I mentioned in an earlier post that my wife makes a squash pie as our holiday substitute for pumpkin pie, and someone asked for a recipe. Here it is, straight from the chef herself.
Chareva’s Butternut Squash Crustless Pie
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
Between 1 and 1 1/2 cups Splenda or Truvia, depending on how sweet you like it
6 eggs
1 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup unsweetened evaporated milk)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon
Small pinch of salt
Cut butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down in a large casserole dish. Add a little water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for an hour or until soft. Let cool and then remove skin.
Mix squash and other ingredients with electric mixer. Butter a casserole dish to prevent sticking, pour in the mixture and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until the top is dry and the edges are starting to brown. If cracks start to form, even better.
Our casserole dish is 8 x 13, and we end up with a pie about an inch thick. Every time I make this, my proportions are different. Sometimes it comes out very dense and other times it comes out more like a custard.
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Dang! I will take a double helping of that! I wonder if I can whip up a batch of this recipe using stevia instead of Splenda? I am thinking that using another type of squash would be cool, for a change. I have a cool Japanese pumpkin called a kubacha that might be nice to use… Thank you for posting this Tom! (You are lucky to have a great chef in your family!)
I’m lucky I married her for all kinds of reasons. I’m sure you could make it with Truvia or another stevia brand.
Er, Tom… Pumpkin *is* a type of squash. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin
That’s right, but she prefers butternut squash for the pie, not pumpkin.
Dang! I will take a double helping of that! I wonder if I can whip up a batch of this recipe using stevia instead of Splenda? I am thinking that using another type of squash would be cool, for a change. I have a cool Japanese pumpkin called a kubacha that might be nice to use… Thank you for posting this Tom! (You are lucky to have a great chef in your family!)
I’m lucky I married her for all kinds of reasons. I’m sure you could make it with Truvia or another stevia brand.
Tom,
That pie looks delicious, but I’m guessing the whipped cream is the sweetened sort from a disposable can, in which case I’ll bet your wife would really like a cream whipper from Santa! I received one for Mother’s Day, and I love it! I think there are other brands available, but the one I know best is a one pint sized iSi brand (Swiss?). I’ve seen them at better kitchenware stores, as well as at restaurant supply stores. There are a number of online retailers, too.
Just pour in a pint of heavy cream (add a touch of flavoring or sweetener if desired, but we like plain cream most of the time), screw the lid on, “charge” it with a nitrous oxide canister, shake a few times, and dispense. The whipper makes 5 times as much rich whipped cream as the amount of liquid cream added, and has “staying power”, unlike the overly sweetened cans of cream from the supermarket, and none of the additives and stabilizers. And the cream keeps for weeks in the fridge, thanks to the anti-oxidant properties of the nitrous oxide (however, with whipped cream always ready, you’ll find it in constant use with the girls, so it won’t last for weeks and weeks). A shot of real cream makes everything extra special – from a bowl of fresh berries to hot chocolate to cocoa-coconut flour pancakes.
No, I don’t have anything to gain if you buy your wife a cream whipper. But you do.
Sounds worth a look. When we want homemade whipped cream now, we make it in the Bullet.
Anyone who is using a pumpkin can stab the pumpkin a few times and roast it at 350 for 30 to 60 minutes, until it feels spongy. Cut and scoop. Soak the seeds in a salt-vinegar-water solution overnight, and roast at 350 for 30 minutes.
A fresh pumpkin–or probably any kind of squash–makes all the difference. It has a completely different flavor and texture from the canned goop.
Er, Tom… Pumpkin *is* a type of squash. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin
That’s right, but she prefers butternut squash for the pie, not pumpkin.
Tom,
That pie looks delicious, but I’m guessing the whipped cream is the sweetened sort from a disposable can, in which case I’ll bet your wife would really like a cream whipper from Santa! I received one for Mother’s Day, and I love it! I think there are other brands available, but the one I know best is a one pint sized iSi brand (Swiss?). I’ve seen them at better kitchenware stores, as well as at restaurant supply stores. There are a number of online retailers, too.
Just pour in a pint of heavy cream (add a touch of flavoring or sweetener if desired, but we like plain cream most of the time), screw the lid on, “charge” it with a nitrous oxide canister, shake a few times, and dispense. The whipper makes 5 times as much rich whipped cream as the amount of liquid cream added, and has “staying power”, unlike the overly sweetened cans of cream from the supermarket, and none of the additives and stabilizers. And the cream keeps for weeks in the fridge, thanks to the anti-oxidant properties of the nitrous oxide (however, with whipped cream always ready, you’ll find it in constant use with the girls, so it won’t last for weeks and weeks). A shot of real cream makes everything extra special – from a bowl of fresh berries to hot chocolate to cocoa-coconut flour pancakes.
No, I don’t have anything to gain if you buy your wife a cream whipper. But you do.
Sounds worth a look. When we want homemade whipped cream now, we make it in the Bullet.
Anyone who is using a pumpkin can stab the pumpkin a few times and roast it at 350 for 30 to 60 minutes, until it feels spongy. Cut and scoop. Soak the seeds in a salt-vinegar-water solution overnight, and roast at 350 for 30 minutes.
A fresh pumpkin–or probably any kind of squash–makes all the difference. It has a completely different flavor and texture from the canned goop.
I’ve never thought of using butternut in a pie. We’re joining a CSA and my fear was getting more squash than I have recipes. Tell your wife thanks.
Will do.
I just baked a butternut squash a couple of days ago, and didn’t know what to do with it. Well, you know what I mean. It didn’t really go with our planned menu for the week, so I was going to just eat it as part of my lunches, but this is a waaay better idea. I’ll have to use Stevia in the Raw instead of Splenda, I think. I don’t usually keep Splenda in the house. The Magic Bullet is also my preferred method for whipping cream.
Squash Pie is on the agenda as soon as my husband gets home to sit with the cat. She’s a pure-bred Siamese who pitches a fit if no one gives her attention. It’s amazing how a six pound creature can totally run a household.
Enjoy. It’s a nice substitute for pumpkin pie.
Sounds good. I have made pies from different winter squashes in the past and they were all excellent! Have not tried it lately. I also use an iSi brand cream whipper and it is awesome! I actually have two of them. One is usually used for just plain cream, and the other is sometimes used for “specialty” whipped creams – like adding some cocoa to it and making chocolate whipped cream. Only problem is that it’s pretty easy to OD on whipped cream when you can have such awesome stuff a mere squirt away. Not at all like supermarket can whipped cream!
I’m going to have to find one of those and use the cream from our local dairy farm — pasteurized at the lowest temperature allowed by law, and all from grass-fed cows.
Hehehe I did look at that whipped cream and think ‘noooooooo, tell me it isn’t so!’ ….it just looks wrong! I thought it might just be US dairy (it looked a bit like the dairy whip stuff we have here that deflates about 2 mins after use) but glad to hear you do whip up real cream.
Pumpkin/squash pie just isn’t something we eat a lot of here in Noo Zillund, but will tuck the recipe aside for the next time my niece-in-law comes to stay. We imported her from North Carolina 🙂
I admit it, that’s whipped cream from a can in the photo. Better than the godawful “non-dairy whipped topping” you can buy in a can, but not as good as homemade.
I’ve never thought of using butternut in a pie. We’re joining a CSA and my fear was getting more squash than I have recipes. Tell your wife thanks.
Will do.
Thanks Tom! I am not a great fan of squash and pumpkin but this sounds intriguing. Can you tell me what the “pumpkin spice mix” is made of? We can get spicebread-mixes but no pumpkin spice mix in this part of the world.
I’m not sure. It’s just a bottle of spice my wife picked up.
Sounds good. I have made pies from different winter squashes in the past and they were all excellent! Have not tried it lately. I also use an iSi brand cream whipper and it is awesome! I actually have two of them. One is usually used for just plain cream, and the other is sometimes used for “specialty” whipped creams – like adding some cocoa to it and making chocolate whipped cream. Only problem is that it’s pretty easy to OD on whipped cream when you can have such awesome stuff a mere squirt away. Not at all like supermarket can whipped cream!
I’m going to have to find one of those and use the cream from our local dairy farm — pasteurized at the lowest temperature allowed by law, and all from grass-fed cows.
Hehehe I did look at that whipped cream and think ‘noooooooo, tell me it isn’t so!’ ….it just looks wrong! I thought it might just be US dairy (it looked a bit like the dairy whip stuff we have here that deflates about 2 mins after use) but glad to hear you do whip up real cream.
Pumpkin/squash pie just isn’t something we eat a lot of here in Noo Zillund, but will tuck the recipe aside for the next time my niece-in-law comes to stay. We imported her from North Carolina 🙂
I admit it, that’s whipped cream from a can in the photo. Better than the godawful “non-dairy whipped topping” you can buy in a can, but not as good as homemade.
Thanks Tom! I am not a great fan of squash and pumpkin but this sounds intriguing. Can you tell me what the “pumpkin spice mix” is made of? We can get spicebread-mixes but no pumpkin spice mix in this part of the world.
I’m not sure. It’s just a bottle of spice my wife picked up.
To mezzo:
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ground allspice
1/4 ground nutmeg
1/8 ground ginger (or add to taste, I like a bit more)
smidge of ground clove (optional)
mix all up for a heaping tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
Tom, do you know how much the total cooked squash amount came to (3-4 cups it would seem, but not sure)? I wanted to know in case I try this with a variety of squash instead of butternut.
My wife makes it, but that sounds about right. She picks up a large butternut squash to start, so I supposed you could do an eyeball comparison at the store.
To mezzo:
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 ground allspice
1/4 ground nutmeg
1/8 ground ginger (or add to taste, I like a bit more)
smidge of ground clove (optional)
mix all up for a heaping tsp of pumpkin pie spice.
Tom, do you know how much the total cooked squash amount came to (3-4 cups it would seem, but not sure)? I wanted to know in case I try this with a variety of squash instead of butternut.
My wife makes it, but that sounds about right. She picks up a large butternut squash to start, so I supposed you could do an eyeball comparison at the store.
Thanks very much, Kelly. I shall try it on the lonely butternut that is still waiting for attention. Merry Christmas!!
Thanks very much, Kelly. I shall try it on the lonely butternut that is still waiting for attention. Merry Christmas!!
I found bagged butternut squash, peeled & diced. It would be a good alternative for someone who wants to make a smaller amount of your recipe, perhaps for only 1 or 2 people. (For those who are kitchen-challenged, dealing with a winter squash can be daunting, so an easy alternative can give them the taste of the squash without the angst of preparation.) It can be roasted or steamed to cook it. I use diced butternut squash or diced sweet potato when I make a pot of soup or stew. Since I cook for just 2 of us, these little bags work well in a pinch. Although, using a big squash and having leftovers isn’t a bad idea, either.
I make my own whipped cream. I just pour some in a bowl and then use the beaters on it until it’s… well, whipped. 2-3 drops of Stevia and it tastes better than the admittedly fun can variety.
Making this pie this week!
I found bagged butternut squash, peeled & diced. It would be a good alternative for someone who wants to make a smaller amount of your recipe, perhaps for only 1 or 2 people. (For those who are kitchen-challenged, dealing with a winter squash can be daunting, so an easy alternative can give them the taste of the squash without the angst of preparation.) It can be roasted or steamed to cook it. I use diced butternut squash or diced sweet potato when I make a pot of soup or stew. Since I cook for just 2 of us, these little bags work well in a pinch. Although, using a big squash and having leftovers isn’t a bad idea, either.
Using a Bullet or a bowl with a whisk or electric mixer is, of course, a great way to make whipped cream. I do this for large amounts still.
But frankly, many people won’t do make it that way because of the need to cleanup afterwards or the difficulty in making a very small amounts of whipped cream. That’s where the cream whipper dispenser (iSi is one brand) is so wonderful. Take out the whipper, aim and press the lever to dispense, removed the nozzle a rinse a few seconds under hot running water*, replace nozzle and return shipper to the fridge.
Plus the propellant gas (nitrous oxide, an anti-oxidant) keeps the cream very fresh for a LOT longer than an opened carton of liquid cream in the fridge (or leftover cream whipped in a Bullet or a bowl with a mixer.
* Rinsing the dispenser nozzle briefly in warm or hot water before returning the whipper to the fridge each time the whipper is used is VERY important, otherwise the cream in the tube-shaped nozzle dries out and hardens, sometimes leading to a clog and/or spoiling of the trapped cream. Kids (and some husbands) *never* do this simple fast clean-up task, so it’s also a way to see who else is using the whipper ;-).
Another thing to remember is to always dispense with the whipper held upside down so that the nitrous oxide and cream are dispensed at even rates. If held horizontal, too much gas comes out and there might not be enough gas to propel the last of the cream. If you find a whipper without enough gas, check everyone’s dispensing “posture”.
If everyone in the house dispenses cream correctly and you still find that the gas is running out before the cream, someone is sniffing the nitrous oxide to get a little high. I can’t tell you anything about that (ask a teenager) because I’m quite the nerd and never tried doing “whip-its” (I’d rather consume whipped cream than risk breathing it :-).
Sounds worth making. Thank Mrs. Fathead for me, will you?
Will do.
I make my own whipped cream. I just pour some in a bowl and then use the beaters on it until it’s… well, whipped. 2-3 drops of Stevia and it tastes better than the admittedly fun can variety.
Making this pie this week!
Using a Bullet or a bowl with a whisk or electric mixer is, of course, a great way to make whipped cream. I do this for large amounts still.
But frankly, many people won’t do make it that way because of the need to cleanup afterwards or the difficulty in making a very small amounts of whipped cream. That’s where the cream whipper dispenser (iSi is one brand) is so wonderful. Take out the whipper, aim and press the lever to dispense, removed the nozzle a rinse a few seconds under hot running water*, replace nozzle and return shipper to the fridge.
Plus the propellant gas (nitrous oxide, an anti-oxidant) keeps the cream very fresh for a LOT longer than an opened carton of liquid cream in the fridge (or leftover cream whipped in a Bullet or a bowl with a mixer.
* Rinsing the dispenser nozzle briefly in warm or hot water before returning the whipper to the fridge each time the whipper is used is VERY important, otherwise the cream in the tube-shaped nozzle dries out and hardens, sometimes leading to a clog and/or spoiling of the trapped cream. Kids (and some husbands) *never* do this simple fast clean-up task, so it’s also a way to see who else is using the whipper ;-).
Another thing to remember is to always dispense with the whipper held upside down so that the nitrous oxide and cream are dispensed at even rates. If held horizontal, too much gas comes out and there might not be enough gas to propel the last of the cream. If you find a whipper without enough gas, check everyone’s dispensing “posture”.
If everyone in the house dispenses cream correctly and you still find that the gas is running out before the cream, someone is sniffing the nitrous oxide to get a little high. I can’t tell you anything about that (ask a teenager) because I’m quite the nerd and never tried doing “whip-its” (I’d rather consume whipped cream than risk breathing it :-).
Sounds worth making. Thank Mrs. Fathead for me, will you?
Will do.
I would also heartily recommend the ISI whipped cream maker, they are awesome! Whipped cream on-demand, what can be better?
Forgot to say thank you for the recipe!
I would also heartily recommend the ISI whipped cream maker, they are awesome! Whipped cream on-demand, what can be better?
Forgot to say thank you for the recipe!
Sounds great! Do you know the aprox. carb count for the recipie?
I’m not sure. One large butternut squash divided by the number of slices. It’s not high in carbs, and I eat small slices of it.
Looks fabulous! Thank you! Wonder if the pumpkin that’s been sitting here since mid-October is still good. . .
There are only two of us, but I always just dump a whole one-cup box of whipping cream into a bowl, snap the beaters into my 35-year-old Sunbeam hand-held mixer and put it on high for 2-3 minutes. Clean up is a breeze–snap the beaters out, lick the beaters, rinse them under hot water briefly, and put them in the dishwasher. Whatever whipped cream might be left, we can use the next day–for coffee, leftover dessert, whatever. If I use stevia, the whipped cream doesn’t collapse.
Sounds great! Do you know the aprox. carb count for the recipie?
I’m not sure. One large butternut squash divided by the number of slices. It’s not high in carbs, and I eat small slices of it.
Looks fabulous! Thank you! Wonder if the pumpkin that’s been sitting here since mid-October is still good. . .
There are only two of us, but I always just dump a whole one-cup box of whipping cream into a bowl, snap the beaters into my 35-year-old Sunbeam hand-held mixer and put it on high for 2-3 minutes. Clean up is a breeze–snap the beaters out, lick the beaters, rinse them under hot water briefly, and put them in the dishwasher. Whatever whipped cream might be left, we can use the next day–for coffee, leftover dessert, whatever. If I use stevia, the whipped cream doesn’t collapse.
It looks delicious! I’m a fairly new reader, and I was wondering if the use of butternut squash instead of pumpkin is just a taste preference or is there some nutritional consideration as well? Thanks!
It’s a taste preference. Plus, if I’m not mistaken, my wife can find the butternut squash pretty much year round, but not pumpkin.
It looks delicious! I’m a fairly new reader, and I was wondering if the use of butternut squash instead of pumpkin is just a taste preference or is there some nutritional consideration as well? Thanks!
It’s a taste preference. Plus, if I’m not mistaken, my wife can find the butternut squash pretty much year round, but not pumpkin.
Ooh! I have to make that! I love low-carb pies. Out of all low carb desserts, pie is my favorite type. Almond flour, which I used to use in pastries (I’ve given up on low-carb pastries), does not work with Splenda. Only creamy and/or fruity desserts work with Splenda.
I will certainly try that recipe. Can’t wait!
Ooh! I have to make that! I love low-carb pies. Out of all low carb desserts, pie is my favorite type. Almond flour, which I used to use in pastries (I’ve given up on low-carb pastries), does not work with Splenda. Only creamy and/or fruity desserts work with Splenda.
I will certainly try that recipe. Can’t wait!