Butternut Squash Cheesecake

This butternut squash cheesecake is a wonderfully delicious fall dessert ready for your holiday table. 

Butternut squash is a wonderful vegetable that can be served in both sweet and savory dishes. It pairs well with cheese and pasta for a main dish, and it is fabulous in soup. 

On the sweet side, it's wonderful in muffins and other baked goods. You can substitute roasted and pureed butternut squash for any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree. 

Plus, I got this giant butternut squash from a friend's garden and needed to find a way to use it. 

For desserts, while you can buy canned pumpkin puree, you can't buy canned butternut squash puree. This means you have to drain off extra moisture in the puree. 

To do this, after roasting the squash, mash it and place it in a strainer over a bowl and let any excess moisture drain off. You can also press the mixture with a rubber spatula to make sure you have the right consistency. You will need 15 ounces of butternut squash puree. 

How to roast butternut squash for desserts:

First, heat your oven to 350 degrees F. 

Next, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Roast the squash, skin side up on a foil lined baking sheet for about 30 minutes, until softened. 

Finally, scoop out the squash into a strainer to drain. 

This butternut squash cheese cake also has a delicious gingersnap crust! 

Spice this cheesecake with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger for an amazing holiday flavor. You could also substitute all of the spices with pumpkin spice if you have some languishing in your cupboard. 

I've been hearing about a shortage of canned pumpkin this year. No worries! We have you covered! First, don't forget that you can make sweet potato pie. 

If you're still set on making a pumpkin dessert and can't find the puree, you can always substitute butternut squash puree. No one will ever know! 

This month, the Baking Bloggers, hosted by Palatable Pastime, are baking with pumpkin or butternut squash. I've excited to see what everyone made! 

Baking Bloggers October 2020

Pumpkin or Butternut Squash

• Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Butternut Squash Cheesecake from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Crystallized Ginger Pumpkin Gingerbread Cookies from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Maple-Kissed Autumn Squash Tart from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mock Pumpkin Cheesecake from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Pumpkin Cornbread from Making Miracles
• Pumpkin Spice Biscotti from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Quick Pumpkin Bread from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Butternut Bacon Feta Risotto from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Sweet and Savory Roasted Butternut Squash from Palatable Pastime
• Tikvenik - Bulgarian Pumpkin Pastry from Pandemonium Noshery

Butternut Squash Cheesecake

Print

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

This butternut squash cheesecake is a wonderfully delicious fall dessert ready for your holiday table.

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 cups crushed ginger snaps
• 1 stick of melted butter

For the Cheesecake

• 1 large butternut squash
• 24 ounces room temperature cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 room temperature eggs plus one yolk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

To Make the Crust

1. In a bowl, combine the ginger snaps and butter, and  press it into an oiled 9" spring form pan. Set aside.

To Roast the Butternut Squash

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and place each half, skin side up, onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until softened.
3. Scoop the flesh out into a bowl and let cool. 
4. Place the cooled flesh into a mesh strainer and press out as much excess moisture as possible. Weigh 15 ounces of the drained butternut squash to include in the cheese cake and puree it in a blender or food processor. Leave the oven on. 

To Make the Cheesecake

1. Beat the cream cheese with the paddle attachment in the bowl of a stand mixer.
2. Add the sugars and beat until smooth.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low until combined
4. Stir in the butternut squash puree, flour, sour cream, spices, and salt, and beat on low until just combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and tap the pan to remove any excess bubbles.
6. Place the the foil lined pan into a larger pan (I used a deep dish pizza pan), and fill the larger pan with hot water, about one inch high. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, until the center is just slightly jiggly. Remove the pan from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack. Do not move the cheesecake for two hours.
7. When the cheesecake has cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
8. Leftovers can be wrapped and frozen for up to one month.

Calories

497.97

Fat (grams)

25.83

Sat. Fat (grams)

13.46

Carbs (grams)

60.06

Fiber (grams)

1.65

Net carbs

58.42

Sugar (grams)

34.38

Protein (grams)

7.85

Sodium (milligrams)

434.60

Cholesterol (grams)

121.96

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2020/10/butternut-squash-cheesecake.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

cheesecake, butternut squash

Dessert, cheesecake

American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @karenskitchenstories.com on instagram and hashtag it #karenskitchenstories

Created using The Recipes Generator