How to Make a Versatile Butternut Squash Sauce Recipe

This vegan paleo butternut squash sauce recipe is nightshade free and made with a few simple ingredients so it comes together quickly and can be used throughout the week. 

Cheese has stolen the hearts of many. Most people can’t fathom a life without cheese. This butternut squash sauce was created for two reasons. 1. For a dairy free cheeseburger macaroni and 2. As a cheesy sauce to slather on things.

With a few simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store, this creamy sauce comes together quickly and easily. It doesn’t require heavy cream, sour cream or pasta water. So it’s a vegan, gluten free and paleo butternut squash pasta sauce that tastes cheesy and can also be used on vegetables for a tasty topping.

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What does butternut squash sauce taste like?

This sauce isn’t going to fool anyone into thinking they are eating cheese if you are using it on noodles for mac and cheese or as a taco topping. BUT it will still taste like a delicious sauce and it will fool someone into thinking they are eating cheese with the cheeseburger macaroni recipe (coming soon!).

It also fills the cheese void when serving over roasted broccoli or with refried beans on a tortilla. It’s a creamy, almost cheese that gets a cheesy flavor from the mix of lemon, butternut squash, salt and nutritional yeast.

What is in this butternut squash sauce?

This sauce is nightshade free and includes these seven ingredients:

1. Butternut squash cubes – best from a fresh butternut squash, but pre-cut from the store, even pre-cut and frozen, work well.
2. Almond milk – You could also sub with 1/2 cup reserved “squash water” and 2 tablespoons olive oil or chicken broth / chicken stock. While I haven’t tried it, vegetable broth may also work. Coconut milk will likely not be a good substitute due to the flavor.  
3. Nutritional yeast – you can find nutritional yeast at Trader Joe’s or any health food store. You can also find it at Thrive Market.
4. Lemon juice
5. Onion powder
6. Garlic powder
7. Salt

How to make this sauce recipe

First, try not to die while cutting your squash into cubes. Chopping squash can be avoided by buying pre-cut or pre-cut and frozen squash. A vegetable peeler may also come in handy.

Next, steam your butternut squash. You can do this however you would like. I add the cut squash to a saucepan, add 1 cup of water, cover and cook on medium high heat for 12 to 15 minutes.    

Drain your squash and add to a blender with remaining ingredients.

Put the blender lid on, but if your butternut squash is hot, you want to remove the lid cap and put a towel over to allow the steam to escape (so your blender lid doesn’t blow off and cover your kitchen with butternut squash).

Serve or pour into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to eat this butternut squash sauce

This sauce can be used as a pasta sauce and enjoyed a few ways

• Make an adult mac and “cheese”: For an extra special pasta dish, prepare pasta al dente, according to package directions. Roast some broccoli with garlic cloves (toss broccoli and whole garlic cloves in a little olive oil and salt, add to a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes on 450 degrees F). Add butternut sauce to pasta until coated, add some roasted broccoli and garlic, top with black pepper and red pepper flakes (if you aren’t nightshade free) and enjoy!
• Add a little cheese: Make pasta according to package instructions, add cheese sauce to cooked pasta and top with parmesan cheese and black pepper.
• Make a hidden veggie cheeseburger mac: This recipe uses this butternut cheese sauce as well as our nightshade free taco seasoning to make an easy weeknight dinner.
• Mix sauce with a little taco seasoning and add to a roasted sweet potato.

The next time you’re looking for a versatile sauce great for meal prep, give this creamy butternut squash sauce a try. It stores and reheats well throughout the week, is kid friendly and one of my favorite ways to get the kids to eat vegetables (possibly the best part of the sauce). It’s sure to be a big hit!

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