Squash Fig Banana Bread

Author Notes

This is a rich, moist, fruity bread made with one of my favorite foods in the universe: Kabocha squash. You could probably use butternut, or sweet potato, or whatever you like, but the Kabocha gives it this buttery undertone that I adore. I don’t like my breads too sweet, which is why there’s such a large range for the honey- I use 1/4 but suspect most would prefer 1/2-3/4. This bread can be vegan if you use flax eggs and maple syrup. —Jenb42

Ingredients

• 
  1.5 cups
  
  whole wheat pastry flour
  
  
• 
  1 teaspoon
  
  salt
  
  
• 
  1.5 teaspoons
  
  baking soda
  
  
• 
  2 teaspoons
  
  cinnamon
  
  
• 
  1 teaspoon
  
  nutmeg
  
  
• 
  12-15
  
  dried Calmyrna figs, chopped into tiny pieces
  
  
• 
  ³/₄ cup
  
  toasted nut pieces- almonds, walnuts, pecans, or a mix
  
  
• 
  1 cup
  
  cooked Kabocha squash, mashed smooth
  
  
• 
  ¹/₂ cup
  
  coconut milk (preferred) or soy, almond, or regular milk
  
  
• 
  2
  
  eggs, or 2 “flax eggs” (1 flax egg = 1 tbsp flax meal in 3 tbsp water, dissolved for 20 minutes)
  
  
• 
  ¹/₂ cup
  
  olive, canola, or melted coconut oil
  
  
• 
  1/4-3/4 cups
  
  honey or maple syrup
  
  
• 
  1 tablespoon
  
  grated fresh ginger