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Oct 12, 2020

Butternut Squash Cheesecake

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

Butternut Squash Cheesecake with Whipped cream



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. 

Butternut Squash



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. 



Butternut Squash Cheesecake




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! 

Butternut Squash Cheesecake slice



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




Butternut Squash Cheesecake with caramel and whipped cream



Butternut Squash Cheesecake

Print
Butternut Squash Cheesecake
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
cheesecake, butternut squash
Dessert, cheesecake
American
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Created using The Recipes Generator



Would you like to comment?

  1. This sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving dessert Karen. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. That looks so good! I never think to bake with squash other than pumpkin which is a shame especially seeing as I have a whole pile of winter squash from our CSA. It looks like cheesecake is in our future!

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  3. Such a beautiful cheesecake, Karen! That texture looks perfect. Definitely perfect for the holiday table.

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  4. Ooooh, I love that gingersnap crust!

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  5. Mmmm...I may just have to make a gluten-free version of this for this weekend. The perfect fall treat for a friend of mine!!!

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  6. Oh, my goodness. You know how I feel about cheesecake...and butternut squash. Perfect!!

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  7. what a wonderful take on a classic! I almost never buy whole butternut squash, I always have the feeling it will cost me a few fingers... you are a braver cook than me...

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  8. Gorgeous fall dessert, especially when you love butternut as much as I do. I will try that!

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  9. So pretty. I was looking forward to seeing your cheesecake, as I knew it would look perfect and it does, and also I bet it tastes amazing.

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  10. Yumm - I love everything about this! The color is so pretty, and that crust sounds amazing!

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  11. My hubby will love this cheesecake, looks amazing!

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  12. I love the gingersnap crust! Looks delicious!

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  13. Looks great!!! Butternut squash is much better than Pumpkin. What is the foil lined pan that goes in the water bath? Do I wrap foil around the springform pan??? If not the instructions should state the springform pan should be lined before making the crust.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it's around the outside of the pan. Sorry for the confusion!

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  14. Made it great flavor and mouth feel. Just one thing the ginger snap crust came out as hard as toffee/bit-o-honey!!! Very hard to cut or chew. Any suggestions what I did wrong?

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    Replies
    1. I don't. I'd have to know more. In my case, because the crust was not prebaked, it was quite moist.

      Delete

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