puree is that it rarely sells out at the grocery stores, unlike canned pumpkin puree.
- Eggs - Eggs help build the structure and keep everything together. Use room temperature large eggs.
- Oil - We use oil instead of butter to let the other flavors shine. It also helps to keep the bread from drying out. I recommend any neutral-flavored oil that you like!
- Juice - Believe it or not, a splash of juice adds a lot of dimension to the bread. Not just any juice though. You should use orange juice, however, apple cider will also work
- Vanilla - We use vanilla to round out the flavors of the loaf.
Method
This butternut squash bread is very easy to make. The most difficult part is making the butternut squash puree we need for the recipe. Luckily, a single squash makes enough for a few loaves so you can get more than just one single loaf for your work.
Start by roasting the butternut squash. I recommend cutting the squash in half along its length and gutting out the seeds. Roast cut side up smothered with butter and spices.
Scoop out the flesh and mash!
From there, all you need to do is make the quick bread. Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, then mix them together and bake!
I've ad a few people ask, the loaf pan I used is from Nordicware!
In the photos I topped the bread with a glaze. It is not a part of the recipe, as it isn't really integral to the recipe. If you are wondering though, I used caramel sauce with powered sugar, a touch of instant espresso, and heavy cream!
Storage
The loaf is good at room temperature for up to a week in an airtight container. You can freeze the loaf in an air tight container for up to a month.
You can freeze leftover puree in an airtight container for up to a month as well.
F.A.Q.s
Yes! You can use regular pumpkin puree. Roasted and mashed sweet potatoes would also work well!
Yes! This bread would be great with a cinnamon swirl, chocolate chips or even topped with a nice streusel.
Related recipes
If you want to do more with your butternut squash, you can try this butternut squash hummus. butternut squash pie, and butternut kale salad. For other similar autumn recipes, you might want to try this chocolate chip pumpkin muffin recipe or honey pumpkin bread. These pumpkin cream cheese bars and pumpkin coffee cake are also great. You will also love my cozy autumn baking ebook!
Butternut Squash Bread
Ingredients
For the butternut squash puree
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the bread
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup butternut squash puree
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ½ cup flavorless oil
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the butternut squash in half along its length. Rub with butter.
- Roast for 45 minutes then scoop outside the insides. Mash well with the spices, and allow it to cool to room temperature. *
- Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
- Stir together the sugars, four, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a large bowl, set aside.
- Whisk together the butternut squash puree, eggs, oil, orange juice, and vanilla together until well-combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, then stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
Cecilia says
Hi! Would regular orange juice work? Or would it need to be fresh squeezed?
Amanda Powell says
If it’s something like Simply Orange, that will work. Just not any “orange juice drink” like koolaid
LAKSHMI CAUDILLO says
Hi! Do you have the amount of pumpkin in cups? Thanks! The recipe looks amazinggg
Amanda Powell says
Thank you! The recipe calls for 3/4 cup butternut squash purée, so if you are using pumpkin purée instead, use the same amount of that