Butternut Squash Spice Bread

When we spring clean, we also spring clean our pantry. I had leftover pumpkin to use up so even though it is not officially pumpkin spice season, I feel that the chillier weather this week makes it okay to bring out the fall spices.  While testing out the recipe more, we also cleaned more. My husband pulled out what he thought to be pumpkin from the freezer to use up.  Well, it wasn’t pumpkin, it was butternut squash! However, it turned out great and now we have another use for leftover squash.MAKES 1 LOAF

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup organic coconut oil
3/4 cup cooked butternut squash, sweet potato or pumpkin. Do not used the sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
1 chia egg, prepared (1 tablespoon chia, 2 tablespoons water)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup roasted walnuts (optional), or top with some chocolate chips.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 325F. Prepare a loaf pan by lining with parchment paper or greasing the bottom and sides with coconut oil.
2. Prepare your chia egg by mixing the chia with water and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Mix coconut oil and squash/sweet potato/pumpkin.  Add in chia egg and milk and mix well.
4. Mix together dry ingredients (the remainder of ingredients) in a separate bowl.
5. Add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth out.  Bake for 65-70 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let sit in pan for 10 minutes and then remove to cooling rack.