Inspiration: I’m not usually into substitute recipes – anything that’s a fake version of something else. I’ve tried a lot of those kinds of recipes over the past several years, and more often than not, they are very disappointing. But when I ran across this recipe over at Things My Belly Likes, it just looked and sounded too good not to try. I love all things squash, after all. I’ve mentioned before on the blog that we travel for Thanksgiving, but since I love to cook so much and since Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year, I always do our own little mini Thanksgiving a few weeks before actual Turkey Day. I ended up making this bread  recipe this year, alongside an herb-roasted turkey breast, scalloped potatoes, and green beans with bacon and shallots. Being so busy with Ben and not really having any time to play in the kitchen, I almost skipped trying to make our Thanksgiving meal this year, but I’m so glad that I didn’t. As a good meal always does, it made me so thankful for the wonderful life that I live. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

What We Loved: I thought that this bread was fantastic, and Brandon even liked it, too. My favorite thing about it was that it was so dense and very moist, which was awesome. A lot of times, using coconut flour tends to result in a dry recipe, but this bread was seriously moist and fabulous. The bread had a really great cinnamon/slightly sweet fall baked goods flavor to it, too, making it so perfect for a Thanksgiving plate. Plus, it’s loaded with a cup of  shredded carrot and a cup of shredded squash – bonus! What a great way to add even more vegetables to your dinner plate. And I loved that the bread was actually bread-like – perfectly able to be sliced, no falling apart, etc.

Tips: I ate a lot of this bread for breakfasts, and I really enjoyed it for a breakfast option. I tried a few slices with some peanut butter, and that was also good. Next on my list, I’m going to throw some in the microwave for a few seconds and then spread with some butter. I have a feeling that it will be great that way, too.

*Edit – I’d recommend eating this bread pretty quickly or refrigerating the leftovers. I left it wrapped up in foil on the counter like I might do any other bread, but by the third day it had gone bad.

Grain-Free Carrot and Squash Bread
Source: Slightly adapted from Things My Belly Likes
Makes 1 loaf

3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons agave nectar (or you could use honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 large eggs
1 cup carrot, peeled and grated (about 2 large carrots)
1 cup acorn squash, peeled and grated

1. Mix the coconut flour, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt the butter, let it cool, and then stir in the agave, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry. When the batter is still slightly runny, fold in the carrots and squash. Mix until everything is well combined.

4. Press into a bread loaf tin lined with parchment paper. The batter will be thick.

5. Bake at 375 for about 35-40 minutes, until the bread is cooked through but still springy to the touch. Let cool before slicing.