10 Fall Squash Recipes You Haven’t Tried Yet (We Promise)

Pumpkin tends to get all the love in the fall, but the truth is, there are a lot of great autumnal squashes, with a wide variety of textures, flavors, and benefits. While each one has its own nutrition profile, they’re all a great way to add fiber, vitamins, and minerals into your life. Here, we focus on dishes that feature a few types of squash that are widely available in the fall season, specifically butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and kabocha squash recipes.

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1. Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein

A low-calorie superstar — and a staple of diets designed for GI issues — spaghetti squash doesn’t have to be cooked up like Italian spaghetti with marinara. Try this fun squash in a vegan and paleo play on the classic Northern Chinese dish, which shreds into “noodles” once baked. This version calls for fresh shredded veggies and coconut amino acids instead of sodium-rich soy sauce.

Try the recipe from Little Bits of Real Food.

2. Kabocha Squash Empanadas

Kabocha is a lower-carb option than butternut squash that’s almost as sweet and comes packed with fiber, iron, beta-carotene, and vitamins C and A. If you haven’t made kabocha squash recipes before, don’t worry: they’re just as easy to prepare as any other squash (and they’re extremely tasty). These gluten-free, baked empanadas have a lush filling of roasted kabocha, gruyère, and thyme.

Try the recipe from Snixy Kitchen.

3. Butternut Squash Pie

Who needs pumpkin when you can make a deliciously sweet pie using that butternut squash? This recipe calls for minimal ingredients and will make for a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving festivities.

Try the recipe from House of Yumm.

4. Spaghetti Squash Tater Tots

We don’t usually think of cooked spaghetti squash as any kind of finger food (for, um, obvious reasons), but it turns out that you can combine it with panko flakes, parmesan, and an egg to create miraculous, potato-free, vitamin-packed tater tots.

Try the recipe from Kirbie’s Cravings.

5. Instant Pot Butternut Squash Bharta

Having a couple of side dishes that are both vegan and gluten-free in your arsenal is always a good idea, even if those aren’t specific boundaries in your diet. This bharta (mash) is flavored with Indian spices, fresh ginger, and garlic and uses butternut squash instead of more typical ingredients like potato or eggplant and can be made ahead in your Instant Pot.

Try the recipe from Cooking With Manali.

6. Cinnamon Maple Roasted Kabocha Squash

Treat kabocha like the fruit it actually is (yup, all squash are actually fruit) by simply mixing up a little cinnamon-maple dip and throwing it in the oven to eat with yogurt or as part of salads, sides, or desserts. Kabocha squash recipes can be beyond simple — like this one; in which the prep time is just five minutes. While it’s a great snack on its own, this healthy roasted squash is also a great addition to salads and grain bowls.

Try the recipe from Eating Bird Food.

7. Spaghetti Squash Breadsticks

Another way to eat spaghetti squash with your hands: transform it into cheesy breadsticks, but hold the bread. An egg and some almond flour hold it all together.

Try the recipe from Kirbie’s Cravings.

8. Breakfast Spaghetti Squash

Bacon, eggs, and cheese make spaghetti squash wake up early, for once. You can also easily swap the toppings for plant-based alternatives (veggie sausage and nutritional yeast would be great here) and preserve the vibe.

Try the recipe from Salu Salo.

9. Taco Stuffed Roasted Kabocha

Kabocha squash is perfect to use as its own serving vessel. For a vegetarian version of this healthy variation on a taco bowl, swap the beef for a plant-based alternative, like ground walnut meat.

Try the recipe from Only Gluten-Free Recipes.

10. Roasted Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili

Give classic turkey chili a flavor (and nutrition) boost with roasted butternut squash, creamy white beans, and fried sage. Butternut squash adds fiber, potassium, and magnesium, half of your daily vitamin C, and over 450% of your daily vitamin A into the pot. You can also use vegetable broth and omit the turkey to make this vegetarian.

Try the recipe from FoodieCrush.

Read next: 8 Healthy Fall Dinner Ideas That Are Ridiculously Cheap