I adapted my Granny White’s zucchini bread recipe to make this cushaw bread recipe. She used regular white sugar in her zucchini bread. We’re trying to eat less processed sugar so I created a substitute that uses dates, raisins, honey, molasses, and apple sauce. Cushaw bread is a bit dryer than zucchini bread so the apple sauce really helps moisten it while adding sweetness.
Cushaw are not as wet as zucchini so if you try this with zucchini, you may need more flour to thicken it up a bit or use less apple sauce. I don’t know for sure about adapting it for zucchini bread since I haven’t tried this sugar-less version with zucchini.
Dates with flour cut into them so they make little beads you can mix well into the bread.
Blend well with a whisk:
- 3 eggs
- 3/8 cup honey
- 1/8 cup molasses
- 8 dates blended in food processor (I add a little flour to the dates to keep them from pasting up in a glob. If you cut flour into the paste in your food processor, the dates will bead up and blend well throughout the bread.
- 1/2 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
- 1 cup coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Blend well and then add:
- 3 cups shredded (peeled, uncooked) cushaw squash
- 1 cup nuts (I like pecans)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3 cups all purpose flour
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line bottom of 2 loaf pans with wax paper. Grease paper and sides of loaf pans with your favorite cooking spray.
Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees until the center of the loaf is firm and not gooey.
Let set for 10 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool. You can pull off the wax paper easily as you’re transferring the loaves to the wire rack.
This is not a super sweet recipe. Spread some real butter on it while it’s warm and it’s delicious.
