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Maple Butternut Squash Pie

Butternut Squash Pie is a decadent way to use up that leftover squash side. Add some maple syrup and orange zest to fill your home with the scents of fall.
Butternut Squash Pie from leftover Thanksgiving or holiday squash topped with whipped cream and coconut.

This smooth, sweet, warm, Butternut Squash Pie Recipe is the perfect use of your pureed butternut squash leftovers from Thanksgiving or any other holiday. Transform this leftover side dish into a decadent dessert once the Pumpkin Pie has already come and gone. You’ll look forward to this every year.

Butternut Squash Pie from leftover Thanksgiving or holiday squash topped with whipped cream and coconut.

How to prepare butternut squash puree:

This recipe for Butternut Squash Pie only requires 2 cups of leftover butternut squash puree from your holiday side dish. However, if you don’t have any or don’t have enough, preparing your own from scratch or purchasing a 15 ounce can of canned squash from your local grocer or Williams-Sonoma will work just fine. And don’t worry about any seasonings already added to your puree from your side dish, everything should still balance out nicely.

Butternut Squash and butternut squash puree from scratch
Try this easy, basic Butternut Squash Puree from A Sweet Pea Chef. It’s the perfect base to many leftover recipes and easily elevated to a sweet or savory dish.

Which varieties of squash can be used for squash pie?

While this recipe is for using the leftovers of butternut squash puree you can also use the following:

  • Acorn
  • Hubbard
  • Delicata
  • Kabocha
  • Pumpkin (yes pumpkin is technically a squash!)
  • for a full list of squashes and their preferred uses click here
Alternative squash types for squash pie.
Butternut squash is delicious! However, you can use a variety of squashes for this pie recipe.

How to make squash pie:

The Crust

For this pie recipe, you only need one 9-inch pie crust. This is great if you have one leftover from that Pecan Pie you made for Thanksgiving sitting in your refrigerator. Store-bought works just great as does this recipe for scratch-made crust.

Either way, you’ll want to remove your pie crust from the refrigerator or freezer and allow to come to room temperature before rolling. Trying to roll out the dough too soon can cause cracking and tears. If it does tear, use a mixture of beaten egg and water (1 egg, 1 Tablespoon of water) to wet the room temperature pie crust and press together, and smooth, with your fingers.

Line the pie plate with the dough and crimp the edges using the tutorial below if you so choose.

Ingredients for butternut squash pie pictured on a wooden table.
Ingredients include: leftover butternut squash side dish, pie crust, sugar, milk, heavy cream, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, maple syrup, orange zest, and eggs.

The Filling

The easiest part of this pie is the filling. Grab your ingredients and simply combine them in a large bowl thoroughly. If preparing the butternut squash from scratch, be sure it is cooled before combining with the other ingredients. You don’t want to cook the eggs when combining.

Toppings

While this Butternut Squash Pie can be served as another variation to the pureed squash side dish, it can also be jazzed up with toppings for a delectable dessert. Feel free to top this pie with homemade whipped cream, coconut shavings, candied pecans, or shaved chocolate. Which will you choose?

Butternut Squash Pie with forks, plates, and a blue napkin sit on a wooden table. Pie is topped with coconut and whipped cream.
Why choose just one topping? We topped ours with coconut and fresh whipped cream.

Alternatives and Substitutions

If you’re looking for other ways to use up leftovers, check the list below for substitutions and alternatives to the recipe. If you try any of these alternatives, I would love to hear what you thought of them!

  • Milk and heavy cream – use instead a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
  • Sugar and maple syrup – use 1 full cup of sugar if you don’t have maple syrup on hand, or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup
  • Ginger – use zest from one whole orange

How to crimp a pie crust:

Lay the pie crust evenly into the pie plate so that 3/4 of an inch extra dough hangs over the pie plate.

Roll the excess dough underneath itself to form a thick rim. This will give increased stability to the pie and all the goodness it’s holding in, plus extra dough to work with in the next step.

An close-up image of rolling the pie crust dough under itself for a sturdy perimeter.
Rolling the dough under itself acts as a reinforcement to prevent cracking and spills.

Use two fingers on each hand to form a U. With one on the outside and one on the inside, push firmly against one another. Keep the thumbs in the previous crimp you’ve made as you move along the pie edge. See the image below.

A close-up image of crimping the pie crust with two hands and four fingers in a U shaped fashion.
I use two hands, both in a U to crimp the edges.

Once you have done this around the entire crust, best practice is to allow the dough to firm up in the refrigerator for close to an hour before adding your filling.

A crimped, raw, pie crust in a pie plate with raw butternut squash pie filling almost to the top of the crust, that sits on a wooden table.
While mine does look pretty “liquidous” here, if yours looks thicker it’s okay! You’ll just want to check it as it bakes. More liquid equals a longer baking time.

How to tell if your pie is set:

To know if the pie is set, the middle should be slightly firm to touch and should not wiggle when the pie plate has been gently shaken. You can also insert a knife into the middle of the pie. If it comes out clean, it is set. However, this could cause cracking in the pie filling as it cools.  You can also use an instant-read thermometer in the middle. The filling should be 175F. The filling will continue to set as it cools.

Note: With this Butternut Squash Pie recipe, you can expect a bit of bubbling and wiggling. You’ll want to pay attention to the texture across the top of the pie. When the texture of the middle looks the same as the edges, and the inner temperature is 175F you can remove it from the oven. It will continue to bake and firm upon sitting. If the top firms up first, cover with tinfoil and continue to bake so the inside can firm as well.

Butternut Squash Pie baked and served with whipped cream and shaved coconut.
The texture of this Butternut Squash Pie is what sets it apart, and above, traditional Pumpkin Pie.

Can squash pie be frozen?

Yes! When done correctly a freshly baked squash pie can be frozen for up to a month.

You’ll want to ensure that your pie has cooled completely before wrapping to avoid any nasty bacteria buildup, as well as condensation buildup, and thus ice crystals. No freezer burn here, thank you! Wrap your pie tightly and a few times in plastic wrap. Some suggest an additional layer of tinfoil over the plastic wrap as well to ward off the freezer burn.

To thaw the pie for serving, remove from the freezer and set in a refrigerator the night before or at least 12 hours before serving. You want the pie to thaw slowly. Tip: if possible, freeze your pie in a tin pie plate so as not to hold up your favorite dishes for a month.

If any discoloration of the pie occurs during defrosting, simply cover it with one of your favorite toppings. To serve warm, microwave on high for 30 seconds or place into the oven for 10-15 minutes from thawed, at 350F.

Butternut Squash Pie from leftover Thanksgiving or holiday squash topped with whipped cream and coconut.

Butternut Squash Pie

Butternut Squash Pie is a decadent way to use up that leftover squash side. Add some maple syrup and orange zest to fill your home with the scents of fall.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cooling: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Author: Katie Chase

Equipment

large bowl
whisk
pie plate

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 9" pie crust store-bought or your favorite homemade recipe

Filling

  • 2 cups butternut squash puree the cooked leftovers
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon butter, melted unsalted
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • zest from 1 orange optional

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 400F.
  • Line a pie dish with raw pie crust.
  • Mix all ingredients into a large bowl.
  • Pour into unbaked pie shell.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 400F, then lower temperature to 350F for 50 minutes or until set.

Notes

Pie filling will likely be very full and go to the top of the crust. Move slowly and take caution when loading into the oven. 
If the crust looks to be browning too quickly, remove and cover the crust with tinfoil. Then return to oven for continued baking. 
To know if the pie is set, the middle should be slightly firm to touch and should not wiggle when the pie plate has been gently shaken. You can also insert a knife into the middle of the pie. If it comes out clean, it is set. However, this could cause cracking in the pie filling as it cools. 
Can take bewteen 30-50 minutes to bake completely depending on oven. Judge by the center appearance and inner temperature, not the time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 4121IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Share a photo or video on social media @fortheloveofleftovers_official or tag #fortheloveofleftovers!

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