Making acorn squash puree is low maintenance and easy. With only 2 ingredients, I’m going to walk you through how to roast an acorn squash to make the perfect puree for muffins, baby food, pancakes, and so much more!
Easy Acorn Squash Puree
You’re probably asking yourself, “Why acorn squash puree? Like, what in the world would I make with it?” It’s a good question and I’ll answer it with this these Acorn Squash Muffins.
Oh wow – so delish! These are some healthy breakfast muffins.
Acorn squash puree is fantastic in so many different types of recipes such as pancakes, muffins, soups, sweet breads, and even ravioli! You can’t buy acorn squash puree at the store like you can pumpkin puree so you might as well learn how to make it.
But don’t worry…it’s so easy to make!
The Difference Between Acorn and Butternut Squash
Butternut and spaghetti squash get a lot of attention, but I love acorn squash and feel it’s seriously underutilized in recipes. But how does acorn squash and butternut squash compare? While they do taste pretty similar, they are actually pretty different.
- Butternut squash is a tad bit sweeter than acorn squash.
- Acorn squash has more of a nutty taste and is a bit more stringy and fibrous.
- Acorn squash has a slightly higher calorie rate than acorn squash. One cup of baked and cubed butternut squash is about 82 calories, where acorn squash is 115 calories for the same 1 cup.
- Acorn squash is great for stuffing foods, while butternut squash is often found more in soups.
How to Bake Acorn Squash
Let’s jump into how to make acorn squash puree. First, cut the squash lengthwise on a cutting board. Take a spoon and dig out all the seeds and strings.
Take a basting brush and dip it in some extra virgin olive oil. Brush the olive oil over the entire acorn squash. This helps keep the moisture in the squash and keeps the squash from drying out when roasting in the oven.
Set the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and once preheated, place flesh down on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. You want the hard shell to be face up when roasting squash.
Let the squash bake in the oven for 45 minutes. When done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Flip the squash over an grab a spoon. Dig out the cooked squash and place into a food processor. Note – the squash should be extremely tender and easy to spoon out.
To get that super smooth consistency, turn on the food processor or blender and puree.
Pour the puree into a bowl and it’s ready for use!
Pro Tips
- Should I add olive oil when pureeing? – You can if you need to, yes. But I’ve found that if you roast the squash for a full 45 minutes it’s so soft that you don’t need to add the olive oil.
- Summer versus Winter Squash – When they say “Summer Squash” vs. “Winter Squash” that just refers to the time of year most people use that particular type of squash in a recipe. For instance, you typically see hubbard squash in more of the heavy winter based recipes, but you see butternut squash in more summer type recipes like salads, etc. Acorn squash is both a summer and winter squash. It’s super versatile and can be used in so many recipes all year long.
- Can I eat the skin on acorn squash? – You sure can! Roasted acorn squash is delicious!
- Can I freeze acorn squash puree – Yep! Whenever I’m roasting any type of squash to make puree, I alway make extra so I can freeze it for later. Once you have the puree, just let it cool and then place it in a ziplock baggie and seal. Write the date on the baggie so you know when it was made. You can keep the puree in the freezer for up to 6 months.
What Other Recipes Can Be Made with Acorn Squash?
Oh my goodness….so many acorn squash recipes! There are a ton of recipes you can make with acorn squash. Check out these:
I just can’t wait to hear you what you’re making with your puree! Make sure to tag me @recipesworthrepeating on Instagram and hashtag it #recipesworthrepeating so I can see all your wonderful recipe creations!
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Acorn Squash Puree
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
- Start by cutting the squash lengthwise on a cutting board. Take a spoon and dig out all the seeds and strings. Discard or save the seeds for roasting later on.
- Take a basting brush and dip it in extra virgin olive oil. Take the basting brush and evenly spread the olive oil over the entire acorn squash.
- Place the acorn squash flesh down on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. You want the hard shell to be face up when roasting squash.
- Let the squash bake in the oven for 45 minutes. When done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Flip the squash over and grab a spoon. Dig out the cooked squash and place into a food processor. Note: the squash should be extremely tender and easy to spoon out.
- Turn on the food processor or blender and puree.
Notes
- Feel free to drizzle a bit of olive oil into the food processor if you want the consistency more satiny.
Wow how easy is this!! And it’s the perfect item for so many fall dishes. Can’t wait to try it
I used this to make the basis of a Mac and cheese!!!
So easy and so delicious!
My kids didn’t notice the addition of veg and I loved the added nutrition it gave them.
Thank you
Hi Claire! I love it!! What an incredible base for macaroni and cheese! Brilliant!! SO glad you guys loved it and love that you got all the nutritional value!!