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I’m sure you’ve heard of zucchini bread, right? It’s a delicious, moist, and slightly sweet bread made with shredded zucchini. It’s been a family favorite for years!

This year, instead of baking my usual batch of zucchini bread, I decided to try out another vegetable: yellow squash! I kept asking myself the same million-dollar question: Can you make zucchini bread with yellow squash?

I mean, I generally substitute pumpkins and other gourds for yellow squash in my recipes. However, I had never made yellow squash bread before, so this was either going to be exciting or absolutely disastrous.

That said, let’s get into the details of zucchini bread with yellow squash!

Are Zucchini and Yellow Squash the Same Thing?

Zucchini and yellow squash are both summer squashes, meaning they’re harvested while immature and the skin is tender.

They’re also both low in calories and have few carbohydrates, making them good choices for people on diets or looking to lose weight. Still, a lot of people tend to confuse the two gourds.

What’s a Zucchini?

Zucchini is a green, cylindrical vegetable with dark green stripes running vertically along its length. You can eat it raw or cooked, and it’s known for being watery in texture when cooked.

It’s often referred to as courgette in Europe and Australia, where it’s commonly used in Italian cuisine. Zucchini has a mild flavor, which makes it easy to cook in many ways without changing its taste too much.

It can be boiled or sautéed with other vegetables or meat, baked or grilled as an entrée, or added raw to salads or sandwiches.

What’s a Yellow Squash?

Yellow squash has a similar appearance to zucchini but tends to be smaller in size and more oblong-shaped than round. It usually has a bright yellow color with faded white stripes running down its length.

You can prepare yellow squash in many ways. You may roast it or cook it, add it to soups and stews, or make your own homemade spaghetti sauce. Yellow squash pairs well with other foods, like tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

Can You Make Zucchini Bread With Yellow Squash?

This is a question many people have asked in the past. The answer is yes! It’s easy to substitute yellow squash for zucchini in bread, and the results will be delicious.

In addition, the process is the same as making regular zucchini bread. The only difference is that the vibrant yellow color of the squash will brighten up the whole loaf (this is my favorite part).

How Will It Differ From Regular Zucchini Bread?

When I swapped zucchini for yellow squash in my bread recipe, I took my sweet time feeling and tasting the difference. Here’s what I came up with:

1 – Flavor

Many believe zucchini and yellow squash have similar mild flavors with a hint of sweetness. However, I beg to differ.

Zucchini has a mild flavor that allows other ingredients to shine through; it doesn’t have much of its own taste. Yellow squash, on the other hand, is quite sweet and not as subtle as zucchini.

Additionally, yellow squash has a more nutty flavor and can overpower other ingredients if you use too much of it. Therefore, I’d advise you to use less of it to balance out the flavors in your bread.

2 – Texture

The texture of zucchini is somewhat crunchy when raw. It becomes very soft when cooked because it contains large amounts of water.

Yellow summer squash is also crunchy raw but softens up when cooked. When testing both out in my bread recipe, I didn’t see much of a difference in texture.

The bread was still light and fluffy, and the consistency of the yellow squash was almost identical to the zucchini!

Is Yellow Squash a Healthy Alternative?

If you’re concerned that swapping zucchini for yellow squash would deprive you of essential vitamins and minerals, you’re wrong!

Yellow squash is packed with all the good stuff. It even outperforms zucchini in some departments! Let’s see what this vibrant yellow gourd has to offer.

It’s an excellent source of dietary fiber that helps lower blood cholesterol levels.
It’s low in calories, fat, and sodium.
It’s packed with vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system by fighting off colds and infections.
It provides ample amounts of vitamin A and beta carotene, which are antioxidants that may help protect your body from cancer.
It contains high levels of potassium, which helps manage blood pressure levels by balancing out sodium intake.
It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation.

Final Thoughts

The best way to know if yellow squash will work in your zucchini bread recipe is to try it out. You may find that it makes an interesting twist on the classic bread recipe!

Either way, I hope this article has helped you understand what to expect when making zucchini bread with yellow squash.

Sarah Bridenstine

Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.