This delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Summer Squash Bread is the best way to use up all those giant yellow squash in the garden!
Summer squash bread sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it?
I grew a garden for the first time this year, and like a total amateur I planted way too many squash and zucchini seeds and when I ended up with THREE plants of each, I didn’t have the heart to thin them back.
Those of you who have grown summer squash and zucchini understand how ridiculous that is. I’m swimming in vegetables over here and quickly running out of ways to use them. I need more yellow squash recipes!
Since I essentially create recipes for a living, you would think I’d be the perfect person to deal with a huge basket of produce harvested from my garden each morning. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case.
See, I plan out (most of) my recipes and posts weeks in advance, and I also work on a freelance basis to create recipes for other companies. Regardless of the time of year, or what I have lying around the kitchen, sometimes I’m just too busy working on specific recipes to make use of what’s in front of me.
Last week I came home from a camping trip and found about 10 gigantic yellow squash and zucchini out in the garden, each one roughly the size of a football. These extra-large varieties typically have a firmer texture and larger seeds than the more appropriately-sized specimens sold at the grocery store, so just about the only thing I could think to do was to turn them into yellow squash bread.
Zucchini bread is a given, but what to do with the squash? Uhhhh… how about Lemon Poppy Seed Summer Squash Bread?!
Years ago when I acquired my first stand mixer, I also got the slicer/shredder attachment.
As far as attachments go, it might be the most basic of them all, but it’s one of my very favorites. It’s cheap, effective, easy to clean, and easy to store.
In 10 minutes, I had enough shredded squash and zucchini to bake close to 50 loaves of quick bread. I kept the squash and zucchini separate, and froze it all in 2-cup portions for future use.
This summer lemon squash bread recipe is so darn good, I think it qualifies as a dessert rather than a quick bread. I thought about covering it with icing, but honestly it doesn’t need it. It doesn’t even need to be slathered in butter, which is my natural instinct for zucchini bread.
Go grab those huge squash out of your garden and get ready for a treat!
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How to Make Squash Bread
Assemble your ingredients. For exact amounts please see recipe card below.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line two loaf pans; set aside.
Place the melted butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest, almond flavor and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Cream together until fluffy and light in color, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate into the mixture before adding another.
Evenly sprinkle the salt, baking soda, and baking powder over the top of the mixture. Mix well.
Working in batches, add the flour a ½ cup at a time; mix in entirely between additions. Fold in the squash and poppy seeds. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
Serve and enjoy!
Storage Info
If you will be eating the bread in a couple of days, just store it on the counter, double wrapped in plastic wrap. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic.
You can freeze this bread! To freeze a whole loaf, first, let the loaf cool. Then double wrap the loaf in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped bread in an airtight, freezer-safe plastic bag. Write the date on the bag and then put it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze individual slices by double wrapping them in plastic wrap and putting them in a freezer bag. This makes it easy to heat up an individual slice whenever you want.
Drinks to Pair with this Lemon Summer Squash Bread
This recipe definitely makes me want to sit on a porch with a slice of this bread and a delicious drink to pair it with. Here are the ones I would recommend:
Raspberry and Honeydew Agua Fresca – The perfect Summer Bread with the Perfect Summer Drink!
Boozy Iced Coffee – Perfect to pair for that Summertime afternoon when you need a little bit of caffeine and fun added to the day.
Mango Lassi – A smooth and creamy fruit drink on a warm summer day, need I say more?
Here’s the Recipe!
Lemon Poppy Seed Summer Squash Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- Juice and zest of 2 small lemons
- 1 teaspoon almond flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups grated summer squash
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line two loaf pans; set aside.
- Place the melted butter, sugar, lemon juice and zest, almond flavor and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Cream together until fluffy and light in color, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate into the mixture before adding another.
- Evenly sprinkle the salt, baking soda, and baking powder over the top of the mixture. Mix well.
- Working in batches, add the flour a ½ cup at a time; mix in entirely between additions. Fold in the squash and poppy seeds. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
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Great recipe but imo needs more lemon flavor. I’ve made it several times now but I add lemon extract to boost the lemony goodness.
We loved this recipe! Could you make one bundt cake instead of two loaves?
Hi Kelly, yes you can. The bake time should be about the same, but I would start checking it at 50 minutes to see if it is done. – Linda
Anyone try making this without Eggs?
This is a great recipe! Made 2 delicious loaves yesterday. I used to make a similar recipe with zucchini, but always had an issue with the centers being too moist even as the edges were getting overdone. The yellow squash seemed a bit less juicy and the breads came out moist but without the too moist centers. I did add a glaze on top (just a cup of 10x sugar with a tablespoon or two of lemon juice) as that’s always an added treat! They were even better today (day after being baked)! One request, though, would be to add some specifics – the size of the loaf pans to use, for example, as there are a couple of choices. And the measurements of lemon juice and zest – not sure exactly what makes a lemon small and the amount of juice you get from any lemon varies a lot. Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe as I foresee making it weekly during squash season!
This is delicious! We’ve made it several times now as we have an abundance of yellow squash from the garden. Thanks for a great way to use it up!
Made regular recipe and also the gluten free recipe! Everyone loves it!
My whole family loves this recipe! However, is there a way to reduce the sugar? Maybe add grated apples or something?
Outstanding Lemon Poppy flavor.
Just made and we all love it!
I was wondering your thoughts on freezing the bread. We have so much squash in our garden and wanting new ways to preserve.
We used mini loaf pans instead of 2 large ones so we could share with friends and family easier.
Fills around 6 of our mini load pans.
Hi Alexis, yes, you can freeze this Summer Squash Bread! To freeze a whole loaf, first, let the loaf cool. Then double wrap the loaf in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped bread in an airtight, freezer-safe plastic bag. Write the date on the bag and then put it in the freezer.
This recipe made the most wonderfully flavored bread. It was a huge hit!