These butternut squash rolls are like savory cinnamon rolls filled with creamy butternut squash and cheese. Serve these as a vegetarian main dish or make it a side for a holiday meal like Easter or Thanksgiving.
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I'm always looking for an excuse to cook up a butternut squash.
The flavor and texture make it one of my favorite vegetables. We've seen great results with butternut squash pasta, butternut squash risotto, butternut squash enchiladas, and butternut squash casserole.
But my favorite by far is my butternut squash pizza. I make this every chance I get. But what about those occasions where pizza just isn't appropriate?
When you need something equally indulgent but a little more sophisticated, butternut squash rolls are the answer. It's like a savory cinnamon roll, loaded with butternut squash filling and creamy fontina cheese.
Serve these as a main dish alongside a simple salad or as a side dish at your next holiday. It's really pretty simple, let me show you how it's done!
Ingredients
- Butternut squash
- Olive oil
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Shallot
- Parmesan cheese
- Pizza dough
- Fontina cheese
- Fresh sage
How to make butternut squash rolls
- If you're making your own pizza dough, begin by preparing that.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake, stirring once or twice, until soft and beginning to brown.
- Add the shallots to the baking sheet and stir to coat in oil. Return to the oven until the shallots are softened.
- Transfer the squash and shallots to a food processor along with half of the parmesan cheese. Process until smooth, adding a little water or olive oil if needed to smooth it out.
- Stretch and roll the pizza dough until it is thin and roughly 16 inches by 12 inches.
- Spread the squash puree evenly over the dough, leaving about 1 inch on all sides. Sprinkle with most of the fontina, leaving some to top the rolls with. Tear the sage into pieces and sprinkle evenly over everything.
- Starting on a long edge, fold the edge up about 1 inch all the way across. Continue to roll and tuck tightly until the dough is completely rolled into a long log.
- Roll the log back and forth gently a few times to seal the edge, then work your hands all the way along it to make sure it's all about the same size.
- Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice off the ends that are mostly dough without filling. Next, cut the log into 8 even rolls by first cutting it in half, then each half in half, and cutting each of those in half again.
- Line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Arrange the rolls on the parchment, slightly touching.
- Top the rolls with the remaining fontina and parmesan cheese.
- Bake 15 minutes or until the bread dough is cooked all the way through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Top tips
What kind of pizza dough to use
You can use your favorite pizza dough for this recipe. Many grocery stores will sell prepared pizza dough, or you can buy it from your favorite pizza place.
I like to use my wheat pizza dough recipe, which is actually half white and half whole wheat flour. It has just the right amount of flavor and fiber while still being soft and fluffy.
How to cut a butternut squash
The odd shape of a butternut squash can make it difficult to cut. I use a large chef's knife to remove the neck of the squash, then cut off the stop and stand it up to cut off the skin.
Slice the neck into discs about ¾ inch wide. Slice these discs into rows, then cut the rows into cubes. You can repeat this process with the bulb of the squash, removing the seeds with a spoon and cutting it into sections as you are able.
It may be easier to cut the bulb into sections before cutting off the skin, or using a vegetable peeler to get this tricky section.
How to know when the rolls are done
The rolls are done when the bread is soft and fluffy all the way through. This can be difficult to tell with all the cheese. I recommend checking them at the earliest recommended time and using a fork to examine the center of one of the rolls, pulling out a little bit of the bread to make sure it isn't doughy.
How to store
Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before transferring to an air tight container and storing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months.
To reheat, I recommend microwaving the rolls for 30 seconds, then baking at 400ºF until crisp on the outside.
Tips for customizing butternut squash rolls
- Make them sweet by swapping the fontina and parmesan for mascarpone or ricotta and flavoring the squash with cinnamon before or after cooking
- Make it spicy by drizzling with spicy chili crisp or sprinkling with crushed red pepper flakes
- Add a few dollops of your favorite pesto such as classic pesto, pistachio pesto, or sage pesto
- Use more or less squash to taste
- Swap the fontina for your other favorite cheese, such as mozzarella
FAQ
Butternut squash is going to give you the creamiest texture, but you could definitely swap in your favorite squash or sweet potato here if you prefer.
Real parmesan cheese is not vegetarian because it is made with animal rennet. If this is important to you, look for a parmesan cheese made with vegetable rennet.
More butternut squash recipes
- Butternut Squash Casserole
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Cake
- Crispy Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Pan Fried Butternut Squash Pasta
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
- Winter Salad with Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Pizza with Kale
- Butternut Squash Risotto with Kale
- Butternut Squash Puree
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Butternut Squash Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, skin and seeds removed, cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup minced shallot
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 pound pizza dough
- 8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
- 6 leaves of fresh sage, plus more for garnishing if desired
Instructions
- If you're making your own pizza dough, begin by preparing that.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake, stirring once or twice, until soft and beginning to brown, about 20-30 minutes.
- Add the shallots to the baking sheet and stir to coat in oil. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the shallots are softened.
- Transfer the squash and shallots to a food processor along with half of the parmesan cheese. Process until smooth, adding a little water or olive oil if needed to smooth it out. If the squash is hot, leave the feeding tube open on the lid to allow steam to escape while running the food processor.
- Stretch and roll the pizza dough until it is thin and roughly 16 inches by 12 inches.
- Spread the squash puree evenly over the dough, leaving about 1 inch on all sides. Sprinkle with most of the fontina, leaving some to top the rolls with. Tear the sage into pieces and sprinkle evenly over everything.
- Starting on a long edge, fold the edge up about 1 inch all the way across. Continue to roll and tuck tightly until the dough is completely rolled into a long log.
- Roll the log back and forth gently a few times to seal the edge, then work your hands all the way along it to make sure it's all about the same size. You can also press the ends in towards the middle a little bit if they go too thin.
- Using a sharp, serrated knife, slice off the ends that are mostly dough without filling. Next, cut the log into 8 even rolls by first cutting it in half, then each half in half, and cutting each of those in half again.
- Line a baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Arrange the rolls on the parchment, slightly touching.
- Top the rolls with the remaining fontina and parmesan cheese.
- Bake 15 minutes or until the bread dough is cooked all the way through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Tips for customizing butternut squash rolls
- Make them sweet by swapping the fontina and parmesan for mascarpone or ricotta and flavoring the squash with cinnamon before or after cooking
- Make it spicy by drizzling with spicy chili crisp or sprinkling with crushed red pepper flakes
- Add a few dollops of your favorite pesto such as classic pesto, pistachio pesto, or sage pesto
- Use more or less squash to taste
- Swap the fontina for your other favorite cheese, such as mozzarella
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