Thanksgiving Spiced Butternut Squash Breakfast Bread with Pecan Streusel

Name: Thanksgiving Spiced Butternut Squash Breakfast Bread with Pecan Streusel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) roasted butternut squash puree, cooled to room temperature; 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons (7 g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (2½ g) baking soda; 1½ teaspoons (3½ g) ground cinnamon; ¾ teaspoon (1½ g) ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) ground cloves; ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt; ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar; ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted, melted and cooled slightly; ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral vegetable oil; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; ¼ cup (55 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes; ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour; ⅓ cup (65 g) packed light brown sugar; ¾ cup (85 g) pecan pieces, chopped roughly, toasted lightly; ⅛ teaspoon (¾ g) fine sea salt; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A moist, tender breakfast bread studded with roasted butternut squash and warm autumn spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. A buttery pecan streusel tops the loaf for textural contrast and extra flavor. This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for fall mornings or an impressive addition to any holiday spread.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 55 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the bread
1 cup (240 ml) roasted butternut squash puree, cooled to room temperature
1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons (7 g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
1½ teaspoons (3.5 g) ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground ginger
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) ground cloves
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt
¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted, melted and cooled slightly
¼ cup (60 ml) neutral vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the pecan streusel
¼ cup (55 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (65 g) packed light brown sugar
¾ cup (85 g) pecan pieces, chopped roughly, toasted lightly
⅛ teaspoon (0.8 g) fine sea salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground cinnamon

Equipment (8)

9×5-inch (23×13 cm) loaf pan
Medium mixing bowl
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Wooden spoon or spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Small saucepan
Wire rack

Steps

Before you start

Roasted butternut squash should be completely cooled before mixing (or use store-bought roasted puree)
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the center
Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal

1
Mix dry ingredients
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly combined with no lumps.
Tip: Whisk thoroughly to distribute the leavening agents and spices evenly throughout the flour.
2
Combine wet ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cooled butternut squash puree, melted butter, vegetable oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Mix until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and well combined with no visible egg streaks.
Tip: If the squash puree is too cold, the batter may be lumpy; ensure it's at room temperature.
3
Make the pecan streusel
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon for the streusel.
- Add the cold butter cubes and use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter visible.
- Stir in the chopped toasted pecans until evenly distributed.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces visible and pecans are mixed throughout.
Tip: Keep the butter cold so the streusel becomes crispy and crumbly when baked. Don't overwork the mixture.
4
Combine wet and dry
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold the mixture together gently until just combined.
- Stop as soon as no streaks of dry flour remain; do not overmix.
- The batter should be thick and slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: Flour is no longer visible; batter is slightly lumpy.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and results in a tough, dense crumb. Mix gently and stop as soon as you don't see dry flour.
5
Fill the loaf pan
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9×5-inch loaf pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
- Distribute the pecan streusel evenly over the top of the batter, pressing it down lightly so it adheres.
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Ready when: Batter is evenly distributed and streusel is pressed lightly across the top.
Tip: Press the streusel gently; if it sinks completely, the batter may not bake evenly.
6
Bake the breadOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the loaf pan in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 50–55 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the bread (avoiding the streusel topping) comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
- The top and edges will be golden brown, and the bread should spring back lightly when gently pressed on the sides.
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Ready when: Wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs; top is golden brown and sides feel set.
Tip: Check at 50 minutes; ovens vary. If the streusel is browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil.
7
Cool the bread
- Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- This allows the crumb to set and makes unmolding easier.
- After 15 minutes, turn the bread out onto the wire rack to cool completely to room temperature, about 30 minutes more.
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Ready when: Bread is cool enough to handle and has pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan.
Tip: Cooling in the pan prevents the bread from breaking apart while the crumb is still soft.

Good to know

Tips

To roast your own butternut squash for puree: halve a 2-pound squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, place skin-side up on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 35–40 minutes until fork-tender. Cool, scoop the flesh into a food processor, and puree until smooth.
Toast the pecans for the streusel in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. This deepens their flavor and ensures they stay crispy in the finished bread.
For a gluten-free version, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend (such as Bob's Red Mill) and increase the xanthan gum by 1/4 teaspoon if the blend doesn't contain it.
Serve thick slices warm with butter, cream cheese, or a drizzle of maple glaze for a special breakfast treat.

Make ahead

Prepare the batter up to 8 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Assemble and bake just before serving. Or bake the loaf fully, wrap it in foil, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature (loosely covered) for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Freeze (wrapped tightly in foil and plastic wrap) for up to 2 months. Reheat slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes or a toaster oven to crisp the streusel.

Substitutions

roasted butternut squash puree → canned pumpkin puree or roasted acorn squash puree. Use the same amount. Butternut and acorn squash are slightly sweeter than pumpkin; if using pumpkin, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to balance the spice.
pecan pieces, chopped roughly → walnuts, chopped, or a mix of pecans and walnuts. Walnuts have a slightly more earthy, less sweet flavor but work equally well. Toast them the same way.
packed light brown sugar → granulated sugar or turbinado sugar. Use the same amount by weight. Granulated sugar will yield a slightly less rich flavor; turbinado adds a pleasant crunch.
unsalted butter, melted → coconut oil or ghee. Use the same amount melted in the batter. For the streusel, use cold coconut oil, though the texture will be slightly less crispy.