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the acorn squash loaf is sliced on a wooden board.

acorn squash bread

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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

Units Scale

For the puree:

  • 1 acorn squash - mine shown here weighs 1 1/2 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
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 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

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and slice the acorn squash in half lengthwise. two acorn squash halves are face up on a small baking sheet
  2. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy innards from the squash. the seedy centers of the squash halves are scooped into a small bowl nearby
  3. Place the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet. two squash halves are cut side down, skin side up on the baking sheet.
  4. 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!)the roasted squash is removed from the oven, showing it's soft texture and deep golden coloring
  5. 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.a large metal spoon is used to scrape and scoop the cooked squash into a bowl nearby.
  6. Use a potato masher, whisk, or even a fork to mash and stir the squash into a puree. Set aside to cool. cooked squash in a bowl is turned into squash puree using a potato masher.
  7. 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.  a glass pyrex loaf pan is lined across the bottom and up the sides with parchment paper
  8. Peel and mince the ginger and combine in a bowl with the granulated sugar. a mixing bowl contains granulated sugar and minced fresh ginger.
  9. Use your hands to rub the minced ginger and sugar together until well mixed, then set it aside.  a hand pressing the ginger and sugar mixture together until integrated.
  10. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Set aside.leavening agents, salt, and spices are poured from small glass bowls into a larger bowl containing flour.
  11. Once your squash is pureed and cooled, lightly scramble the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the ginger sugar mixture.eggs and the ginger sugar mixture are whisked together, creating a slightly frothy, pale colored mixture.
  12. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and cooled acorn squash puree. Stir until smooth.additional liquid ingredients and the cooled acorn squash puree are added to the bowl with the egg mixture.
  13. Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter.the finished acorn squash bread batter has a thick but pourable texture and a pale yellow color.
  14. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.the batter is poured into the parchment paper lined loaf pan.
  15. Sprinkle top with a coating of coarse sugar. We’ll add some more after it bakes too!coarse sugar is sprinkled on top of the batter in the loaf pan.
  16. 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.the baked squash bread is removed from the oven, having a few cracks in the crunchy sugar crust on top.
  17. 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.the acorn squash bread is lifted onto a wire rack and the parchment paper peeled back slightly.
  18. Set the loaf on a wire rack over a baking sheet or plate and get your melted butter and remaining coarse sugar ready.acorn squash bread sits on a wire rack next to 2 small bowls containing melted butter and coarse sugar.
  19. 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!the squash bread is brushed with butter and sprinkled with sugar, giving it a crunchy texture and sparkly finish.
  20. Let your squash bread cool completely, then slice and enjoy! the acorn squash loaf is sliced on a wooden board.

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. 
  • Author: kelly@crescentmoonkitchen
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Category: baked goods
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: american

Find it online: https://crescentmoonkitchen.com/acorn-squash-bread/