This butternut squash souffle is airy and delicate. It's also easy to make - there's no need to separate the eggs. I quickly mix the ingredients in my food processor. It's the perfect fall and winter side dish!
Delightfully airy and barely sweet, this butternut squash souffle is a wonderful fall or winter side dish. It's also easy to make - don't let the water bath deter you - so I make it often for my family. It is sweetened with just a little honey and flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. It's not overly sweet, so you can serve it as a side dish. It's not suitable as a dessert.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few ingredients to make this souffle. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Cubed raw butternut squash: I make life easier by buying it pre-cubed at Whole Foods or the supermarket. You can buy a whole squash and cube it yourself. Another easy option is using frozen butternut squash.
- Soft unsalted butter: I love creamy European butter, but any unsalted butter will work in this recipe.
- Honey: Either the real thing or a sugar-free alternative. Maple syrup works, too. The souffle's texture, however, is best when using real honey. The other options have a slightly higher water content, which slightly affects the souffle's texture.
- Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
- Ground cinnamon: Make sure it's fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch to balance out the sweetness of the honey.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, including this one.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Your first step is to steam the butternut squash cubes in the microwave. You can also use a basket steamer on the stovetop, but the microwave is the easiest and fastest.
Place the steamed squash cubes with the remaining ingredients in your food processor and process them into a smooth, frothy mixture.
Pour the mixture into buttered ramekins placed in a water bath (which simply means baking them in a rimmed baking dish half-filled with warm water).
Bake the souffle until it's cooked through. This should take about 30 minutes in a 350°F oven.
Expert Tip
When making a souffle, a custard (like this chocolate custard), or a cheesecake (like this keto cheesecake), a water bath is an excellent way to ensure even cooking and prevent the dish from overcooking.
So, despite it being an extra thing to do in this recipe, I highly recommend using a water bath.
Recipe FAQs
I'm a fan of steaming, and I prefer to do it in the microwave. To microwave-steam butternut squash, place it in a microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of water, cover it, and microwave it on high until it's tender.
How long this takes depends on the size of the squash pieces. Large pieces can take as long as 15 minutes. Small pieces (typical to frozen squash) can take as little as 7 minutes.
It's very versatile, so quite a few flavors go with it. One flavor profile is the one we use here - slightly sweet with honey, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Another excellent flavor profile is creamy - so you could use heavy cream and parmesan. You could use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, and thyme for seasonings.
Not exactly. In a traditional souffle, the egg whites are separated from the yolks and beaten until stiff, then the two mixtures are gently folded together. When the souffle is baked, the air bubbles in the egg whites expand, making it rise.
I'm too lazy to do that, so I aerate everything in the food processor. This means this souffle doesn't puff up much in the oven. On the flip side, it also doesn't deflate when you remove it from the oven. And despite my laziness, it has a delightfully light and airy texture.
Serving Suggestions
Anything goes with this souffle. It's such a versatile side dish. However, for convenience, I often serve it with a main course that I can bake in the same 350°F oven, such as turkey meatloaf, meat pie, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, or honey garlic chicken.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. The souffle loses some airiness, but its flavor is excellent even on the fourth day.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
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Recipe Card
Easy Butternut Squash Souffle
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - soft, for the ramekins
- 3 cups cubed raw butternut squash - heaping; 16 ounces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - softened
- 2 tablespoons honey - real or sugar-free
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dash Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 4 large eggs - lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Boil 4 cups of water, let them slightly cool, then pour them into a 9 X 13-inch baking dish (this will be your water bath). Grease six ¾-cup ramekins with butter and place them in the water bath.
- Steam the squash: place the cubed raw squash in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add ½ cup water for large squash pieces or ¼ cup for small pieces. Cover and microwave until tender. Drain well. (See Notes).
- Place the cooked and drained squash, 2 tablespoons of butter, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and eggs in your food processor. Process on low for a few seconds, then on high until well combined and frothy, for about 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture into a spouted measuring cup, then into the ramekins. You can fill the ramekins almost to the top.
- Bake the souffles until their center appears set and a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Allow the souffle to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- How long to microwave the squash will depend on the size of the pieces. Small ones, such as those in a bag of frozen squash, will likely take about 7 minutes. Large ones can take as long as 15 minutes.
- I'm too lazy to separate the eggs, whip the egg whites, and fold the mixtures, so I aerate everything in the food processor. This means this souffle doesn't puff up much in the oven. On the flip side, it also doesn't deflate when you remove it from the oven. And despite my laziness, it has a delightfully light and airy texture.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. The souffle loses some airiness, but its flavor is excellent even on the fourth day.
- If using sugar-free honey, a serving has about 132 calories and 8.5 grams of carbs.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Gail Erickson says
HI, So tasty! Your recipe was so easy and fun to make!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you enjoyed it, Gail! Thanks for the review.
Becky says
Looking for some clarification. 16oz is 2 cups but it calls for 3?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Becky,
You're referring to liquid measurements. This is different. For the most accurate results, use a scale weight of 16 ounces. If you don't have a kitchen scale, 3 heaping cups of butternut squash cubes should work.
Melissa says
I’ve made this numerous time it’s so good and pretty easy
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! Glad you like this recipe, Melissa!
Carolyn says
I love butternut squash! Great recipe! i did mine in a 5x8 glass dish and added 1 extra egg to make sure it set and it did. I DID have to bake it for an additional 10-ish minutes. But the water bath was not as scary, thanks to your encouragement. Many thanks!!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Carolyn! Thank you for the comment.
sarah says
Hello! Should this recipe contain any type of flour? I’m baking it for Thanksgiving dinner, it’s at 40 minutes and consistency is like raw canned pumpkin… help!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Sarah,
This souffle does not contain flour. It sounds like your butternut squash has a high water content, or perhaps you used more than 16 ounces.
Dianne says
Can I make this in a round baking dish if I don’t have ramekins?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Dianne,
I only tested this recipe with ceramic ramekins.