For all you guys who either follow a paleo diet or just enjoy paleo recipes, I recommend making this Paleo Butternut Squash Tart your fall favorite dessert! Take a break from sweet potato and apple pies and give this squash a chance.
Fall is the season for all things squash, as well as the perfect season for yummy pies and tarts. I find that when festive holidays like thanksgiving or Christmas rolls around, my usual go to desserts are sweet potato, apple and strawberry rhubarb pies or tarts. However, whenever I buy butternut squash, I always end up making my favorite Butternut Squash and Apple Soup and not much else. Sometimes the squash sits on my counter for ages! So you can only imagine the happy dance I did when I was able to put on my creative hat and whip up this masterpiece for my family’s thanksgiving dinner.
One of my favorite components about this recipe is the natural sweetness you get from the squash. I find that the sweetness varies depending on when the squash was picked and also the size, so I always aim for small to medium sized squash because the sweeter the better. That way, you get the best results when using it in your cooking or baking! This recipe is paleo and gluten free!
Ingredients for crust:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil (at room temperature), or 2 tablespoons grass fed butter
1 large free run egg
Ingredients for filling:
1 medium cooked and mashed butternut squash (about 3 cups)
3/4 cups organic cane sugar
4-1/2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup grass fed butter (at room temperature)
2 large free run eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
coconut whip cream (optional)
Instructions:
1. Make your crust first. Combine all crust ingredients in a bowl and knead with your hands until a ball forms. Wrap the pie crust in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. When ready, lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with coconut oil. I prefer to use a non-stick tart pan so that the tart pops out easily. Press the tart dough into the an until all the edges are covered, then set aside.
2. Now that your tart crust is ready, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and make your filling. In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients until you get a smooth batter. Pour filling into the tart crust. You will have some left over filling which is okay. Just store your leftovers in the freezer.
3. Place the tart in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. When ready, cool the tart on a wire rack for 1 hour, then transfer to the refrigerator for another hour until chilled. Serve with fruit of choice and coconut whipped cream.
Note: I recommend preparing the squash the night before you intend to bake this tart. To cook your butternut squash, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and cut your butternut squash in half, removing the seeds completely. Add 2-3 cups of water to a large ceramic baking dish and place the squash in it facing up. Poke holes around the squash and place in the oven. Make for 1 ½ hours. Let the squash cool for about 20 minutes before peeling the skin off. Puree squash in a food processor or blender until smooth. Store the squash in an air tight container in the refrigerator overnight. Paleo Butternut Squash Tart for the win!
Recipe for paleo crust adapted from Elana’s Pantry.
