Make Ahead

Squash Fig Banana Bread

by:
January 17, 2012
5
2 Ratings
  • Makes 1 loaf
Author Notes

This is a rich, moist, fruity bread made with one of my favorite foods in the universe: Kabocha squash. You could probably use butternut, or sweet potato, or whatever you like, but the Kabocha gives it this buttery undertone that I adore. I don't like my breads too sweet, which is why there's such a large range for the honey- I use 1/4 but suspect most would prefer 1/2-3/4. This bread can be vegan if you use flax eggs and maple syrup. —Jenb42

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Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 12-15 dried Calmyrna figs, chopped into tiny pieces
  • 3/4 cup toasted nut pieces- almonds, walnuts, pecans, or a mix
  • 1 cup cooked Kabocha squash, mashed smooth
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (preferred) or soy, almond, or regular milk
  • 2 eggs, or 2 "flax eggs" (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flax meal in 3 tbsp water, dissolved for 20 minutes)
  • 1/2 cup olive, canola, or melted coconut oil
  • 1/4-3/4 cups honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a loaf pan (glass is best).
  2. Mix the flour, salt, spices, and baking soda well in a big bowl. As you chop the figs, add handfuls of pieces to the flour; they stick together in a clump if you pile them off to one side, but coated with the flour they're not sticky. Add the nuts and mix.
  3. Mix the squash, banana, coconut milk, eggs/ flax eggs, oil, honey, and ginger in a smaller bowl. Beat until everything is dissolved.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is just combined. Place the batter in the loaf pan and smooth out the top.
  5. Bake for 45-55 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. It will be fairly dark on top, but not burnt.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

4 Reviews

Laura November 12, 2023
There are no bananas in the recipe?
Katie A. February 11, 2019
What excellent bread!
I had an excess of roasted butternut that worked beautifully in this recipe. Used 1/2 cup of honey which resulted in a delightful, barely sweet breakfast bread. Highly recommend!!
cn J. September 19, 2013
your a miracle baker...making squash fig banana bread without bananas. this bread sounds better without them anyway. (check your ingredients list)
macc June 26, 2013
How much banana?