Chunky Butternut Squash Dessert

If you need a dessert recipe for Thanksgiving or just a tasty butternut squash recipe, here it is. Try my chunky butternut squash dessert and add it to your repertoire!

Thanksgiving is around the corner. In fact, the entire season is dotted with opportunities to spend time with your loved ones around the table. It’s hard to argue that fall is not the tastiest season, and it’s for the delicious produce ripening as the leaves fall from the trees. Brown spices, pumpkins, squash, roasted birds, and mashed potatoes are the very definition of fall. And although all dishes for fall are memorable, desserts are on another level.

What Goes into A Chunky Butternut Squash Dessert?

If you like pumpkin pie and other comforting fall desserts, this buttery and lusciously sweet dessert will swoon your senses. It all starts with ripe butternut squash — you’ll find the best ones in fall! Peeled and cut into cubes, this is the perfect base for our dessert.

You’ll also need brown sugar, apple butter and just a kiss of vanilla. What makes this dessert stand out, though, is the citrus feel that comes with orange juice and lemon zest. This dish is as pretty as it is fragrant! Finally, let’s add chopped walnuts to give another textural layer to the dessert. Doesn’t this one sound like fall?

Butternut Squash Dessert FAQ

What are the best substitutes for butternut squash?

Although butternut squash is unique and hard to substitute, if you can’t find any, see if you can find Hubbard Squash. It might not look the same outside, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its squashy flavor. Delicata squash and Buttercup squash are also good alternatives.

Is this butternut squash dessert vegan?

The recipe below calls for one tablespoon of butter, but the remaining ingredients are 100% vegan. Substitute butter with margarine or your choice of vegan butter for comparable results.

What is apple butter?

Apple butter is a rich and concentrated apple sauce made by slow-cooking apples and sugar — it has a sweet, caramelly tasty. Apple butter is easy to find and incredibly versatile, especially for fall desserts, including pies and many other pastries. Substitute apple butter with apple jam or apricot jam if necessary.

Why make a chunky butternut squash dessert?

This dessert is fast and easy to make, and it’s a lovely substitute for other traditional desserts for Thanksgiving and other occasions, such as the good-old pumpkin pie. The best part? We’re using fresh butternut squash instead of canned pumpkin puree for this one, and that’s a beautiful upgrade already.

Let’s Make Dessert!

Now we’re ready to check out today’s recipe. This recipe is ready in around 40 minutes, including prep time, so have it up your sleeve for when you must prepare a last-minute dessert and have butternut squash in hand.

And get creative. I top my dessert with chopped walnuts, but add your favorite toppings to this beauty — even a scoop of vanilla ice cream can take this chunky dessert to new heights. Experimentation is key if you want to keep your cooking interesting. Most importantly, we’re putting those ripe squashes to good use!