Butternut Squash Bread with Crumb Topping

This Butternut Squash Bread is a delicious twist on pumpkin bread with homemade butternut squash puree and topped with a buttery crumb topping and an easy maple glaze. You’ll love the soft and tender texture and warming flavours of cinnamon and ginger in this loaf!

Why should pumpkin bread get all the glory this time of year?! This butternut squash bread is moist and fluffy and packed with all the cozy fall flavours.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I still have a love for all things pumpkin! This healthy pumpkin bread and pumpkin bundt cake (with chocolate swirl) are usually on repeat during the fall baking season. But, I’m having a moment with butternut squash, so here we are with this butternut squash loaf!

The bread itself isn’t overly sweet as the crumb topping and maple glaze bring plenty of sugar to the loaf. If you like your quick breads a little less sweet, just bake it without the crumb topping.

If you have a sweet tooth, however, I highly recommend the crispy, buttery, sugary streusel topping and maple glaze!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s dairy-free. The recipe calls for almond milk and vegan butter, so it’s great for those who have a dairy sensitivity. If you don’t need the bread to be dairy-free, you can just swap in dairy milk and butter.
• The streusel topping. It’s sweet and buttery and bakes into the top of the bread for a crispy layer that goes perfectly with a generous drizzle of maple icing sugar glaze.
• No electric mixer required. You don’t need to break out your stand or hand mixer for this recipe. You just need a few bowls, a whisk and a spatula to make this bread.

Details on a few ingredients

Butternut squash – You’ll need 1/2 a cup of butternut squash puree, which helps make the bread soft and tender. I use homemade puree (instructions included in the recipe card below), which is super easy to make. Just make sure it’s mashed well and not too watery.

Flour – I typically use whole wheat flour in cakes, but wanted to try this loaf cake with all-purpose white flour to let more of the butternut squash colour shine through. If you want to substitute with whole wheat flour, just reduce the amount of flour by 1/4 cup.

Spices – We are going heavy on the ground cinnamon and ginger in this recipe as it goes in both the batter and the crumb topping. For the best flavour, make sure your spices are fresh.

Butter – A quarter cup of cold, cubed butter is used in the crumb topping. I used vegan butter but you can use dairy butter if you don’t need the bread to be dairy-free.

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How to make butternut squash puree

This couldn’t be easier to make!

Preheat your oven to 375F and line a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.

Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Save the seeds and roast them like these air fryer pumpkin seeds).

Place the two halves cut side down on the baking sheet.

Roast for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the flesh.

Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

Using a spoon, scoop the flesh out into a bowl and mash with a fork.

Store in the fridge and use within 3-4 days.

How to make crumb topping

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and spices.

Add in the cold cubes of butter and use a fork or your finger tips to crumble together.

The mixture should be crumbly with pieces of butter throughout. If the mixture doesn’t look crumbly enough, just use your fingertips to press the flour and butter together to shape some of the crumbs.

Place in the fridge while you make the bread batter. (This will keep the buttery pieces cold).

How to make butternut squash bread

Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease a loaf pan and line it with overhanging parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together your dry ingredients.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk and oil. Whisk in the squash, then the egg and vanilla.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the bottom of the pan on the countertop to help remove any large air bubbles.

Top with the crumb topping and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the bread comes out clean.

In a small bowl, stir the powdered sugar and maple syrup together to make the maple glaze.

Let the bread cool completely before drizzling on the glaze.

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Recipe substitutions

• Use pumpkin puree instead of butternut squash.
• If you don’t need this bread to be dairy-free, you can use dairy milk and butter.
• Instead of coconut sugar, you can substitute brown sugar in the crumb topping.
• You can use granulated sugar in place of cane sugar in the bread.
• Use other spices like pumpkin spice or chai spice. You can also add a little ground allspice or cloves.
• If you’d like to use whole wheat flour in this recipe, I suggest reducing the amount by 1/4 cup as whole wheat flour is more absorbent than white.

How to avoid holes or tunnelling in your bread

Storage and freezing

Once fully cooled, the pumpkin bread should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay tender and moist for 3-4 days. Just note that the crumb topping will start to soften after a few days.

If you would like the bread to last longer, you can store it in the fridge for up to a week.

To freeze the bread, let it cool completely and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag. It should last for up to 3 months in the freezer.

To defrost the bread, just keep it in the plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours. Once defrosted, the crumb topping will be a little soft but it’s still delicious.

Frequently asked questions

Key recipe tips

• Type of loaf pan. If you’re using a dark loaf pan, the bottom and sides of your bread will brown more quickly than if you’re using a lighter coloured loaf pan. I find lining a pan with parchment paper helps minimize over browning.
• Parchment paper. I lightly spray my cake pans and then line them with overhanging parchment paper, just enough to be able to grab the ends of the paper to easily lift out the bread.
• Room temperature ingredients. This is important to ensure the ingredients mix together properly. Cold ingredients may affect the texture of the bread.
• Measuring flour properly. Spoon and level the flour to ensure you use the correct amount of flour for this recipe.
• Don’t over mix the batter. You want to fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just incorporated. Over-mixing can lead to dense or gummy bread.
• Refrigerate the crumb topping (streusel). The key to a good crumb topping is the buttery bits throughout so you don’t want your butter to get warm and soft. For the best results, I suggest making the streusel first and placing it in the fridge while you prepare the bread batter.
• Let bread cool completely. Wait until the bread is cooled completely before adding the maple glaze. Otherwise, it may melt into the bread. Also, if you try to slice the bread while it’s still warm, the streusel topping may break apart.
• Toothpick test. Oven temperatures can vary so I always test loaf cakes for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the centre. If it comes out clean (or with just a few crumbs), the loaf is ready to come out of the oven.

Other butternut squash recipes

• Butternut Squash Quiche with Spinach and Prosciutto
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Roasted Red Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

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