This cozy Butternut Squash Bread is easy to make with real squash, winter spices, and pecans, and topped with a simple glaze for extra sweetness. Treat yourself to a slice for breakfast, dessert, or anytime you want a fall treat!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
Fall flavors – Real butternut squash makes it moist and fluffy, while a blend of winter spices fills it with the best autumnal flavors.
Not too sweet – The nutty squash, pecans, warm spices, and sugar give each slice just the right amount of sweetness.
Versatile – This bread is easy to make gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan!
Every day is a good day for this easy Butternut Squash Bread. It’s made with real butternut squash and chopped pecans to give it a slightly nuttier taste than my pumpkin bread. But with the same cozy vibe and classic autumn flavors, it’s still a treat you’ll crave throughout fall.
What I love most is that I can customize the bread every single time I make it! It’s easy to make it gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or vegan without losing any of its decadence.
Just like my gluten free banana bread, this is the kind of loaf I like to have on my counter all week long. It’s perfect for pairing with a cup of coffee in the morning and comes in handy when I want something sweet after dinner.
Ingredients for Butternut Squash Bread
Butternut squash – My favorite winter squash (sorry, pumpkin)! I peeled, deseeded, and chopped a medium squash into small cubes, then zapped them in the microwave to quickly soften them for a homemade mash.
Oil – I went with avocado oil rather than melted butter here for a slightly healthier option. Canola oil or melted coconut oil both work well as substitutes.
Winter spices – I used a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. You could easily replace the individual spices with 3 ¼ teaspoons of pumpkin spice.
Pecans – I love their warm flavors and crunchy texture. Feel free to swap them with walnuts instead.
Glaze – A simple glaze made from powdered sugar and milk will make this not-super-sweet quick bread even sweeter. If you don’t need the bread to be very sweet, just skip the glaze!
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Variations
- Squash substitute – This bread can be made with an equal amount of sweet potato mash or plain pureed pumpkin.
- Gluten-free – I only tested this recipe with regular flour, but a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour mix should work as a substitute. Let me know if you try it!
- Nut-free – Omit the pecans from the recipe or replace them with pumpkin seeds.
- Dairy-free – This recipe will work just as well with the non-dairy milk of your choice.
- Vegan – I haven’t tested vegan butternut squash bread, but if you’d like to try it, replace the eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 tbsp water) and the dairy milk with dairy-free milk.
- More mix-in ideas – The pecans can be substituted for chocolate chips (regular or dairy-free), another nut or seed, or dried fruit (like cranberries or chopped dates).
How to Make Butternut Squash Bread
Step 1: Soften the squash. Microwave the chopped squash until it’s softened. Mash the squash until as many lumps as possible are gone.
Step 2: Mix wet ingredients. Whisk the eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Stir in the mashed squash.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice together. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Finish by folding in the pecans.
Step 4: Bake. Pour the batter into a prepared bread pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 5: Make the glaze. While you wait for the bread to cool, whisk the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. Drizzle it over the cooled squash bread, top with extra pecans, slice, and enjoy!
Erin’s Tips and Tricks
- You can save time by using pre-cubed butternut squash instead of cutting the squash yourself.
- Gently mix the dry and wet ingredients together to avoid overmixing the batter. That delicious, moist crumb comes from mixing the batter just until the flour is absorbed.
- If you don’t have a 9×5 bread pan, you can use a smaller 8×4 pan instead. Just bake the bread for 60 to 65 minutes instead.
- Swap the pecan topping for a streusel topping! The sweet streusel from my vegan coffee cake recipe—sprinkled on top of the bread before it goes into the oven—would be so delicious.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
Make sure you wait until the bread is cool to the touch before you slice into it. If it’s too warm, the bread might fall apart and become crumbly. The same rule applies when adding the glaze, too!
Butternut Squash Bread FAQs
Yes! Approximately 1 cup of canned butternut squash puree will work just as well as homemade mashed squash. If the bread batter is looking a little dry at any point, feel free to add a little more puree as needed.
I haven’t tried using this recipe for muffins, but it should work well. Just divide the batter between lined muffin tins and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
Storage
Room temperature: Store the bread in a sealed container on the kitchen counter for up to 5 days.
Refrigerator: You can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week, but it will dry out a little.
Freezer: This fall quick bread also freezes well for up to 2 months. Wrap the loaf or slices in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container or bag.
More Quick Bread Recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
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Preheat oven to 350° and line a 9×5 bread pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang for easy removal.
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Place the squash in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 5-7 minutes or until softened. Use a potato masher to mash the squash, removing as many lumps as possible.
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Next, whisk the eggs, avocado oil, milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Then, add the mashed squash and stir to combine.
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In a separate bowl, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice together.
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Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and use a rubber spatula to stir. Once there’s only a little bit of flour remaining, add the pecans and stir just until the flour disappears.
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Transfer the batter to your prepared bread pan, then bake for 55-60 minutes or a toothpick comes out clean. Leave the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to a wire rack. Allow the bread to cool most of the way before adding the glaze.
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For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. Drizzle on bread, sprinkle with extra pecans (optional), slice and enjoy!
*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 3786IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in November 2025.
