November 20, 2018

Maple Cinnamon Whipped Butternut Squash

Name: Maple Cinnamon Whipped Butternut Squash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash (about 3lb); 3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Generous sprinkle of salt and pepper; About 1/4 cup water; 2 tbsp ghee; 2 tbsp pure maple syrup; 1 tbsp lime juice; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp ground white pepper; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg; 3/4 cups pecans (chopped ); 2 tbsp ghee; 2 tbsp pure maple syrup; Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

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This Maple Cinnamon Whipped Butternut Squash is absolutely perfect as a side for Thanksgiving, but it’s so good, it will totally make you want to give thanks year round!

I know I’ve been loving on Butternut Squash A LOT lately and as a result, I have been showering you with all kinds of (if not exclusively) butternut squash recipes for the past few weeks.

Well, the good news is I’m leaving for Mexico this morning, so I might have a drastic change of heart when I return and [finally] start eating something else. But then again, I’ve been having visions of a butternut squash pie for the last few days, so this might still very well happen upon my return… but then I’ll be moving on after that one, I promise!

In the meantime, I say you should totally give this Maple Cinnamon Whipped Butternut Squash a try, especially if you happen to still have room to play on your Thanksgiving menu!

It’s a nice change from the more traditional whipped sweet potatoes, but frankly, I find that the squash version tastes even better: it’s silky and crunchy, it’s sweet, salty and buttery, it’s perfectly spiced and totally addictive!

Best part is, I made this one crazy easy to make, too. ‘Cuz you probably have better things to do than slaving away over a hot stove…

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash | thehealthyfoodie.com

In fact, this recipe is a bit of a pimped Holiday version of my famous Oven Roasted Butternut Squash; In that respect, the first steps are exactly the same, and for that reason, and I hope you won’t mind, I borrowed a few pictures from the original post to show you how it’s done.

So first, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 375°F.

Then, cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the guts and seeds with a spoon (an ice cream spoon works wonders for this!). Place both halves in a broiler pan and drizzle them with a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

*To kick things up a notch, you could also drizzle a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup over your squash at this point!

Turn the squash halves flesh side down and pour about 1/4 cup of water in the bottom of the pan. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for about 40-45 minutes, until the squash becomes really soft and can easily be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

When the squash is fully cooked, remove it from the oven (don’t turn it off, you’ll need to use it again later) and allow it to cool for a few minutes until you can safely handle it.

Maple Cinnamon Whipped Butternut Squash in the making - process shot

Carefully scoop the hot flesh out with a large spoon (again, ice cream spoon!) and put that flesh in a large mixing bowl…

Now, add a couple of tablespoons of ghee, some pure maple syrup, lime juice, salt, ground white pepper, ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

Beat with a hand-held mixer, starting on low and increasing the speed slowly, until the squash is reduced to a puree.

Transfer the whipped squash to a ceramic baking dish and spread evenly, then sprinkle the chopped pecans across the top.

Next, drop little dollops of ghee all over the top and drizzle a couple of tablespoons of pure maple syrup.

Return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pecans get golden brown and the dish starts to bubble around the sides.

Remove from oven and allow your dish to rest for at least 10 minutes then dust with a little bit more ground cinnamon before serving.

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