29 Easy Butternut Squash Recipes That Give Pumpkin A Run For Its Money
Oftentimes when it comes to fall flavors, pumpkin and apple really hog the spotlight, 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 29 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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Get the Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Butternut Squash Ravioli
Making pasta dough from scratch does require extra effort, but it's 100% worth it. And honestly? It’s not that difficult. Trust us, knowing that you made this butternut squash pasta from scratch will make it taste 10x better.
Get the Butternut Squash Ravioli recipe.
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.
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!
Get the Brown Butter Butternut Squash Pasta recipe.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie
This meatless, dairy-free take on shepherd's pie is packed with veggies (mushrooms! celery! butternut squash! parsnips!) and loaded with flavor. It's also incredibly hearty, thanks to lentils.
Get the Vegan Shepherd's Pie recipe.
Roasted 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 Roasted Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash-Chicken Curry
This easy Instant Pot curry is seasoned with cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cayenne. We like to serve it with a big dollop of whole-milk yogurt and sliced almonds over rice, but you do you!
Get the Instant Pot Butternut Squash-Chicken Curry recipe.
Stuffing Stuffed Pumpkins
Why bake your stuffing in a boring ol' baking dish, when you could bake it in a pumpkin?! This autumnal recipe utilizes the sweetness of pumpkin and butternut squash for a super-flavorful stuffing that tastes just as good as it looks.
Get the Stuffing Stuffed Pumpkins recipe.
Twice-Baked Parm and Pecan Butternut Squash
Comforting fall flavors are the star in this sensational take on butternut squash. Silky, sweet butternut squash are stuffed with pecans, creamy crème fraîche, and Parmesan, coated in panko bread crumbs, then is double-baked for added flavor. Trust us when we say the whole family will be back for seconds.
Get the Twice-Baked Parm and Pecan Butternut Squash recipe.
Scalloped Butternut Squash
The sweetness of the squash + the salty creaminess of the cheese = veggie side perfection. Give potatoes a break and make this scalloped squash instead!
Get the Scalloped Butternut Squash recipe.
Hasselback Bacon Butternut Squash
Butternut squash in any preparation is one of our favorite savory fall sides. This version gets an indulgent upgrade with bacon and plenty of cheese: What could be better? Great as a side or a main, make it while the squash is still plentiful!
Get the Hasselback Bacon Butternut Squash recipe.
Easy Crock-Pot Butternut Squash Soup
This is the perfect "set it and forget it" slow-cooker recipe for a busy fall weeknight. Make it in the morning, and this sweet and savory squash-filled dinner will be practically ready for you by the time you get home.
Get the Crock-Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
Burrito Butternut Squash Boats
Butternut squash boats are to fall as stuffed zucchini are to summer. They're the perfect low-carb vehicle for plenty of veggies, meat, and, of course, CHEESE.
Get the Burrito Butternut Squash Boats recipe.
Bacon Butternut Squash Pasta
This fettuccine with Fontina sauce and roasted butternut squash is serious competition for Alfredo. Don't skip frying the sage—it takes this dish over the top.
Get the Bacon Butternut Squash Pasta recipe.
Butternut Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas
You’ll want to make these vegetarian enchiladas any night of the week. Stuffed with a hearty combination of squash and mushrooms and topped with two forms of cheesy, melted Velveeta, they’re quick, easy, filling, and delicious. A quadruple threat!
Get the Butternut Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas recipe.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Instead of traditional Bolognese, the lasagna layers here are filled with butternut squash, spinach, béchamel, and cheese. The combination is ridiculously cozy and comforting while still being a little lighter (and vegetarian!).
Get the Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe.
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