Nutty acorn squash, warming fall spices, and fiery fresh ginger come together in a moist and tender acorn squash bread. A sparkling sugar encrusted topping is the finishing touch, adding a quiet decadence to this delicious quick bread.
This easy acorn squash bread is actually a twofer! First, a super simple acorn squash puree that essentially takes care of itself. Then, the main event: a tender quick bread that uses said puree along with all the fall flavors I'm craving this time of year like ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and maple.
The result is a nutty, more savory twist on a classic pumpkin bread, bearing the crackly sugar top of a big ol' bakery fresh muffin, and all the autumnal flavors of a festive spice cake.
Plus, this recipe for squash bread is the perfect time to mention my favorite tip for baking with strong flavors. With baked goods, it's especially important that we get that assertively flavored ingredient-in this case, loads of fresh ginger-evenly distributed throughout the batter, otherwise some bites will be way too heavy on the ginger where others may be lacking.
To accomplish this, we first we rub the ginger and sugar together to infuse the flavors which, not only is a tactile delight 😌, but it really helps the ginger flavor to distribute evenly throughout the cake when we combine the sugar with our other liquid ingredients.
ingredients for acorn squash bread
ingredient notes & swaps
- Fresh ginger can have an out of this world appearance, with its gangly shape and knobbly surface. A length about 2" should be enough to produce the necessary 2 tablespoons when minced, but if your ginger is thinner you may need a longer knob.
- When baking, using room temperature eggs is important as they will blend and emulsify with the other ingredients more readily. This helps to produce a uniformly textured, properly risen result.
- Baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents that work in slightly different ways, so I'm using both in this acorn squash bread recipe! The combo creates a tender yet moisture rich texture.
- Topping the acorn squash loaf with coarse sugar gives it that sparkly appearance and crunchy crust we're after. I'm using turbinado sugar here, but other types of coarse sugar that work well are demerara sugar or sparkle / shimmer sugar - a type that has a brighter white color.
acorn squash bread
Nutty acorn squash, warming fall spices, and fiery fresh ginger come together in a moist and tender acorn squash bread. A sparkling sugar encrusted topping is the finishing touch, adding a quiet decadence to this delicious quick bread.
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
Ingredients
For the puree:
- 1 acorn squash - mine shown here weighs 1 ½ lbs and it made about twice as much puree as I needed for the bread!
For the bread:
- a 2" knob ginger - enough to yield about 2 tablespoons minced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup squash puree (instructions follow)
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and slice the acorn squash in half lengthwise.
- Use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy innards from the squash.
- Place the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for about 1 hour, until the skin dimples when pressed and the flesh is tender when pricked with a cake tester or paring knife. (While the squash is roasting, feel free to tackle steps 7-10!)
- Remove from the oven (you can leave the oven on!) and flip the squash halves right side up, letting them cool enough to handle. Scoop the cooked flesh into a bowl.
- Use a potato masher, whisk, or even a fork to mash and stir the squash into a puree. Set aside to cool.
- Line a standard 8.5 x 4.5 inch bread loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang at the top edges to help you lift the bread out later.
- Peel and mince the ginger and combine in a bowl with the granulated sugar.
- Use your hands to rub the minced ginger and sugar together until well mixed, then set it aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Once your squash is pureed and cooled, lightly scramble the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the ginger sugar mixture.
- Add the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and cooled acorn squash puree. Stir until smooth.
- Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Sprinkle top with a coating of coarse sugar. We'll add some more after it bakes too!
- Transfer to the oven and bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, this could take anywhere from 45-60 minutes, so I usually start checking on it around 35 minutes and then keep a close eye from there.
- Use the parchment paper to lift your acorn squash bread out of the loaf pan. Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes, then peel the parchment paper off completely.
- Set the loaf on a wire rack over a baking sheet or plate and get your melted butter and remaining coarse sugar ready.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the top of your acorn bread with melted butter, then sprinkle it with more coarse sugar. Use as much as you like here, you definitely don't have to use all of it!
- Let your squash bread cool completely, then slice and enjoy!
Notes
- The length of time your squash needs to roast will depend on its size. For my 1½ pound squash, 1 hour was perfect, but smaller squash will cook more quickly and likewise larger ones will need more time.
- The easiest way to peel fresh ginger is to hold the whole knob firmly in one hand and a regular metal spoon in the other. With quick, firm strokes, scrape the spoon along the surface of the ginger. The papery skin will flake and peel off, revealing the juicy flesh underneath.
- If you use the same ½ cup measure for both your olive oil and maple syrup, I recommend measuring the oil first, then the maple without washing in between. The light coating of oil left behind in the measuring cup will help the sticky maple to slip out nice and easy!
- Depending on your oven, you may want to rotate your acorn squash loaf partway through cooking to help it cook evenly. Keep an eye on the surface and edges to see if any areas are getting darker than others - this is a good sign that the oven has hot spots. Don't worry though, mine does too! One rotation partway through cooking helps a lot.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: baked goods
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
FAQs
Is acorn squash skin edible?
Yes the skin is edible, however, it has a bitterness that might not be to everyone's tastes. If you decide to eat the skin, make sure it is thoroughly cooked to soften it up, then slice it thinly and use it to top salads, pastas, or grain bowls.
What should I do with leftover squash puree?
As mentioned above, you'll probably end up with more squash puree than you need for this acorn bread recipe. I love sticking that kind of stuff in the freezer as a head start on my next batch, or to turn it into soup, pasta sauce, etc. Just pack it into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
If you like this Acorn Squash Loaf, check out a few of my other celebrations of winter squash like creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Pumpkin Soup and gooey Pumpkin Spice Blondies.
dig in!
Enjoy & let me know what you think 🌙 💛
