Acorn Squash Pudding and Pie

acorn squash pudding

Acorn squash pudding serving with whipped cream.

Tired of Pumpkin Everything?

Thanksgiving is coming at us fast.  Along with all the traditional recipes, I like to find something new every year.  Here’s a dessert recipe that gives pumpkin a rest. And really, aren’t you about ready to scream if you hear pumpkin-flavored anything one more time?

Pssst!  Don’t tell the traditionalist, but I liked it BETTER than the very similar pumpkin dessert.

I love acorn squash. Spit them, take the seeds out, put honey and butter and nutmeg in the center–and maybe some sliced apples or applesauce, and bake them in a dish with some water in the bottom. But how about an acorn squash dessert?

Unfortunately, my husband does not share my appreciation of this long-lasting winter squash.  When I serve him a wedge of acorn squash, he scoops out a shallow spoonful, but leaves a good 1/2 inch in the shell.

And he does not have seconds.

LEFTOVERS

So if I bake acorn squash, I’m going to have leftovers.  And you know my opinion of leftovers, don’t you?  MAKE SOMETHING WITH THEM.

Which led to a quest for a good recipe for acorn squash pudding.  Along the way, I found the site, Historic Foodie, and this article on how early Americans used squash. Another article at the same site lists  all the squashes common in various parts of the country in the 17th and 18th century. (Acorn was known, but not common.)

Most recipe sites wanted me to make a pie out of the squash, but I was feeling lazy and just wanted to baked a pudding.  However, when I found a recipe for a streusel-topped acorn squash pie, I knew I had to try it — minus the pie crust. You can also just pour it into a pre-baked pie shell for a substitute for pumpkin pie. Simple and absolutely DELICIOUS!

My husband, the acorn-squash avoider is eating it up!

Acorn Squash Pie

Acorn Squash Pie

Pie with acorn squash pudding and ginger streusel topping.

Just add the mixed pudding ingredients to a pre-baked pie shell, bake for a while, add streusel,topping with ginger, and finish baking. Specifics at end of pudding recipe.

 

squash pudding
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Acorn Squash Pudding

When you are tired of pumpkin everything, make a streusel-topped pudding or a pie filling from acorn squash.
Course Dessert
Keyword pie, pudding
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked acorn squash
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp spices See Note
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup evaporated milk

Streusel Topping

  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter chilled
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

  • Scoop squash out of shell and remove seeds. Mash or process in food processor.
  • Mix all filling ingredients (not streusel ingredients) in large bowl and beat until smooth.
  • Pour into 7" wide, deep casserole and bake one-half hour at 350 degrees. (To ensure even cooking, put casserole in larger shallow pan with an inch of water.)

Streusel Topping

  • Mix flour and sugar. Cut butter in small pieces.  Work butter into flour/sugar mixture with your fingers.  When you have small crumbs, stir in nuts. Set aside until the first half-hour baking is finished.
  • After half hour, pull casserole out of oven and sprinkle the streusel on top of the pudding. Put casserole back and bake an additional half hour--or until knife inserted in center comes out almost clean. (With smaller diameter casserole, the streusel will be deep and the baking will take longer than for a shallow dish or in a pie. See notes.)

Notes

SPICES:  You can use pumpkin pie spices or blend cinnamon and nutmeg.  I used a lebkuchengewuerz spice recipe left over from making the German Christmas cookies.
ACORN SQUASH PIE:
To use this recipe in a pie, mix pudding ingredients and pour into a pre-baked pie shell. Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees, then add streusel and bake another 25 minutes, tenting the top with foil if necessary to keep it from getting too brown. For the pie, you do not need or want the water bath.
For extra Oomph, add 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger to the streusel topping.

8 thoughts on “Acorn Squash Pudding and Pie

  1. Victoria Brady

    That looks divine! Thank you for sharing the information about my blog TheHistoricFoodie on wordpress. I’m happy to know my readers find the information useful. I’m a hands-on researcher meaning I don’t read to be reading – I read to cook, and it looks as if you may be the same.

    Reply
    1. Avatar photoVera Marie Badertscher Post author

      Thanks, Victoria, and it IS divine. My biggest joy is that I now have a way to get that rich yellow veggie into my husband! (Just kidding–actually, I just like it cause its yummy.) I agree, we are birds of a feather. My research is driven by trying to get inside the lives of my ancestors, and to recreate what they might have done in their kitchens. How did great-grandmother cook? What did she cook? What did my great-great-great grandparents eat and grow? So much to learn!

      Reply
  2. Amy Shatrick

    I started to make this, and I read “dump ALL ingredients” and I did. I then realized that I put some streusel ingreadients in the pudding mixture. I dug out the butter and now am waiting to see what happens with flour in the pudding mix. YIkes.

    Reply
    1. Avatar photoVera Marie Badertscher Post author

      Oh dear, sounds like I need to rewrite my directions. I hope you were able to rescue it. So sorry.
      I don’t think it matters whether or not you take it out of the water bath before adding the streusel.

      Reply

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