Healthy Winter Squash Recipes

Roasting butternut squash with herbs and garlic gives this healthy soup a more complex flavor. A bit of maple syrup adds sweetness, while a splash of apple-cider vinegar brightens up the flavors. This easy recipe requires just 15 minutes of active prep time, but you can cut down on that even more by buying precut squash. Serve with bread and a salad for a light supper, or as a starter for a holiday meal.

Use your Instant Pot--or any other pressure cooker--to whip up this healthy butternut squash soup. Anjou pears add sweetness, while the soup gets creaminess and a wonderful flavor from light coconut milk, and a bright, fresh kick from ginger, cilantro and lime. Finishing the soup with whole-milk yogurt adds a nice richness, but you can skip it to keep the soup vegan. (Allow the soup to cool slightly before stirring in the yogurt so it doesn't curdle.) This soup would be equally delicious chilled.

Rice is used as a thickener in this lusciously creamy (but cream-free) healthy butternut squash bisque. This soup is very easy to prepare, but you can make it even easier by buying precut butternut squash rather than cutting it up yourself. Serve the soup as a light entree with crusty bread and a salad, or as a starter for a holiday meal.

These crispy loaded fritters are perfect for parties. Baking them instead of frying cuts down on labor (and oil splatters). Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid out of the spaghetti squash and onion mixture as possible--moisture is the enemy of crispiness.

Plenty of bittersweet chocolate chips and pumpkin pie spices make this pumpkin bread recipe extra special. But this moist bread requires just 15 minutes of active prep time, so it doesn't have to be just a special-occasion treat. Serve it warm with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.

What could possibly make pumpkin muffins even better? Mini chocolate chips! Our healthy pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are made with white whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour and are sweetened with just the right amount of brown sugar to make them sweet without being cloying.

Layers of pumpkin and chocolate batter swirl together to make this equally beautiful and delicious quick bread. A big bonus: you'll use a whole can of pumpkin, so no leftover bits to worry about when making this healthy pumpkin bread.

Slices of butternut squash stand in for noodles in this veggie-packed lasagna with spinach, mushrooms and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. You can make the Parmesan cheese sauce with regular flour or swap in gluten-free flour to make this dish gluten-free. Look for a squash with a long, straight neck for the best results. Serve with a green salad for a vegetarian meal that you'd be happy to serve to company.

What's the secret to making store-bought butternut squash ravioli even more delicious? Add apple-chicken sausage, tender greens and lots of caramelized onions. We add a bit of sugar to help the onions caramelize faster, but feel free to omit it (just cook the onions a bit longer if you do). Buy prewashed chopped kale to cut down on prep time. It all adds up to an easy dinner that's ready in just 20 minutes.

This easy roasted butternut squash and root vegetables recipe is incredibly versatile. Pile the squash and veggies onto grain bowls, add to sandwiches, toss in soup, serve as a side dish--you name it. Roasting vegetables in the oven gives you 20 minutes of hands-off cooking time to assemble the rest of your meal.

Grab your crock pot for this hearty and easy vegan chili, which is chock-full of great-tasting and good-for-you ingredients, including pinto and black beans, red pepper, tomatoes and butternut squash. Once a little chopping is done, all you have to do is dump the ingredients in the slow cooker, making this colorful veggie chili the perfect weeknight dinner. A garnish of fresh avocado and chopped cilantro is a nice touch.

In this healthy version of the traditional noodle favorite, spaghetti squash serves as a low-carb alternative to pasta.

Mac and cheese no longer has to be off the menu if you don't do dairy. A blend of hearty cauliflower, butternut squash, cashews and nutritional yeast gives this vegan macaroni and cheese the gooey, cheesy texture and flavor of traditional mac, without a bit of dairy!

Roasted vegetables are an easy side dish as they give you time to prepare the rest of your meal while they roast in the oven. This recipe is tossed with a citrusy dressing and then sprinkled with a fragrant gremolata of parsley, scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted almonds. There's so much flavor in this dish that it works best with something simple like grilled fish or chicken.

Looking for healthy, low-sugar breakfast ideas? Ditch the sugar-laden cereals and sweetened yogurt and give this savory yogurt with pumpkin, sage and Parmesan cheese a try.

In this version of a chicken-and-broccoli casserole, spaghetti squash takes on a creamy texture when baked with cream of mushroom soup.

This roasted vegetable and fruit salad gets infused with flavor from quinoa that's cooked with fresh ginger, garlic and a hit of turmeric. Serve it alongside a roast chicken, then mix the leftovers together for lunch. Your future self will thank you.

With pumpkin, ricotta and a little maple, this easy overnight oats recipe tastes like dessert, but it's actually good for you! Plus, it's perfect for a quick, on-the-go healthy breakfast.

Store-bought salsas are convenient and come in many varieties. However, this avocado and pumpkin salsa--one you won't find on any grocery shelf--is worth making from scratch. Creamy avocados, fresh tomato, and canned pumpkin are jazzed up with cilantro, lime juice, and a touch of hot pepper sauce, resulting in a salsa that's seriously delicious. Serve with baked tortilla chips or over grilled chicken breasts.

Cheddar cheese, maple syrup, and turkey bacon dress up mashed butternut squash for a delightful side dish.