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.
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 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 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 squash bread is so damn 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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Here’s Your Recipe!
Yields 2 loaves
Summer Squash Bread is the best way to use up all those giant yellow squash in the garden!
15 minPrep Time
1 hrCook Time
1 hr, 15 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 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 1/2 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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