Butternut Squash Kugel (Pareve)

By
Miri Rotkovitz
Miri Rotkovitz
Miri Rotkovitz
Registered dietician, teacher, and award-winning cookbook author who has been exploring Jewish cuisine for almost 20 years.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/26/21
Butternut squash kugel recipe

​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 6 servings

With a smooth, light texture that straddles the line between flan and soufflé, this dairy-free, maple-sweetened butternut squash kugel manages to look elegant while feeling like total comfort food. 

Serve it as a side dish with roast chicken or brisket, or add it to your next brunch buffet. It's also a natural fit for seasonally inspired Sukkot or Thanksgiving menus.

Featured Video

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash, about 3 pounds

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil, plus extra for the squash

  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B

  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 pinch salt, optional

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup chopped raw pecans, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

    Ingredients for butternut squash kugel
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish, or similarly sized casserole dish and set aside. 

    Grease baking dish
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. With a large chef's knife, carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and rub the cut sides with a little oil.

    Butternut squash kugel
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. 

    Butternut squash
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Scoop the butternut squash flesh from the skin. Transfer 4 cups of roasted squash to a large bowl. (Don't worry if your squash yields slightly more or less. If you have a little extra squash, feel free to include it in the recipe, but if you find you've got a lot, save it for another use.)

    Scoop butternut squash into a bowl
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Add the oil and maple syrup to the squash and whisk together until well combined.

    Add oil and maple syrup
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. Slowly add the beaten eggs, whisking constantly until well-incorporated. If the squash is still fairly warm, the slow addition of the eggs while mixing is important, otherwise, you may end up with bits of cooked egg in the batter.

    Slowly add beaten eggs
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt (if using).

    Stir in vanilla extract
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Sprinkle the squash mixture with the flour and stir well to combine, making sure no lumps or streaks of flour remain. If you prefer a very smooth kugel, puree the mixture with a regular or immersion blender. 

    Sprinkle squash with flour
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Pour the squash batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula.

    Pour squash batter into dish
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. Sprinkle the top with the pecans, if using.

    Sprinkle with pecans
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  12. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the kugel is firm, the top appears dry and golden, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Bake
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  13. Serve and enjoy.

    Butternut squash kugel
    ​The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Tip

  • If you prefer a kugel that slices into clean squares, use coconut oil, which is semisolid at room temperature and imparts a subtle flavor dimension that you won't get from neutral liquid oils. Using grapeseed or olive oil also produces a delicious kugel, albeit a softer one that you may need to spoon out to serve. 

Recipe Tags: