Butternut Squash Bread

5 from 2 votes

A fall inspired quick bread packed with creamy butternut squash and warming spices. Enjoy a slice for breakfast, dessert or an afternoon snack.

Prep Time35

Cook Time55

Total Time1 30

Course: Breads and Muffins, Breakfast and Brunch, Desserts & Sweet Treats, Snacks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 160kcal

Author: Jenn Sebestyen

Equipment

Ingredients

For the butternut squash purée

3 pound butternut squash or 1 packaged (10 oz) frozen butternut squash cubes

For the Butternut Squash Bread

1 cup butternut squash purée
¾ cup organic cane sugar
¾ cup unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk
¼ cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil, like canola or vegetable oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Squash Icing (makes about 1 cup), optional

½ cup cashews soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
¼ cup pure maple syrup or to taste
¼ cup butternut squash purée
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup non-dairy milk or more as needed

Instructions

For the butternut squash purée

(Recommended) To roast you have two options.
1) Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the halves cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven for about 50 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and mash well.
or
2) Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds, then chop into bite-size pieces. Places the squash cubes on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Once tender, mash with a fork or transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth.
(Alternately) Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds, and chop into bite-size pieces. Place in a sauce pan covered with water by about 1 inch. Steam until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Then mash using a fork or potato masher.
(If using frozen squash) Defrost in a microwave safe bowl. Drain off any excess liquid.

For the Butternut Squash Bread

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butternut squash purée, sugar, milk, and oil.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until no visible flour remains. A few lumps are okay. Do not over mix.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes until golden and a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan on a wire rack before removing the loaf from the pan and continuing to cool completely.

For the Cinnamon Squash Icing

As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, add the cashews to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak while the bread cools.
When ready to ice the bread, drain the cashews and add them to a high speed blender along with the maple syrup, squash purée, cinnamon, and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
When the bread is completely cool, spread the icing over the top of the loaf. Alternately, you can use a spoon to drizzle the icing over the bread.

Notes

~ A 3 pound squash will be enough to make both the bread and the icing. Leftover squash, if you have any, can be added to soups, salads, or grain bowls.

~ For best flavor, roast the squash. You don't have to peel the squash if you're roasting halves...just scoop out the flesh when it's done. Prep time is quicker, but cook time is longer, about 50 minutes. For roasting cubes, you'll have to peel it first then cut into cubes, which takes longer to prep but cuts down on cook time, about 25 to 30 minutes.

~ To save time, use a 10 ounce bag of frozen squash cubes. Simply defrost, drain any excess liquid, and mash.

~ Measure the flour using the spoon and level method. Fluff up the flour, spoon it into a measuring cup, then run the back of a knife across the top to level it off.

~ Mix the batter just until no white flour remains visible. A few lumps are fine. Do not over mix!

~ Line the loaf pan with parchment paper and let the ends overhang so you can use them as handles to pull out the loaf after baking.

~ If the loaf is browning too much on top before the middle is cooked, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top and continue baking.

~ Let the bread rest in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to continue cooling completely.

~ You will have leftovers of the icing. It's hard to get out of the blender if you make it in smaller amounts. As luck would have it, leftovers of the icing stored in the fridge will thicken up considerably and it will taste just like cinnamon cream cheese! So slather it on bagels, toast or graham crackers and enjoy! You're welcome!

Nutrition