This super simple brown butter mashed butternut squash is made with roasted squash, warming fall spices, and maple syrup. Then topped with crispy sage for an easy holiday side dish!
Mashed butternut squash is a fun alternative to mashed potatoes! It's the same basic idea, just with squash instead! It's creamy, savory, and just a tiny bit sweet (without being too sweet). It's a great addition to your Thanksgiving table!
You might also like these brown butter mashed potatoes or this roasted acorn squash soup!
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Ingredient Notes
You only need a couple ingredients to make this brown butter mashed butternut squash!
This mashed butternut squash is super versatile and can be easily adapted to suit a variety of tastes!
- Butternut Squash - You need roughly 3 pounds of squash (1 large or 2 small). You can also use pre peeled and diced squash to save time (it will only need to roast for about 30 minutes).
- Brown Butter - This is optional, but browning the butter brings out a delicious toasty flavor that adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the mashed butternut squash. If you've never made brown butter, check out this post for step by step photos!
- Maple Syrup - Also optional, but a tiny bit of maple adds a touch of sweetness to the squash.
- Heavy Cream - A splash of cream adds a delicious creaminess to the squash.
- Fresh Sage - Crispy sage is one of my favorite fall garnishes! But feel free to leave it out.
- Spices - I like to use a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg to add some warming fall spices to the butternut mash.
- Cayenne - This is optional, but I love a tiny dash of cayenne pepper to balance the flavors and add a tiny bit of heat.
Substitutions
Although I think this mashed butternut squash is perfect as is (come on, brown butter AND maple syrup) but you can also adjust it to your own tastes.
- Add in some grated parmesan cheese for some extra cheesy flavor.
- Mix in a few cubes of cream cheese for an even thicker, creamy texture.
- You can use regular butter in this recipe if you don't want to use brown butter (although I think that is the best part!)
- If you can't find fresh sage, you can substitute with rosemary, thyme, or chives!
How to Make Crispy Sage
In a shallow pan, melt the butter over medium heat stirring occasionally. Add in the sage leaves and watch closely for the butter to develop brown specs and a nutty aroma.
As soon as the sage leaves seem crispy, remove and set aside.
Once you start seeing brown specs in the butter, let cook for just a few seconds longer (watch very carefully or it will burn). Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl so that it doesn't continue to cook.
How to Make Mashed Butternut Squash
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast for 45-60 minutes or until the flesh is very tender and can be easily scooped out with a spoon.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Then scoop out the flesh from the skin and place into a large bowl.
Add in the browned butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
With a hand mixer (or potato masher), mix the mashed butternut squash until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the cream until your desired consistency is reached.
Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Then top with crispy sage and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
For smooth texture: Transfer the roasted squash to a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth.
For chunky texture: Mash with a fork or potato masher to leave behind some chunks.
If your butternut squash mash has too much moisture (some squash just happen to be more watery than others), you can push the mash through a fine mesh strainer and push out the excess liquid to thicken the mash.
Recipe FAQ's
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Yes! This mashed butternut squash can be prepared a couple days in advance and stored in the fridge!
Rewarm on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave. You may want to add an extra splash of cream for moisture.
This butternut squash is a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner! It's also a delicious side for pork chops, prime rib, steak, or roasted chicken.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Brown Butter Mashed Butternut Squash
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Brown Butter & Crispy Sage
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 10 fresh sage leaves
Roasted Squash
- 3 pounds butternut squash, about 1 large or 2 small
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Mashed Butternut Squash
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup heavy cream, optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Brown Butter & Crispy Sage
- In a shallow pan, melt the butter over medium heat stirring occasionally. Add in the sage leaves and watch closely for the butter to develop brown specs and a nutty aroma.
- As soon as the sage leaves seem crispy, remove and set aside.
- Once you start seeing brown specs in the butter, let cook for just a few seconds longer (watch very carefully or it will burn). Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl so that it doesn't continue to cook.
Mashed Butternut Squash
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast for 45-60 minutes or until the flesh is very tender and can be easily scooped out with a spoon.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Then scoop out the flesh from the skin and place into a large bowl.
- Add in the browned butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
- With a hand mixer (or potato masher), mix the mashed butternut squash until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the cream until your desired consistency is reached.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Then top with crispy sage and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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