32 Butternut Squash Recipes To Make This Fall
Move over, pumpkin, it's squash's time to shine.
In the World Series of fall flavors, pumpkin and apple often share the top spot, but we think butternut squash is the real MVP (Most Valuable Produce) for its versatility and sweet-savory seasonality. Think about it, it can be roasted crisp or pureed smooth, and is delicious at every stage in between. It adds warmth and comfort to pretty much any fall dish, from pastas to soups to salads. Check out our 32 butternut squash recipes to see all you can do with it—it might just become your new favorite orange veggie!
Let’s start with the basics. We’ll admit, butternut squash can be a little bit intimidating. Many stores sell it already peeled and cubed for you, but with our guide for how to peel and cut butternut squash, you’ll soon be a pro all on your own. The secret is to cut it into more manageable pieces rather than trying to slice it in its original unwieldy shape. Once you’ve got it sliced and diced, the sky’s the limit on what you can do with it. Try it as a soup; as a side dish, like in our cheesy bacon butternut squash or our butternut squash risotto; or even with noodles, like in our brown butter butternut squash pasta or our butternut squash ravioli. It’s also wonderful as the star of a vegetarian main dish, like our butternut squash casserole, our stuffed butternut squash, or our butternut squash curry. It’s so hearty, you won’t miss the meat (though it also pairs super well with everything from chicken to pork).
It also should be mentioned, butternut squash is kind of to fall what zucchini is to summer. It’s a great lower-carb replacement for potatoes, like in our scalloped butternut squash; is a good partner for cheese, like in our butternut squash mac & cheese; and you can even turn it into noodles, just like zoodles. During the fall, we just might like it better than ever-versatile cauliflower (😱).
Want more seasonal produce inspiration? Check out our favorite sweet potato recipes, our best Brussels sprouts recipes, and our top cranberry recipes too.
Butternut Squash Soup
What dish is the most indicative of leaves falling and the chilly autumn breeze? Some might say it's pumpkin pie, others might say warm apple cider, but to us, nothing fits better with October sweater weather than a delicious bowl of butternut squash soup.
Get the Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
Butternut Squash Ravioli
If you're looking for the coziest fall dinner, look no further than this butternut squash ravioli. With a creamy butternut squash filling and a brown butter sauce, this ravioli is the perfect solution when you're in need of a comforting dinner that will truly wow. We make the ravioli from scratch in this recipe, but don't stress yet! It's really not as difficult as you think, and we've got all the tips here to help you every step of the way.
Get the Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe.
Butternut Squash Casserole
It's time for butternut squash to claim its rightful place on autumnal dinner tables. This savory casserole is packed with bacon and two types of cheese (mozzarella and cheddar) and just enough kale to lend the dish a healthy-ish twist. Equally versatile as a side dish or a main, this vegetable casserole is a hearty, easy, and delicious way to eat your greens this fall.
Get the Butternut Squash Casserole recipe.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Creamy, sweet, and conveniently orange, butternut squash adds extra body and richness to mac & cheese. A little thyme does some heavy lifting, making the homey comfort classic a little fancy, and bringing some fall flavors to the table that are *chef’s kiss*.
Get the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese recipe.
Butternut Squash Steaks
If you're tired of cauliflower steaks, then you should turn to butternut squash. It's a great plant-based ingredient because its texture is quite meaty yet tender, and it works with a variety of seasonings and recipes. When this squash is in season throughout the fall and winter months, it has a sweet, mellow flavor that works perfectly in so many different ways, whether blended into a soup or roasted in planks (and brushed with smoked paprika oil), like this recipe.
Get the Butternut Squash Steaks recipe.
Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Balsamic-Maple Dressing
This butternut squash and kale-packed salad makes a beautiful side dish, but top it with rotisserie chicken, shrimp, or a fried egg to make it a full meal. Because kale is so sturdy, this dish a great make-ahead meal. (We've eaten it on day three and it was still divine.)
Get the Air Fryer Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Balsamic-Maple Dressing recipe.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
After baking brown-sugar-butter-slathered squash until perfectly tender, you'll top the squash with a hearty filling of quinoa, kale, and chickpeas. Flecked with dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, the savory pilaf has the perfect balance of texture, flavor, and pops of color. It's sweet, savory, protein-packed, and filling—what more could you want for fall?
Get the Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe.
Slow Cooker Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
A simmering pot of soup on a chilly fall afternoon is the recipe for a cozy meal. The day is made even better when the soup is ridiculously easy and makes your house smell amazing. This vegan butternut squash soup is made in a slow cooker, so after you chop up all your vegetables, it’s essentially hands-off. A quick blitz with an immersion blender at the end, and you’ve got a silky, drinkable butternut squash soup.
Get the Slow Cooker Vegan Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
Butternut Squash Curry recipe
Butternut squash is toothsome and savory, kale is earthy and green, and coconut milk wraps everything together in a creamy sauce. The curry spice adds a little warm punch to each spoonful, while a squeeze of lime juice and fresh parsley brighten each bite, cutting out some of the richness. Sunflower seeds are a fun addition that adds a little crunch to your bite, but feel free to omit (or swap for something else!).
Get the Butternut Squash Curry recipe.
Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash
No matter what the centerpiece of your meal is, this cheesy butternut squash skillet is sure to steal the show. The balance of sweet, salty, and creamy is EXTREMELY delicious.
Get the Cheesy Bacon Butternut Squash recipe.
Butternut Squash Potstickers
Making your own potstickers doesn't have to be complicated. These vegan potstickers are easy to put together and most of your time is spent roasting your squash until really tender, which can be done ahead of time. Crimping takes a little practice, but the good news is that even if they look a little wonky, they're still going to taste great!
Get the Butternut Squash Potstickers recipe.
Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta
This pasta—with roasted butternut squash, crispy sage, creamy gorgonzola, and toasted walnuts—SCREAMS fall. Want to add protein? We think this would be amazing with pancetta or bacon too.
Panera Autumn Squash Soup
Panera has a cult following around their soups and especially their autumn squash soup. Our copycat version has butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots, and shallots for a sweet and fully fall flavor. Topped with spiced pepitas, this cozy fall soup is great as an appetizer or filling enough to be the main course.
Get the Panera Autumn Squash Soup recipe.
Butternut Squash Risotto
A lot of butternut squash risotto recipes call for roasting the squash first. Not this one. Here, everything cooks in the same pot, which means the butternut squash kind of becomes the sauce too. The results are insane.
Get the Butternut Squash Risotto recipe.
Mashed Butternut Squash
Butternut squash has an advantage on potatoes when it comes to being pureed. Instead of the added milk or cream, like in mashed potatoes, the squash gets blended with just a little butter for a velvety smooth side dish. It's one of our favorite ways to serve the vegetable, and it takes very little effort!
Get the Mashed Butternut Squash recipe.
Butternut Squash Noodles
Move over zoodles, butternut squash is THE fall alternative to pasta. The winter squash roasts quickly and can go anywhere zucchini noodles can go. We love it tossed with just a little olive oil and Parmesan, but take inspiration from our spaghetti recipes and get creative.
Get the Butternut Squash Noodles recipe.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is a fall staple. The deep orange squash is super versatile and works well as roasted butternut squash soup, as a bacon butternut squash side, or is pretty perfect on its own, simply roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper (hot tip: get your oven SUPER hot for best results).
Get the Roasted Butternut Squash recipe.
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
This is a vegan soup, but you would never guess, because it's satisfying enough to be the main course. The warm, rich flavors of curry powder play beautifully with sweet roasted butternut squash. Topped with a drizzle of rich coconut milk, toasted peanuts, and fresh cilantro, this picture-perfect dinner is sure to please everyone—even the omnivores.
Get the Curried Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta
Whether you're looking for a perfect dinner for a cozy night in or something to impress for date night, this is THE pasta. It's warm and cozy and filling, but not heavy. You can even make it vegetarian by skipping the sausage—there's still plenty of squash in there to fill you up!
Three Sisters Dish
The benefits of an Indigenous Mesoamerican Three Sisters garden (that's corn, beans, and winter squash) go beyond supplying a powerhouse trio of nutritional ingredients. These gardens also exemplify the genius of companion planting—i.e., planting different crops near each other so they work together to improve each other's growth, and the health of the soil they are planted in.
Get the Three Sisters Dish recipe.
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