The taste of fall is reminiscent of warm, rich aromas and creamy comforting foods. When I created this recipe it literally made me taste fall. Oh the joy!
In creating this dish I was looking for something different to do with butternut squash. Typically I peel it, cube it and roast it or make fries with it which is always a hit and super simple but this bake hit the spot. The taste of this Cinnamon Maple Butternut Squash Bake is comparable to a pumpkin pie but less sweet and has no crust making it the perfect side dish. It accompanies a grilled pork chop or grilled chicken well. It also pairs well with a savory steak. Serve it along side your meat and some sauteed greens and you have a completely nutritious meal.
If you need an understanding of how to properly prep a butternut squash you can visit my DIY page to learn how. These peelers also make peeling it a cinch!
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped into ¼" - ½" cubes
- 4 pastured eggs, whisked
- 1½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 2 Tlbs. maple syrup (grade B is best if you can afford it)
- 1 Tlbs. raw local honey
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ c. coconut milk
- 4 Tlbs. coconut flour
- 2 Tlbs. bacon fat (or fat of choice but this adds good flavor)
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with fat of your choice. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large stock pot put about ¼ - ½ cup of water and add the cubed butternut squash. Steam the squash until every cube is tender and able to be smashed with a spoon. Stir it often while steaming to prevent scorching and sticking to the bottom of the pan. If runs out of water at the bottom add a touch more to prevent sticking.
- When the butternut squash is tender use your immersion blender (LOVE THESE) and puree the entire batch of squash until smooth and creamy and no lumps remain.
- Add all of the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the eggs. Stir to incorporate.
- Now you get to temper the eggs. Take about ½ cup of squash puree and slowly drizzle it into the eggs while whisking. Once the eggs are whisked with the puree, slowly pour the tempered eggs into the stockpot of squash puree while at the same time whisking them. The whole idea is that you don't want the eggs to form into chunks. You want to smoothly incorporate them into the puree. After all the ingredients are mixed together it should have a batter like consistency with a bit of thickness from the coconut flour. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake it in the oven for 30-45 minutes until slightly golden along the edges. It will have a custard like texture when finished.
Our whole family gave this a big thumbs up tonight! Even my picky one… J said how much he loved it 5 times, and P 2 or 3 times! 🙂 Thanks!
Great news! I am so happy that your family enjoyed it. Happy Harvest!
Oh I can’t wait to try this! I love butternut squash but also find myself only ever roasting it. Can’t believe you created this recipe on your own…you’re so talented.
You’re so sweet Jenni! I hope you enjoy it.