Acorn Squash Puree

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!

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Different Types of Squash
• Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• Expert Tips & FAQs
• More Squash Recipes
• 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 Squash Muffins.

Oh wow - so delish! These are some healthy breakfast muffins.

Different Types of 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, spaghetti, and butternut differ? While they all have taste a little similar, they are actually pretty different.

When you hear someone say "Summer" vs. "Winter" squash, that just refers to the time of year most people use that particular type in a recipe. For instance, you typically see hubbard squash in more of the heavy winter based recipes, but you see butternut in more summer type recipes like salads, etc. Acorn is both a summer and winter squash. It's super versatile and can be used in so many recipes all year long.

Spaghetti squash is mild in flavor and is the perfect substitute for pasta. After you roast it in the oven, you can take a fork and shred it. Add marinara or pesto and you've got a low carb meal!

Butternut is an autumn vegetable and a tad bit sweeter than acorn. It has a nutty taste and works really well as a soup base like in this Spiced Butternut Squash Soup.

Acorn has more of a nutty taste and is a bit more stringy and fibrous. It's also great for stuffing. It has a slightly higher calorie rate than other type. One cup of baked and cubed butternut squash is about 82 calories, where acorn is 115 calories for the same 1 cup.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Let's jump in so I can show you how easy it is to make this recipe. 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 vegetable. This helps keep the moisture in and keeps it from drying out when roasting in the oven.

Set the oven to 350°F and once preheated, place the vegetable flesh down on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. The hard shell should be face up when roasting acorn squash in the oven.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. When done, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let the roasted squash cool for about 10 minutes. Flip each piece over an grab a spoon. Dig out the cooked squash and place into a food processor. Expert Tip: It should be really easy and extremely tender to spoon out the roasted squash.

To get that super smooth consistency, turn on the food processor or blender and puree. There is no need to add olive oil, water, or any other liquid. Expert Tip: To make acorn squash more of a mashed consistency, skip the food processor and use a hand held masher.

Once done, put the puree into a bowl and it's ready for use!

Expert Tips & FAQs

• While you don't need to add any additional liquid, you can if you need. I've found that if you roast the squash for a full 45 minutes, it turns out so soft and you don't need to add anything to change the consistency.
• Did you know that you can eat the skin on acorn squash? Yes, you sure can!
• You can also freeze acorn squash puree. Whenever I'm roasting any type of vegetable to make puree, I alway make extra so I can freeze it for later. To freeze, let it cool completely and then place it in a sealable plastic baggie. Seal it and then 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.

More Squash Recipes

I love spaghetti but it's so heavy and full of carbs. For a nice alternative, I use a spaghetti squash and pile on my homemade marinara sauce. I also really enjoy this Spaghetti Squash with Goat Cheese and Arugula!

If you like chorizo, you'll love these Baked Chorizo-Butternut Squash Chile Rellenos! Cooked in a spicy, flavorful ranchero sauce, this recipe offers a twist on one of my favorite Tex-Mex dishes.