Spiced Butternut Squash Bread
This Butternut Squash Bread Recipe is moist, perfectly spiced, and easy to make. Made with whole wheat flour and applesauce, this recipe is on the healthier side – meaning it’s yours to enjoy anytime!
I love this easy butternut squash bread recipe. With spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, it’s a bit reminiscent of pumpkin bread with warm fall flavors. It is great all year round though so don’t get hung up on the fall flavor profile. Apple sauce helps to keep it super moist while also reducing the amount of oil used and I opted for whole wheat flour as a healthy swap.
Enjoy this warm with some butter for breakfast or with some tea as dessert or an afternoon snack. Either way, it’s going to become a favorite!
And did I mention the prep time is just a few minutes? That’s a win-win for me.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Eggs – Gives the bread shape and helps to hold it all together.
- Vegetable oil – Adds fat to the bread to help keep it moist.
- Sugar – Both light brown sugar and granulated sugar sweeten this squash bread.
- Roasted butternut squash – See below for notes on how to prepare the squash.
- Orange juice – Adds a light orange flavor to brighten up the bread flavor.
- Unsweetened apple sauce – Since we’re adding sugar, you’ll want unsweetened apple sauce.
- Whole wheat flour – I made this bread with whole wheat flour to make it a bit healthier but you can swap for all-purpose if you prefer.
- Baking soda – Helps the bread rise during baking.
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves give the bread a lovely warmth while salt balances the sweetness.
Can this recipe be made with other types of squash?
For sure! Delicata squash, acorn squash, pumpkin any sweeter summer squash will work. I don’t recommend zucchini or spaghetti squash though for this recipe. Spaghetti squash is much too stringy and zucchinis are not the right flavor and way too much water in them for this recipe.
Why Is applesauce used in this recipe?
I added applesauce to this bread so that I could reduce the amount of oil used. Applesauce adds the same moisture that the oil does, without the added fat. It’s a great baking hack!
Can I Add Any Mix-Ins?
Perfectly moist and lightly flavored, I think this squash bread is fantastic as-is. However, feel free to add a mix-in or two if you like. Chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and dried cranberries all make tasty additions.
How to Prepare the Squash
The great thing about roasted butternut squash is that it’s super easy to prepare. And you can use your air fryer or oven. Check out my recent post for step-by-step instructions.
Once you’ve roasted the squash in either your air fryer or oven, allow it to cool. For this squash bread recipe, you’ll need squash puree so you have a few options. You can either mash the squash in a bowl or use a food processor or blender to puree it. The latter will give you a smoother texture but mashing it works in a pinch too.
How to Make Butternut Squash Bread
To begin making your butternut squash loaf, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then prepare your loaf pan by lightly greasing it or lining it with parchment paper.
Make the butternut bread batter by whisking together the egg and oil, then mixing in the sugars until blended. Mix in the applesauce, pureed squash, and orange juice until combined.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Pour the butternut squash bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool completely in the pan before removing it, to avoid breakage.
Can this recipe be made into muffins or mini loaves?
Yes, you can easily turn this squash bread recipe into muffins or mini loaves. You’ll just need to adjust the baking time down by about 10 or 15 minutes, so keep a close eye on the oven.
Like always the bread will be done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
This recipe will make about 4 mini loaves – perfect for sharing or freezing!
How to Store & Freeze Squash Bread
Store your butternut squash loaf at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week. In both cases, you’ll want to have it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
You can also freeze any leftovers. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours, and enjoy.
More Easy Bread Recipes:
- Breakfast Carrot Bread
- Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread
- Guinness Beer Bread
- Lemon Poppyseed Bread
- Healthier Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Moist Gluten-Free Cornbread
Butternut Squash Bread
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups pureed roasted butternut squash
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a loaf pan and/or line it with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk the egg and oil together. Add the sugars and mix until blended.
- Add the applesauce, pureed squash and orange and mix until combined.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spices into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Pour the butternut squash bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let cool completely in the pan before removing it from the pan to avoid breakage or tearing.
Nutrition
Notes
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
After 2 hours in the oven and 5 minutes in the microwave it’s still oozed liquid and was still doughy. My scores I did in the instapot is the only thing different I did. What can I do to improve this? Oh it’s a gal I thought it was a guy pretty ascendant
Hi David, I have never had an issue and suspect it may be because the squash was steamed in the instapot making the squash much more watery then if baked or air fried as mentioned in the post under preparing the squash. If you plan to use an instapot I would recommend ensuring any excess water is removed by straining the puree through cheesecloth and squeezing as you would when removing water from zucchini etc.