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Skip the sweet potatoes and make this simple, delicious Butternut Squash Casserole recipe Simple to prepare, easy to make in advance and a warm, comforting squash with a hint of cinnamon and a buttery, crumble topping with pecans. A great compliment to any cozy fall meal or holiday spread.

Butternut squash casserole in baking pan with serving spoon scooping into it.

Why You Will Love This Butternut Squash Casserole:
Recipe Ingredients:
Step-By Step Instructions:
Recipe Tips
Storage:
Ways to Vary This Recipe:
Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe
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If you are a sweet potato casserole fan, then you will LOVE this Thanksgiving inspired sweet Butternut Squash Casserole–a delicious twist on a classic that no holiday spread is complete without.

I don’t say no to any of these sorts of side dishes, ever. Marshmallow topped or buttery pecan crumbles spread all over, all are perfection to me.

The buttery topping is what I think pairs so well with the sweetness of the butternut squash in this version. It almost tastes too good to be true. You can make this Pumpkin Pie Crumble as well if this kind of dish is your favorite!

Serve this recipe up with a roast turkey or chicken, some Green Bean Casserole, Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Apple Chutney, Apple Sage Stuffing, Cheddar Gruyère Mac and Cheese, and Cornbread Casserole and you will have yourself quite a spread for an amazing holiday meal.

Why You Will Love This Butternut Squash Casserole:

It’s so simple to make! All you have to do is roast the butternut squash in half. This makes for simple prep: no boiling, no peeling, just bake and scoop.
It’s sweet, but not too sweet. The balance of the butter and the brown sugar in the layers, is spot on and a great balance to the savory dishes on the holiday spread.
You could easily shift it into a dessert! It can most certainly double as a dessert! Scoop a big spoonful of vanilla ice cream on top and DIVE IN.
Great to make ahead of time. You can make this butternut squash casserole recipe a day in advance and then just warm it up before you are ready to eat. One more thing to get on top of before the big day!

Recipe Ingredients:

butternut squash: Roasting a whole butternut squash is easier than you would think! But to save time, you could use precut squash and just roast it that way. If you have never cut a butternut squash before, don’t be afraid. With a little effort, it’s fairly simple. I microwave it for about 2 minutes to help soften it slightly. Then cut it down the middle with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds. Here is a great resource.
butter: salted or unsalted will work, we typically use unsalted
milk: whole milk is ideal in this recipe for the richest, creamiest butternut squash layer, but you could use a dairy free milk or even 2% dairy milk will work
brown sugar: light or dark, light is what we mostly have on hand
eggs: large eggs
cinnamon: cinnamon is my go-to spice in this recipe, but you could also add a touch of nutmeg, ginger or cloves if desired to change it up a touch.
vanilla: use a good vanilla extract versus vanilla imitation for the best flavor in your squash casserole
sea salt: a touch to round out the flavor of this dish
flour: all purpose flour is best. A 1:1 gluten free flour should work well if you need to make this recipe gluten free.
pecans: this is for the crumble topping. If you have an allergy, you can omit or use chopped walnuts or another nut you prefer

Butternut squash, eggs, flour, brown sugar and more on surface.

Step-By Step Instructions:

The part that makes this recipe a bit time consuming is the roasting of the butternut squash. The good thing though is that you can roast it in advance to save time the day that you make your Butternut Squash Casserole.

Baked butternut squash on parchment lined baking sheet.

Mashed butternut squash in glass mixing bowl with potato masher.

Cut your whole squash in half, place it face down on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the flesh is softened.
Scoop all of the butternut squash out the skin. Mash it well in a medium bowl.

Squash mixture in glass bowl with whisk.

Nine inch baking pan with squash mixture spread evenly within.

Add in the other ingredients for the butternut squash layer and stir well to combine. For an extra smooth and creamy texture, you can use a mixer to beat the mixture instead. If texture is hard for you, this may be something you want to do.
Butter or grease a 9 inch square pan or small casserole dish and pour the butternut squash mixture into it.

Pecan crumble mixture in mixing bowl with spoon.

Butternut squash casserole ingredients in baking pan before being baked.

In a separate small bowl, add all of the topping ingredients and stir well to combine.
Add the crumble topping evenly over top. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the butternut squash layer has set.
Cool for about 10 minutes and serve!

Baked crumble topped squash casserole with linen, pumpkin, cinnamon stick and other ingredients surrounding.

Recipe Tips

You can eat this butternut squash casserole warm or cold. I have had it both ways several times and still can’t figure out which I like better.
Time saving tips: Use pre-cut butternut squash. You can save some time by using butternut squash that is already chopped and ready to be popped in the oven to roast. You could also use canned butternut squash if you are in a real pinch.
You can make this recipe a day in advance. Make this delicious butternut squash casserole recipe a day in advance and then pop it in the oven and warm it up just before serving. Or you can serve it at room temperature if desired.
To make this recipe gluten free, use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose baking flour in the crumble topping.

Storage:

Store leftover butternut squash casserole in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. You can eat it cold, reheat in the oven for about 7-10 minutes at 350°F or microwave it to serve warm.

This recipe freezes well. Allow it to cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before reheating or serving.

Serving spoon scooping into pecan crumble topped squash mixture in baking pan.

Ways to Vary This Recipe:

add fresh or dried cranberries to the crumble topping
use a different nut than the pecans–chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, or you could omit them completely for a different flavor.
add other spices–I just add a light hint of cinnamon. If you want this to be stronger in warm spice flavor, try adding in a bit of nutmeg, allspice, ginger, etc.