Yellow Summer Squash Bread

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

While this may seem like a lot of ingredients you probably have many of these in your cupboards right now. 

yellow squash – also known as summer squash, straightneck squash or crookneck squash and is slightly sweeter than zucchini. 

flour – we use regular all purpose flour.

canola oil – I use this because it is what I keep on hand. 

sour cream – this is that secret ingredient I mentioned above, it works well to activate the baking soda in this recipe. 

eggs – fresh room temperature eggs work best. 

sugar – we use equal amounts of white sugar and light brown sugar. 

leavening agents – using a combination of baking powder and baking soda results in a more consistent flavor, texture, and appearance in many quick bread recipes. 

salt – this ingredient helps to enhance flavor and texture in baked goods. 

cinnamon – a spice that pairs well with the squash to give our bread great flavor. 

vanilla – make sure you are using pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla. 

How to make this summer squash bread recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 9″ X 5″ loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Grate the yellow squash. 
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and set aside. 
4. Mix the oil, sugars, eggs, sour cream and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Stir in the grated squash.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until the top dries out and begins to crack, the loaf pulls away from the sides of the pan or a toothpick or cake tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs on it. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes then take it out of the pan and cool completely. 

Tips

• I use the large grating holes of my box grater to grate the squash. 
• This bread has a crunchy exterior right after it comes out of the oven. If you wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap the crust will soften.
• The flavors meld together and the bread becomes more moist if you wait to eat it the next day.
• Take your eggs and sour cream out of the fridge about an hour before you want to make this so they can come to room temperature.
• The color of your pan will effect the baking time and color of the bread. Dark pans result in a slightly shorter cook time and darker crust. 

Substitutions and additions

• You can swap the yellow squash with zucchini. 
• Swap in whole wheat flour for some of the white flour. Because wheat flour will absorb more moisture resulting in a denser texture I would not use more than maybe 1/2 cup.
• Vegetable oil or melted coconut oil can be used instead of canola oil. Olive oil is not recommended in this recipe. 
• Instead of sour cream use an equal amount of applesauce or plain Greek yogurt. 
• Add about 1 cup of chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts. 

Can you use summer squash in zucchini bread?

Yes, you can use summer squash in any zucchini bread. Just make sure you prepare it as specified in the zucchini bread recipe. You may notice a slightly different flavor and color but it should not effect the overall finished bread. 

Storage

I don’t have an airtight container that is the right shape and size for this bread. So, I wrap my bread in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil that I fold tightly around the plastic wrap. This is how my mother-in-law did it and that is how I have always done it. Store at room temperature for about 3 days or in the refrigerator for about a week.