Cozy up with these Butternut Squash Recipes—a collection of comforting, flavorful dishes perfect for fall, from creamy soups to roasted sides and hearty mains!

Sweet, nutty, and perfectly cozy—these Butternut Squash Recipes are everything you love about fall cooking wrapped up in one golden ingredient. Whether you’re planning a hearty weeknight dinner or an elegant holiday spread, these recipes will make you fall in love with this autumn staple all over again.

Butternut Squash Recipes

1) Velvety Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (Silky, Cozy, Restaurant-Smooth)

Ingredients

• Butternut squash: 1 large (about 1.2–1.4 kg whole), peeled, seeded, cut into 2.5 cm / 1-inch cubes
• Yellow onion: 1 medium (170 g), sliced
• Carrot: 1 medium (100 g), sliced
• Garlic: 4 cloves, peeled
• Olive oil: 2½ tbsp
• Fine sea salt: 1¼ tsp, divided
• Black pepper: ¾ tsp, divided
• Ground cinnamon: ⅛ tsp
• Smoked paprika: ¼ tsp (soft warmth, not heat)
• Vegetable stock (low sodium): 900 ml / 4 cups, warm
• Coconut milk (full-fat) or evaporated milk: 120 ml / ½ cup
• Fresh thyme: 4 sprigs (or ½ tsp dried)
• Apple cider vinegar: 1½ tsp (bright finish)

Optional Toppings: Toasted pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of yogurt or chili oil, chopped chives

The Melt-Into-A-Hug Method

• Slide the squash, onion, carrot, and garlic onto a large sheet pan, toss with olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, cinnamon, and smoked paprika, then spread into one bold, even layer so the edges caramelize instead of steam.
• Roast at 220°C / 425°F for 28–32 minutes, flipping once, until squash is tender and the onion has sweet brown edges.
• Scrape everything (and the pan’s golden bits) into a pot, add warm stock, coconut milk, thyme, and simmer 8–10 minutes to let flavors marry; fish out thyme. Blend until glossy-smooth (stick blender or batches in a blender).
• Thin with a splash more stock if you want a lighter body. Stir in vinegar, taste, and finish with the remaining ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper until it sings.
• Ladle into warm bowls and crown with pepitas and something creamy if you like.

2) Sheet-Pan Maple-Dijon Butternut With Brussels & Chickpeas (Meal-Prep Hero)

Ingredients

• Butternut squash: 800 g, peeled, 2 cm / ¾-inch cubes
• Brussels sprouts: 500 g, trimmed, halved
• Cooked chickpeas: 1 can / 425 g, drained, patted very dry
• Red onion: 1 small (120 g), wedges
• Olive oil: 3 tbsp
• Pure maple syrup: 1½ tbsp
• Dijon mustard: 1 tbsp
• Apple cider vinegar: 2 tsp
• Garlic powder: ¾ tsp
• Paprika: ½ tsp
• Fine sea salt: 1¾ tsp, divided
• Black pepper: ¾ tsp
• Fresh thyme leaves: 1 tbsp (or ½ tsp dried)

Optional add-ons: Crumbled feta (60 g), toasted walnuts (50 g), lemon wedges

The Roast-To-Gold Game Plan

• Whisk oil, maple, Dijon, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, 1¼ tsp salt, pepper, and thyme.
• Toss squash, Brussels, chickpeas, and red onion with the dressing on a parchment-lined half-sheet.
• Spread everything in a single layer (crowding kills crisp). Roast at 220°C / 425°F for 24–28 minutes, stirring at minute 14, until the squash is tender, chickpeas are toasty, and Brussels wear deep brown freckles.
• Sprinkle the remaining ½ tsp salt while hot, shower with walnuts and feta if using, and squeeze lemon over the pan.
• Serve warm over arugula or quinoa, or box it up for lunches—it keeps like a champ.

3) Creamy One-Pot Butternut Squash Risotto With Sage (No Babysitting Needed)

Ingredients

• Olive oil: 2 tbsp
• Shallot: 2 small (80 g), finely minced
• Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
• Arborio rice: 300 g / 1½ cups
• Dry white wine: 120 ml / ½ cup
• Butternut squash: 450 g, 1 cm / ½-inch dice (small dice cooks evenly)
• Vegetable stock (warm, low sodium): 1.1 liters / 4½ cups
• Fresh sage: 8 leaves, finely sliced (chiffonade)
• Parmesan, finely grated: 60–75 g / ¾ cup (or nutritional yeast 3 tbsp for dairy-light)
• Unsalted butter: 1 tbsp (optional glossy finish)
• Lemon zest: from ½ lemon
• Fine sea salt & pepper: to taste (start with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper)

The Stir-Less Trick (Yes, Really)

• Warm oil in a heavy pot over medium heat; sauté shallot with a pinch of salt 3 minutes until glossy, then stir in garlic 30 seconds.
• Toast rice 1 minute—you want the grains shiny and humming. Splash in wine; stir until absorbed and fragrant.
• Add squash, the warm stock, and sage; bring just to a simmer, cover, and lower heat to gentle.
• Cook 16–18 minutes, lifting the lid twice to stir (that’s all the “risotto stirring” you need). When rice is al dente and the pot looks creamy, fold in Parmesan (or nutritional yeast), butter if using, lemon zest, and more salt/pepper until balanced.
• If it tightens too much, loosen with a splash of hot stock. Spoon into warm bowls and crack a little extra black pepper on top like you mean it.

4) Quinoa, Kale & Cranberry Stuffed Butternut (Holiday-Worthy, Weeknight-Easy)

Ingredients

• Butternut squash: 2 small (about 700–800 g each), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
• Olive oil: 3 tbsp, divided
• Fine sea salt: 2 tsp, divided
• Black pepper: ¾ tsp, divided
• Quinoa (rinsed): 170 g / 1 cup
• Vegetable stock: 480 ml / 2 cups
• Red onion: ½ small (60 g), finely diced
• Garlic: 2 cloves, minced
• Kale: 120 g (stems stripped, chopped small)
• Dried cranberries (reduced sugar): 60 g / ½ cup
• Toasted pecans: 70 g / ½ cup, chopped
• Feta: 80 g / ¾ cup, crumbled (or goat cheese)
• Fresh parsley: 2 tbsp, chopped
• Orange zest: from 1 orange
• Balsamic vinegar: 1 tbsp

Optional: Pinch of chili flakes

Roast-Fill-Return For Glory

• Brush squash cut sides and cavities with 1½ tbsp oil, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper.
• Place cut-side down on a lined sheet; roast at 200°C / 400°F for 35–45 minutes until fork-tender with caramel edges.
• Meanwhile, simmer quinoa in stock with a pinch of salt until liquid absorbs, 15 minutes; rest covered 5 minutes, fluff.
• In a skillet, soften onion in 1 tbsp oil 3 minutes, add garlic 30 seconds, then kale, a pinch of salt, and 2 tbsp water; sauté until just wilted.
• Fold kale mix into quinoa with cranberries, pecans, feta, parsley, orange zest, balsamic, remaining 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.
• Flip roasted squash, gently score the centers with a fork (grip for the filling), heap in the quinoa mixture, and return to the oven 8–10 minutes to mingle and toast on top.
• Hit with chili flakes if you like a wink of heat.

5) Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tacos With Chipotle-Lime Yogurt (Weeknight Legend)

Ingredients

• Butternut squash: 700 g, 1.5 cm / ⅝-inch cubes
• Olive oil: 2½ tbsp, divided
• Ground cumin: 1 tsp
• Chili powder: 1 tsp
• Smoked paprika: ½ tsp
• Fine sea salt: 1¼ tsp, divided
• Black pepper: ½ tsp
• Black beans: 1 can / 425 g, drained, rinsed
• Red cabbage: 2 cups, finely shredded
• Avocado: 1, sliced
• Corn tortillas: 10–12, warmed
• Fresh cilantro: ½ cup, roughly chopped
• Lime wedges: for serving
• Chipotle-Lime Yogurt
• Greek yogurt (2% or 5%): 240 g / 1 cup
• Lime juice: 1½ tbsp + 1 tsp zest
• Chipotle in adobo: 1 small pepper, minced (or ½–1 tsp paste)
• Honey or maple: 1 tsp
• Garlic powder: ¼ tsp
• Fine sea salt: ¼ tsp

Roast-Stack-Devour Roadmap

• Whisk yogurt ingredients with ¼ tsp salt until smooth and zippy; chill.
• Toss squash with 2 tbsp oil, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, 1 tsp salt, and pepper; spread on a hot sheet pan and roast at 220°C / 425°F for 22–26 minutes, flipping once, until deeply bronzed with tender centers.
• Warm black beans with ½ tbsp oil and a pinch of salt in a skillet 2 minutes just to gloss and heat through.
• Warm tortillas over a flame or in a dry skillet until floppy and speckled. Build tacos: a swoop of chipotle yogurt, a tumble of squash, a spoon of black beans, ribbons of cabbage, avocado slices, and a reckless shower of cilantro.
• Squeeze lime like you’re signing your work.

Make-Your-Life-Easier Notes

• Peeling Without Tears: Knock the stem off, microwave the squash 60–90 seconds, then peel—your thumbs will thank me.
• Uniform Dice = Even Cooking: Keep to the sizes listed; small dice for risotto, medium for roasting.
• Salt In Layers: A pinch at each stage tastes brighter than a dump at the end.
• Leftovers That Don’t Sulk: Roasted cubes and the sheet-pan mix keep 4 days in the fridge; the soup freezes beautifully up to 2 months.

When the weather drops and the oven hums, these butternut squash recipes deliver everything you wanted from fall—warmth, color, and that quiet moment where dinner tastes like home.