Name: 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients: Roughly 4 cups of butternut squash (1 large squash); 3/4 cup canned light coconut milk; 1 1/2 tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper

A super easy, Vegan, Paleo, Whole30 dish:

I have very strong feeling about butternut squash. There, I said it. But really, it’s so freaking tasty, full of nutrients, and doesn’t take any special treatment to make a really good meal. Normally, I just chop it up, roast it, and go to mow town. This time around, I thought “What about mashing it up?!” And I’m so glad I did because now I get to introduce you to my 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash, just in time for all of the upcoming holiday feasts.

My amazing husband got me a new camera lens for my birthday and it’s perfect for food photography, so I’m super stoked to share these pics with you 🙂

Butternut squash, avocado or coconut oil, and some coconut milk—that’s it! Well, mostly it. There’s also sea salt and pepper, but since those are basic household staples we (us food bloggers) don’t really include then when counting the number of ingredients. So three it is!

My 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash makes an excellent side dish for din-din with some herb roasted chicken or turkey and a kale salad, but it’s also surprisingly great as the main event for breakfast, mixed with some collagen peptides powder and topped with pecans and cacao nibs—trust me it’s really good!

Why You Should Eat My 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash

Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A—when you eat it (from orange veggies like butternut squash, for example), your body turns it into that essential fat-soluble vitamin. Beta-carotene is a really important nutrient for the health of your eyes (butternut contains several compounds that directly benefit your retinas) and helps your skin as well, possibly even blocking the effects of harmful UV rays and assisting with the healing of damaged skin.

Butternut squash is also a great source of vitamin C, another skin-supporting nutrient that encourages the growth and production of new cells, nourishing a healthy glow from the inside out.

This funny looking squash is a great addition to any whole-foods diet but can be especially beneficial for those struggling with blood sugar control or weight problems. It’s extremely high in fiber, which offsets its complex carbohydrates and slowly breaks down in your body to keep you feeling full with less caloric intake. Another bonus is that the type of starches in winter squash, called polysaccharides and pectins, have many health-supporting qualities like being anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, but also help regulate insulin.

You might notice I cook with avocado oil often. This is because it’s a stable oil for cooking at high heat, meaning it doesn’t change in structure when it gets to higher temperatures. Some oils, like olive oil, do this and actually end up turning from healthy fats into bad fats. If you don’t have avocado oil on hand use some coconut oil instead!

How You Can Make My 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash

Roasting your butternut squash is the first step. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Chop up the squash into small cubes, toss in your oil, and roast for 35 minutes. While the butternut squash is cooking, get out your food processor and pour in your coconut milk, sea salt, and pepper.

Once the squash is ready, allow it to cool for just a few minutes, then add it to the food processor. Now, just blend away! You may need to stop and scrape down the sides. Keep blending until nice and creamy, then add a sprinkle of salt and some fresh ground black pepper on top and you’re ready to serve!

This 3-Ingredient Creamy Butternut Squash goes great with my 4-Ingredient Green Curry Drumsticks and Rainbow Basil Kale Salad—check ’em out and you’ve got a complete, healthy, whole-foodie feast.

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