Easy Butternut Squash Quick Bread
During the autumn and winter months there’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh-baked sweet breads. With its sweet, butter-nutty essence and warm autumn spices, this butternut squash bread is the perfect treat to enjoy during the cooler weather seasons. This recipe is for 2 loaves, one for now, and one for gifting or freezing for later.
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 2 5 x 9 loaf pans
- Misc. measuring cups and spoons, mixing spoon
- 1 Cutting board and knife to chop walnuts
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All-Purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. Ground cloves
- 3 Cups White sugar
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil
- 1/2 Cup Plain yogurt regular or Greek style
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Cups Pureed butternut squash
- 1 Cup Raisins regular or golden
- 1 Cup Chopped walnuts optional: pecans
- 1/2 Cup Apple juice to soak raisins
- 2 Tbs. Butter to oil baking pans
Instructions
- Measure the raisins into a 1-cup measuring cup. Pour overenough apple juice to cover the raisins, about ½ cup. Let the raisins soak upthe juice while preparing the batter.
- Coarsely chop 1 cup of walnuts and set aside.
- Butter the two loaf pans and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a medium size mixing bowl sift together the flour, bakingsoda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine sugar with oil and yogurt.Stir for about 1-2 minutes. Then, gently mix in one egg at a time until fullycombined. Stir in butternut squash puree.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients,mixing thoroughly until there is no sign of white flour.
- Strain the raisins and use the leftover juice for somethingelse. Add the raisins and chopped walnuts to the mixture until they are coveredwith the batter.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two loaf pans. Set on a rackin the middle of the oven and bake for 50 – 65 minutes.
- Use a wooden toothpick to test the doneness of the bread byinserting it into the center of each loaf. The toothpick should come out withno sticky dough attached.
- Remove from oven and set on a baking rack to cool 10 – 15 minutes.Tip out the loaves and allow to cool to room temperature before storing. Thebread should last 3-5 days at room temperature, or up to a week if stored inthe refrigerator.
Notes
Here are some optional mix-ins that you could try that enhance the flavor of the bread: chopped pecans, chocolate chips, dried fruits like cranberries, apples, or apricots, pepitas, shredded coconut, or chopped dates. You could also replace the yogurt with sour cream. Vegetables such as mashed avocado or applesauce can replace the oil and add additional flavor. Remember to maintain equal amounts of liquid in the recipe and that substitutions may slightly alter the texture of flavor of the bread.