Sarah's Butternut Squash Pie

Should you use squash instead of pumpkin in a pie recipe? Why not try Sarah's Butternut Squash pie recipe and let us know what you think!

In our mini episode all about Winter Squashes, Sarah said she makes her pies with...squash! Heidi said no way, so here we are determining if squash is a good substitution. 

This is Sarah's recipe, including how to purree your homegrown squash!

Maybe you can make both a pumpkin pie and a butternut squash pie and do a taste test to see which turned out better. Either way, homemade is always best!

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Sarah's Butternut Squash Pie

Ingredients
Butternut Squash Puree

• 1 butternut squash approx 3 lbs (to make about 2 cups of squash puree) 
• Squash puree: cook whole squash in the oven at 350C for about an hour, or until you can stick a fork through it. Cool, cut open and scoop out the seeds. Peel off the flesh and place it in a food processor. 
• I often used puree that I had frozen earlier in the season. Works great. 

Pie Filling

• 2 cups butternut squash puree
• 1½ cup whole milk. I use farm-fresh milk. (About 5% fat, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Condensed milk is a great alternative too.)
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or white flour depending on what I have in the pantry 
• 1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt

Pie Crust 

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 8 TBSP unsalted butter cold
• 4-5 TBSP water ice cold

Directions
Pie Crust:

1. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar to a food processor. Pulse briefly to combine.
2. Cut the butter into tablespoon size pieces and add to the dry ingredients in processor. Pulse until combined, will look like a coarse meal.
3. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between. Stop adding water when the pie dough starts to clump together. Pulse until you have a ball of dough.
4. Spread flour onto a clean, flat work surface. Remove the dough from the processor and place in the flour. Carefully work the dough until it is a smooth ball. Flatten gently to form a disc shape.
5. Spread flour on a rolling pin and roll the dough out into a circle shape to fit into a pie dish.
6. Carefully fold the dough over your rolling pin and lift off the counter, place in the pie dish. Flute the edge as desired and remove any excess pie crust.
7. Set aside until ready to use.

Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, add squash puree, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Stir to mix. 
3. In a medium size mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir to combine.
4. Add the sugar mixture to the puree. 
5. Slowly add in the milk while stirring.
6. Pour the pie filling into the prepared pie crust.
7. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the center is no longer wobbling, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  I find the time depends on the squash. Some years they are more 'watery' than others. 
8. Serve with fresh whipped cream on top and enjoy!

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Let us know if you try this recipe and what your preference is!