Whole Wheat Butternut Squash Maple Bread

There's something about fall that just makes people giddy. I don't know if its the cooler air after a hot summer or maybe we just crave pumpkin spice the moment it leaves starbucks. Baking is one of those things that we all start doing again, ready to turn on our ovens and create a sweet and cinnamon sugar treat that everyone will love. 

Ok, so basically butternut squash bread is just an alternative for pumpkin bread, but SOOOO much easier to prep. This is why I love thinking through a good recipe instead of just prepping for one. If you are making one batch of this bread, you need a HALF of a butternut squash. Yup, just a half. Which means you can open that baby up roast it and do half the prep for dinner all in one. Or you could see it alternatively, you can think about it as easy prep while dinner is also cooking.

This is a pretty dense little bread, so I like to make my mini-loaves a bit smaller. If you decide to make less than six small mini-loaves just up your time in the oven. These guys get 40 minutes, but if you cooked this as one 5.5x9 pan, you don't  need to change the temp, but instead the time should be between 55-60 minutes.

If you love these little mini loaf pans like I do, great fun fall colors, check them out in the baking supply aisle at Target! This is not an add or an affiliate, just a fan of cute baking accessories. Esp. ones that make bread gifting even prettier :)

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Butternut Squash Bread

makes one large loaf or 4-6 mini loaves

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INGREDIENTS

1/2 butternut squash

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspon kosher salt

2 tbs + 1 tbs pumpkin pie spices (2/3 cinnamon 1/3 ginger)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 tbs maple syrup

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut your butternut squash in half, remove seeds and "innards" and place on baking sheet face up in 350F oven for about 60-75 minutes until tender and squishy. You should be able to remove the squash from the rind with a spoon. Do this once it has cooled.

Take your baked squash, coconut oil and maple syrup and place in blender or food processor and mix until smooth.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt). Add the squash mixture to the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar and then add your eggs and vanilla extract.

Prep your cinnamon sugar topping, if you are doing one big loaf it should be about 3-4 tbs sugar and 1 tsp spices, if it's mini then you want about 1 tbs sugar per loaf mixed with if 6 loaves about 1-2 tbs spices.

Pour in either one 9.5 x 5.5 loaf pan or 4-6 mini pans like the ones shown and cook for 55-60 minutes or 40-45 minutes respectively. Remove from oven when knife or toothpick come out clean (meaning no uncooked batter stuck to it and let cool and devour!