12 Best Butternut Squash Recipes for Cozy Fall Dinners

If you think it's only for soup, you've been missing out.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published September 24, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
Sally Vargas

Butternut squash is the darling of fall produce, sweet and smooth, hearty and versatile. You can soup it, sauce it, roast it, risotto it, and so much more. The hardest part (other than peeling and prepping)? Not eating it all in one sitting!

While I'm partial to simply roasted butternut squash (all the more with brown butter and thyme), I also love butternut squash soups of all sorts and butternut squash sauce for pasta. If you've been saving this beloved squash solely for soup, you've been missing out. Don't worry though, these recipes are here to help!

Be sure to save your favorites to your free MyRecipes account. All you do is click to the recipes, then tap the heart icon by each recipe title.

  • Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

    Bowl of Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Topped with Thyme, Coconut Milk, Croutons, and Cracked Pepper, Sitting on a Kitchen Linen and Surrounded by a Bowl of Cracked Pepper and a Spoon

    Simply Recipes / Katie Morford

    "Unlike many butternut soup recipes, this one starts by roasting the squash in the oven rather than cooking it on the stovetop. Roasting does double duty in the soup: first, there’s no need to peel and cube raw squash (which is hard work), and second, it gives the soup an added depth of flavor and sweetness." —Katie Morford, Recipe Developer

  • Butternut Squash Risotto

    Butternut Squash Risotto

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "We are serving this with chopped chives, but you could also crisp up a few fresh sage leaves in simmering butter, then crumble them into the risotto."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Pasta With Butternut Squash Parmesan Sauce

    A bowl of pasta with butternut squash sauce

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "This butternut pasta sauce will work with any pasta, but spaghetti is an especially good pairing."—Elise

  • Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Sauté

    Roasted Butternut Squash Sauté

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "To make ahead, roast the cubed squash and prep the ingredients, then do a quick sauté before serving."—Elise

    Continue to 5 of 12 below

  • Curried Butternut Squash Soup

    A bowl of curried butternut squash

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Butternut is preferred because of its mild flavor and smooth texture when blended. Still, you can substitute with other winter squash. The flavor and texture will be a bit different, but feel free to try delicata squash, acorn squash, kabocha, or sugar pumpkins."—Elise

  • Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Vanilla

    A bowl of roasted butternut squash with vanilla and walnuts

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The vanilla makes you think you are about to eat something sweet, and in a way you are, as the squash has a natural sweetness, but this really is a savory dish."—Elise

  • Butternut Squash and Black Bean Skillet Dinner

    Horizontal view of a large cast iron skillet filled with a butternut squash skillet dinner. Cilantro, quinoa, butternut squash and cotija cheese are visible in the pan. To the left is a yellow napkin with three forks on it. Above the forks are three small bowls. One small bowl of rice, a ramiken of roasted pumpkin seeds and a small platter of cilantro.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "There are three main kinds of quinoa: red, white, or black. They can be used interchangeably in the recipe."—Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

    A baking dish with baked squash and apples, ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "We loved this recipe, but next time we may want to add maybe half a cup of toasted walnuts or pecans."—Elise

    Continue to 9 of 12 below

  • Butternut Squash Soup

    A bowl of butternut squash soup.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

    "If your finished soup is not as thick as you'd like, you can puree in some neutral-flavored ingredients (like leftover mashed potatoes, cooked white rice, or a little canned pumpkin) to give it body. You can also stir in a few tablespoons of instant mashed potato flakes." —Elise

  • Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Thyme

    A bowl of cubed butternut squash, ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The trick to this dish is browning the butter before adding the squash, so that the squash absorbs some of the complex and wonderful brown butter flavors before it too is browned."—Elise

  • Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup

    Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Of all the leafy green vegetables, kale is my least favorite; I often find it too bitter. But in this soup, matched with the savory roasted vegetables and buttery beans, it's fabulous!"—Elise

  • Butternut Squash Lasagna

    Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "I don't recommend using no-boil noodles for this recipe. If you like tender noodles, they won’t quite do the trick. Because lasagna is a lot of work, I think it’s best to err on the conservative side and cook the noodles first in boiling water the old-fashioned way."—Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

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