Acorn Squash Honey Custard
Summer is coming to a close and as much as I hate to admit it, I am beginning to look forward to the cooler days of fall. I am a warm weather person through and through, but the humidity and bugs of North Carolina in August have exhausted their welcome and I am ready for a change.
With the season change comes a change in flavors. All summer we have enjoyed the sweetness of strawberries, watermelons and peaches, we have had our pick of juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and overwhelming quantities of zucchini, but with those crops on their way out we welcome the foods meant to get us through the winter, nutrient dense greens and lots and lots of squash.
Obviously, pumpkin tends to be the star squash of the season, but there are so many other options to pick from and so many unique ways to enjoy them. When I was thinking about creating this recipe, I researched a lot of different preparations for various squash types and I was surprised that acorn squash was almost always used in savory dishes.
With a consistency similar to pumpkin, acorn squash is small and much easier to prepare than larger types of squash and has a flavor that is much lighter than pumpkin or butternut squash, making it incredibly versatile and perfect for desserts.
This recipe perfectly highlights the subtle flavor of the squash while creating a simple and unique dish that is sure to impress your friends and family at any fall get together or holiday meal this year. To top it all off this recipe is egg free, refined sugar free, grain free, gluten free, and dairy free so it is a dessert everyone will be able to enjoy!
Acorn Squash Honey Custard
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 cups of acorn squash (approx. 2 squash)
¾ cup of coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1 TBS of grass-fed beef gelatin
2 tsp Tapioca starch
1/8 cup of boiling water
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ginger
1/2 cup of honey
Directions:
- Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds
- Place your squash at 450 degrees, in a baking pan with a small amount of water and bake until tender (approx. 30-40 mins)
- Scrape out the flesh of the squash and add it to your food processor, blend until smooth.
- Add in the rest of your ingredients except the gelatin and water and blend.
- Pour your puree into a saucepan and bring to simmer stirring often. Simmer for 10 mins.
- Pour 1/8 cup of boiling water into a bowl, sprinkle 1 TBS of gelatin over the hot water and let dissolve completely. Stir out any clumps if needed.
- Pour the hot mixture into the food processor again along with the gelatin mixture. Blend for 30 seconds. Slowly pour into ramikin custard cups and refrigerate until cool or overnight.
Can this be made without using starch? I follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and can have no starch.
We do GAPS in my family , which is similar. I was thinking of try ground chia seeds in replacement of the starch.
Is the coconut milk full-fat?
Coconut milk is coconut milk. It doesn’t come in fat variants.
You can buy both full fat coconut milk and “lite” coconut milk in cans in most grocery stores. I think she’s asking which you used, assuming you didn’t crack a coconut shell open and get your milk straight from the coconut
I made this last night (doubled it) for Thanksgiving today. I put it in an XL graham cracker crust and there was extra so I put the rest in ramekins and oops – somehow one of those just became breakfast. I have to say – it’s a delightful change from the typical pumpkin pie! I topped my “test” one with whipped cream and it is delicious! Next time i’ll change the brand of honey (it’s a bit overpowering in mine – but the honey I had on hand was one I didn’t particularly care for) and if doubling the recipe I’m pretty sure there’s no need to double the honey. I don’t think it’s overly sweet having doubled the honey this time though. I love that I can actually pick out all of the flavors in each bite – from the coconut (milk) to the spices to the actual acorn squash. This is a keeper for sure. Thank you for sharing!
What temp do you bake the squash at? The usual 350?
Hi Wren,
I bake it at 350, about 30 – 45 minutes.
Is there any way I could leave out the starch, or replace it? I’ll can’t have starch of any kind, so no arrowroot either.
This looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try it!
can you reduce the amount of honey or will it affect the texture too much? thanks so much!
I don’t think it will change the texture, it will just change the taste obviously 🙂