Ask the Blog: Using Summer Squash to Bake

Today we got a question at packout that I had been thinking about myself: could you use other kinds of summer squash in place of zucchini in baked goods? It turns out you can, according to the Internet, which has lots of recipes for squash bread and squash muffins and so forth. Just to be sure, I did a little experimental cooking today.

I made some zucchini bread from the recipe I usually use, but I substituted grated pattypan squash for the zucchini. It worked and tasted just fine. Then I used some yellow squash to create a new (though similar) recipe for muffins with walnuts and cranberries. Those were pretty great, too, so I’ve included that recipe here.

So, the answer is, definitively yes—if you have yellow squash or pattypan or any other kind of summer squash, you can peel it, grate it, and use it as you would grated zucchini. So, while the weather stays cool, fire up those ovens and make some muffins!

Summer Squash Walnut-Cranberry Muffins

1½ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ginger

2 eggs

1 cup to 1¼ cups grated/shredded yellow squash, pattypan squash, or zucchini

½ cup (1 stick) melted butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup sugar

3 Tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt

¾ cups walnut pieces

½ cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, and sugar. Add the vanilla and yogurt and mix well, then add the flour mixture in thirds alternately with the grated squash in halves (flour-squash-flour-squash-flour) until well-mixed. Stir in the walnut pieces and dried cranberries, and half-fill muffin papers with the batter. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes about 18 muffins.