Description
This Butternut Squash Bread with Walnuts is ultra-moist, warmly spiced, and speckled with toasty nut crunch. A bakery-style fall loaf that slices cleanly, stays tender for days, and tastes even better the next morning.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) butternut squash purée (roasted, well-drained)
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or light olive)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange zest (optional)
- ¾ cup (85 g) walnuts, toasted and chopped (plus extra for topping)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with a parchment sling.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a bowl.
- In another bowl, whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, squash purée, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet just until combined. Gently fold in walnuts.
- Spread batter into pan; sprinkle a few extra walnuts on top. Bake 55–65 minutes, until a tester shows moist crumbs (internal temp ~200°F/93°C).
- Cool 15 minutes in pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Squash purée: Roast halved butternut cut-side down at 400°F (200°C) until tender; mash, then measure 1 cup. Drier purée gives a taller loaf.
- Swap-ins: Pecans for walnuts; canned pumpkin for squash (same amount); dairy-free yogurt works well.
- Optional glaze: Mix ½ cup powdered sugar with 1–2 tbsp maple syrup; drizzle over cooled loaf.
- Muffin version: Portion into a lined 12-cup muffin tin and bake for 18–22 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Bread, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg