Butternut Squash Bread

by Jamie on September 2, 2010

Post image for Butternut Squash Bread

If you read my last post and were intrigued by the butternut squash purée, definitely get comfy for a few minutes and warm up your printer, because this recipe may interest you. I’m talking butternut squash bread and perfection today…I promise there is a correlation, so continue reading. I have issues with perfection. In fact, my parents took me to a child psychologist at the ripe age of 7 due to my obsessive tendencies, clearly it was money well spent.

I am always searching for it, the perfect recipe, the perfect pair of shoes, the perfect arch in my brows. Obviously perfection is relative and varies from person to person, but for me, the search is endless and sometimes exhausting.

Rarely do I claim that a recipe is perfection. Why? Well, because I am always tweaking and fiddling with things to make them…well, closer to my version of perfect. If you were to ask anyone that knows me well, I think they would agree that I am rarely content; meaning I am always in search of something bigger and better. This can be deemed a character flaw to some or an attribute to others. Again, it’s all relative.

However, earlier this week I came up with a recipe for butternut squash bread that defined perfection {at least in my warped sense of the word}. The combination of flavors and the level of moistness were truly stunning. Brian took one bite and uttered the word “amazing” trust me this is not a term that he uses loosely. The beauty of this bread is that is seems to become more complex with time. So by day two it had transformed itself into a lovely moist bread full of rich, autumnal flavors. It paired perfectly with a cup of hot chai tea for breakfast and even a late night snack with a smear of butter. Although the flavors are definitely reminiscent of pumpkin bread, the texture of the bake bread is a little lighter.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did…although it may not be your version of perfection, I’m confident you’ll at least find it delectable. Have a fantastic weekend.

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Butternut Squash Bread

Yield: 1 Loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup butternut squash purée
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the butternut squash puree, eggs, oil, water and sugars until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.

3. Stir the dry ingredients into the butternut squash mixture. Combine just until incorporated; do not over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Notes:

- Make it your own... this is the perfect base recipe to play around with, toss in some mini semi sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate, nuts, dried cranberries, etc. Have fun and get creative!

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{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }

avatar 1 christi September 2, 2010 at 4:08 pm

wow, this looks delicious. the farmer’s market farmer’s are getting their acorn squash in finally. i cannot wait to make this. i bet this would be amazing with honey butter. thank you for posting.

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avatar 2 Jessica @ How Sweet September 2, 2010 at 4:13 pm

The recipe sure sounds like it’s perfect – it sounds incredible!

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avatar 3 Joe @ Eden Kitchen September 2, 2010 at 5:05 pm

This does sound lovely. Pumpkin Bread and Squash Bread are not common here in New Zealand. In fact, pumpkin and squash are not often used in sweet foods at all – only savory. I tried some pumpkin bread when I visited the US and loved it. I have a feeling the butternut squash bread will be even better and can’t wait to try making it. Thanks!

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avatar 4 Maria September 2, 2010 at 5:09 pm

I want a slice! Perfect for breakfast or a snack!

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avatar 5 Amber September 2, 2010 at 5:48 pm

Sweetheart, you had me at cardamom.

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avatar 6 Steve September 5, 2010 at 5:35 pm

I thought the same thing, Amber!

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avatar 7 Tiffany March 1, 2011 at 10:54 pm

What is cardamom? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.

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avatar 8 Jamie March 3, 2011 at 3:38 pm

It is a spice and found in most grocery stores.
-Jamie

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avatar 9 Tiffany March 4, 2011 at 1:01 pm

Thanks Jamie! I can leave it out though without ruining the bread right? I have a butternut squash that needs to be used right away and I’ve been drooling over this recipe. :P I think I’m going to add chocolate chips to it! YUM!

avatar 10 naomi September 2, 2010 at 6:14 pm

Delish and more delish! I am a fan of anything butternut squash. I love what you did and can’t wait to try it.

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avatar 11 Laura L. September 2, 2010 at 6:24 pm

Just had to comment on Brian’s use of “amazing”. I appreciate that he doesn’t throw it around loosely! That word is so overused nowadays and it bothers me. Can’t wait to try this bread.

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avatar 12 Erin September 2, 2010 at 6:33 pm

YUM!! Looks like a good recipe with pumpkin puree as well! Cant wait to try it :)

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avatar 13 Jan September 2, 2010 at 7:17 pm

This does look perfect! It makes me impatient for fall!

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avatar 14 Joanne September 2, 2010 at 8:27 pm

I have absolutely no doubt that I will find this absolutely perfect. Perhaps because I have a deep-seeded love for anything that involves butternut squash. And also because I trust your opinion implicitly. I’m a perfectionist as well, so I know how hard it can be to really be satisfied with something. Amazing.

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avatar 15 Souffle Bombay September 2, 2010 at 9:56 pm

I have never even heard of bread made from squash, lovely idea!!! Thanks!

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avatar 16 Michelle September 2, 2010 at 10:42 pm

Yum! I’ve been excited to find out what you were going to make with that butternut squash purée.

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avatar 17 Katie September 3, 2010 at 7:19 am

Oh yum! This sounds fantastic. I love the colour and sweetness it would add. I can almost taste it. Why I have never tried this before? Looks delicious.

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avatar 18 Katrina September 3, 2010 at 7:23 am

This recipe will be perfect for fall! It looks so good!

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avatar 19 Megan September 3, 2010 at 9:05 am

Fall is calling my name to come out and play with this bread. Love it!

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avatar 20 Evan @swEEts September 3, 2010 at 9:45 am

This looks great.. I love fall desserts.. I’m kind of bummed its still 115 degrees in Texas. I’ve been looking forward to using squah puree ever since I bought Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious and now I have another reason to try it as well!!

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avatar 21 lisa p September 3, 2010 at 7:55 pm

This sounds yummy! I drove by a local farm stand this morning and there were so many they were buy 1 get 1 free! I’ll be stocking up for sure! This is one recipe I’ll be making and freezing. The puree stores great in the freezer for pies and such later in the Fall/Winter

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avatar 22 Jessica September 4, 2010 at 2:48 am

Butternut squash is one of my favorites. Definitely trying this recipe on a cool fall day…or maybe tomorrow.

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avatar 23 Judith September 4, 2010 at 5:22 am

Wow! What can I say “amazing”…

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avatar 24 Lauren September 4, 2010 at 6:41 am

Fantastic fall quick bread! I love all of the warm spices, and will definitely be making this once the weather turns cool.

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avatar 25 CaSaundra September 4, 2010 at 8:23 am

Anything containing butternut squash is a thumbs up in my book!

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avatar 26 Amanda September 5, 2010 at 8:35 pm

This looks and sounds so wonderful! I have two butternut squash sitting on my counter waiting to be used :)

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avatar 27 newlywed September 6, 2010 at 9:37 am

I’ve never tried baking with butternut squash before…but indeed, this looks perfect!

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avatar 28 Lori @ RecipeGirl September 6, 2010 at 5:49 pm

Ok, now you’ve got me thinking of fall!

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avatar 29 Victoria September 6, 2010 at 6:04 pm

Wow, this looks amazing!! I love pumpkin bread, but this looks even better! I want to try it!!

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avatar 30 Eliana September 7, 2010 at 10:47 pm

This recipe has me intrigued indeed. Everything about it sounds delicious.

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avatar 31 Ashley September 8, 2010 at 9:24 pm

I love pumpkin bread so I’m sure I would love this! It sounds delicious and looks so nice and moist.

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avatar 32 Julia September 10, 2010 at 12:45 pm

Butternut Squash bread IS perfection! I love anything and everything butternut squash, so this bread, I gotta make it, ASAP!

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avatar 33 Laura September 16, 2010 at 12:57 pm

From one obsessive tweaker to another – thanks for the recipe. Trying it today.

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avatar 34 Amanda September 18, 2010 at 10:27 am

I made this bread recipe yesterday and holy YUM! However my boyfriend really dislikes butternut squash (unfortunate because I love it) so I used sweet potato puree instead. Knowing sweet potato is similar to both pumpkin an squash it turned out delectable! Fun variation but I cannot wait to do it your way with the squash. This recipe is perfection especially when you add tasty morels such as chocolate chips. Thanks, it’ll be made throughout the season!!

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avatar 35 Avril September 19, 2010 at 7:45 pm

Can not wait to try this recipe!!!! I have a ton of butternut squash….this will give me something else to make with the squash rather than soup and buttered puree. Thank you so much!

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avatar 36 Jen September 26, 2010 at 11:52 am

I just made this. SO GOOD! Didn’t have any cardamom, so I used 1/4 tsp ground ginger. Also, I made it as muffins which baked for 30-ish minutes. It made 12 with a little bit of spoon and bowl licking left over. Anyhow, my hubs, who doesn’t really appreciate squash, loved it. Already posted this to my FB page as it is a truly great recipe!

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avatar 37 Nicole October 5, 2010 at 10:06 pm

This was great! I took the liberty and made it vegan and lower fat. I subbed the eggs for 1/3 C apple sauce, the water for soy milk, left out the oil, reduced the sugar (it was still very sweet), added vanilla, and added more squash puree (it was only half a squash but it was about 1 1/3 C!). I also love oatmeal streusel so I added a little on top. Yummy! I love your blog.

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avatar 38 LinC October 12, 2010 at 11:58 am

Question: Your recipe for butternut squash puree includes butter, brown sugar and spices. If I cook a plain butternut squash, do I need to add those ingredients to the puree or to the bread recipe to get it to come out right?

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avatar 39 Aunt Baaa October 12, 2010 at 4:31 pm

I made this today. I had the squash already roasted for another recipe. It is so good. I am so glad I doubled the recipe!

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avatar 40 Val October 14, 2010 at 9:41 pm

I made this today, with a variation. I put in finely chopped pecans and some raisins, and then sprinkled more pecans on the top, along with a touch of brown sugar. It came out really well. Thanks for the recipe! This is going in the office bake sale tomorrow.

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avatar 41 Katharine (Meal Muse) October 15, 2010 at 12:59 pm

Hi there,

Stumbled upon your blog while looking up a recipe for the Tahitian Squash I picked up at farmer’s market last night. Do you think I could substitute my squash for your butternut squash? Thanks so much for your help!! And great blog – I’ll definitely be visiting more often :)

-Katharine (Meal Muse)

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avatar 42 Jamie October 15, 2010 at 3:49 pm

Katharine-
I am honestly uncertain how Tahitian Squash would work in this recipe because I have never used it. If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes.
-Jamie

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avatar 43 Katharine (Meal Muse) October 15, 2010 at 4:16 pm

Looks like it’ll be an experiment, then! I will definitely keep you posted.

Thanks!
-Katharine

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avatar 44 Katharine (Meal Muse) October 18, 2010 at 1:49 pm

The Tahitian Squash worked like a charm for this bread! I followed your recipe for the most part, save for the squash and tweaking some of the spices (I loooove cinnamon). Just thought you should know! Thanks for a great recipe!

-Katharine

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avatar 45 Jamie October 23, 2010 at 3:26 pm

I made this today with some slight modifications and it turned out great! I substituted applesauce for half of the oil and egg whites for half of the eggs. I also mixed in a little whole wheat flour with the all purpose. Really nice fall bread that made my apartment smell amazing. I hope I made the neighbors drool ;o)

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avatar 46 Katie Brown October 24, 2010 at 6:24 pm

Made this… and loved it!!! Thank you!

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avatar 47 Tony October 25, 2010 at 8:34 pm

I just made this bread today. It’s a little harder but works fine with a blender if you don’t have a food processor. Also, I skinned and cubed the butternut before baking, it baked it faster but provided more work(Originally prepped the squash for another recipe). I agree that it is quite sweet, I would take it down a notch next time. Also, I included a handful of raisin & almonds to give it some texture, and I also add ginger & cloves. Tastes like autumn. Love it! Thanks for the recipe!

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avatar 48 Diane November 21, 2010 at 10:29 am

Thanks for the recipe! My adjustments: I used plain butternut squash puree, completely cut out the cup of white sugar and used clove instead of cardamom. DELCIOUS! And the house smells tasty, too!

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avatar 49 Sara December 8, 2010 at 9:20 am

Just wanted to say a quick thank you (thank you, thank you, THANK YOU) for this recipe. It really is out of this world. I’m getting ready to make it for the second time this week. Butternut squash and cardamom are a match made in heaven. :)

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avatar 50 Luv What You Do December 26, 2010 at 9:43 pm

This is one of my favorite recipes. I made a few modifications (like using wheat and spelt flour) and it turned out amazing! Check it out…
http://luvwhatyoudo.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/butternut-squash-bread/

Thank you for sharing!

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avatar 51 Grace January 3, 2011 at 10:57 pm

Made this sweet treat again today and had to stop myself from eating it all by giving it away! Thanks for the recipe. And yes, it would be worth making this just for the delicious smell that lingers.

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avatar 52 Kendra January 9, 2011 at 6:51 pm

Made this yesterday – and making another batch today adding almonds this time. So good – thanks for sharing!

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avatar 53 Rocky Mann January 20, 2011 at 12:45 pm

Perhaps with your penchant for tweaking you can find a way to do without refined sugar.

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avatar 54 Lizzy September 15, 2012 at 5:14 pm

…you can use coconut palm sugar…lower on the glycemic index and tasty as heck. Use it 1 for 1 in baking. Hope this helps.

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avatar 55 Jen January 24, 2011 at 10:29 pm

Hi there…I’m new to your blog but I made this bread tonight and it was divine!
I actually used some fresh Kabocha squash puree and it turned out delicious.
My husband asked me to hide the bread so he would not eat it all. :)
Thanks for sharing.

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avatar 56 Lizzy September 15, 2012 at 5:16 pm

@Jen…thanks for your reply…I just finished roasting some Kabocha and thought of some quick bread would be great for it, and wondered if anyone on this page used Kabocha. Serendipity;D

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avatar 57 Whitney January 27, 2011 at 6:14 pm

This is great… I picked up some cubed squash on sale today at the grocery store and I was going to make soup out of it, but I think I am going to make this instead!

Thanks so much!

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avatar 58 Kees April 8, 2011 at 5:08 pm

Sounds great, and judging by the comments above this recipe works, but I’m still slightly worried. Before I try it, can you explain how the bicarb works without an acid in the mix?

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avatar 59 Sara September 1, 2011 at 12:44 pm

I had some sweet dumpling and sunshine hybrid squash that needed cooked, so I baked them and mashed them together to use in this bread. It was really delicious. I sprinkled chopped pecans on top. The outside is slightly crunchy, and the inside is moist and dense without being heavy. I think the recipe would work well with any type of vegetable puree, if you’re looking for a sweet bread. Delicious!

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avatar 60 Annie September 3, 2011 at 8:57 pm

What do you think about adding butterscotch morsels??? Thanks!

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avatar 61 Jamie September 4, 2011 at 5:37 pm

Annie-
That sounds delicious. Let me know how it turns out.
Jamie

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avatar 62 Maria September 9, 2011 at 1:16 pm

YUMMM! Jamie I have just confirmed your awesomeness in person and chose this bread to usher myself into the world of using your great recipes. I was at the grocery store yesterday shopping for a breakfast picnic I just came back from and there the butternut squash were – all friendly and delicious. I immediately thought of this bread and bought the squash. I made a few adjustments and am amazed at how well it turned out. I’m about to make another batch with yet more adjustments to make it a bit healthier but this is what I already did:

I replaced the eggs with apple sauce and baking powder. I used yellow sugar instead of brown. I replaced the vegetable oil with sunflower oil and lastly I used whole wheat all purpose flour instead of white and skipped the cardamom.

My friend adored it and I gave her the rest of the loaf for her family. I’m about to attempt a second loaf also substituting half the oil for apple sauce like suggested above, adding ginger and cutting out the white sugar entirely and substituting it with yellow and/or brown. I can’t wait! This is sooooooo gooooooodddddddd!!! I’m going to give this one away at the office so I don’t eat the whole thing. I already had two slices for breakfast! It’s addictive. Also if you were using fresh sage how much would you add to this bread?

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avatar 63 Lori September 12, 2011 at 10:49 am

Just made it. Love it!

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avatar 64 Christina September 19, 2011 at 12:02 am

This bread to delicious! Absolutely love it! My new favorite. Thank You for the recipe.

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avatar 65 Rhonda September 25, 2011 at 2:50 pm

this is in the oven and it smells A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! I tested the puree a few times and had to tweek it a little bit before I was happy with the taste. I know my girls will eat this and they won’t know they are eating vegetables!

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avatar 66 Larry Noak September 25, 2011 at 10:09 pm

I made this and…It was indeed, PERFECTION! I obsessed and spread some leftover puree on a slice…OMG!

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avatar 67 Julie November 2, 2011 at 9:40 pm

Just wondering what the nutrition facts are for the base recipe above without any extras or substitutions? Sorry to rain on everyone’s parade by asking!

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avatar 68 Desi November 7, 2011 at 5:32 pm

It’s in the oven! Couldn’t stop stealing tastes out of the bowl. Threw a little bit of ground cloves in my second loaf. THANK you for this recipe–it smells OH so good! :0)

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avatar 69 Amy November 27, 2011 at 11:11 am

This recipe IS perfection. We followed your instructions to the letter and were so pleased with the results — better than any pumpkin bread I’ve made. Thank you so much for sharing. It was just perfect with our Thanksgiving dinner.

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avatar 70 Jamie November 27, 2011 at 12:49 pm

Amy-
I am so happy you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
-Jamie

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avatar 71 Jenelle December 18, 2011 at 2:02 pm

I had some leftover butternut squash butter I made for brunch last week and was looking for a way to use it up. I substituted the squash butter for the puree in your recipe, but followed it otherwise. The bread turned out wonderfully! Thank you so much for posting!

The butternut squash butter was from the Moosewood Celebrates cookbook.

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avatar 72 Sarah December 24, 2011 at 7:05 pm

A perfectionist, huh? I think you may be my kind of baker. I am convinced and will let you know if I manage to try the recipe tonight whether it is my particular brand of perfection. (I really like how you put that, by the way).

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avatar 73 Charity April 19, 2012 at 12:31 am

I made this recipe tonight and it tastes delicious! I did not have a few ingredients though so made some adjustments. For the oil I used navy beans, for the brown sugar I used honey and for one of the eggs I used vinnegar and baking soda. So glad I doubled the batch!!

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avatar 74 Melissa August 16, 2012 at 11:30 am

My family made fun of me when I said I wanted to try making a squash into bread. I used your puree recipe as well as this one! It was absolutely phenomenal! I will save this recipe to use again and again! Thanks for sharing.

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avatar 75 Jamie August 20, 2012 at 5:27 pm

Melissa-
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the Butternut Squash Bread recipe. Thanks so much for coming back and telling us your thoughts! Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 76 Amanda September 9, 2012 at 11:19 pm

In the last three weeks I have made TWO DOZEN mini loaves of your Butternut Squash Bread! It all started with a single butternut squash from my mother-in-law…a bread making affinity…a google search…and a long weekend at our little cabin in the Northwoods! I’ve shared the bread with family and friends; everyone loves it! It freezes well too. My favorite way to serve any homemade bread is warm with just smidgen of butter, and a few pinches of cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top. Thank you for the recipe, it is now one of my favorites!

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avatar 77 Jamie September 16, 2012 at 3:44 pm

Amanda-
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe – thanks so much for coming back and telling us about your experience with the bread. Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 78 Lizzy September 16, 2012 at 3:14 pm

You know when a recipe is good when the body of it allows the flexibility to substitute ingredients with what you have on hand. I used Kabocha squash, coconut palm sugar, and honey to replace what I didn’t have and added orange zest and orange juice for giggles.
It was DELISH! My mom loved it spread with creamcheese and I, just as is. Thanks for sharing and to all who replied with great hints and suggestions.Next is into giant muffins with streusel!

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avatar 79 Jamie September 16, 2012 at 3:36 pm

Lizzy-
Your version sounds absolutely perfect – thanks so much for sharing it with us! Have a great day!
-Jamie

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avatar 80 Debbie September 23, 2012 at 2:33 pm

I grew butternut squash for the first time this year and was looking for a way of using the garden’s bounty. Your recipe was SO awesome, I’ve made it four times this week: some for us, some for others, and one doorstop where I forgot to add the eggs. :-P Anyway, thanks for a fabulous recipe. Have you come up with other things to do with the sweetened puree?

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avatar 81 Jamie September 23, 2012 at 7:14 pm

Debbie-
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know how the recipe worked for you!You can pretty much sub the puree for just about anything that calls from canned pumpkin. Have a great day.
-Jamie

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avatar 82 Amy October 9, 2012 at 4:01 pm

Perfection indeed! I added shredded carrot and chopped walnuts on top, and I couldn’t be happier with the results! This is probably the best bread I’ve ever yielded, thanks !

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avatar 83 Jeanne November 12, 2012 at 11:03 am

I roasted some Kabocha squash from my organic farm box for soup and had too much. I found your recipe to try. Then I discovered we had run out of cooking oil. I used applesauce and a little less white sugar. It turned out a little denser and slightly chewy but nice and moist. I think the applesauce added good moisture since Kabocha is a slightly dry squash. I love the flexibility of this recipe.

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