Butternut squash pizza

This butternut squash pizza is a delicious autumnal twist on pizza, with a roast squash sauce and topped with bacon jam and pear. It's a tasty sweet and savory mix, and a great way to change up pizza night.

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I'm sure like many households with kids, pizza night is pretty popular. In general, it doesn't happen all that often most of the time, though there have been times when we've had it much more, between sports team and birthday parties, or other phases (hello 2020). And while takeout is perfect when we're in a rush, we do all love homemade pizza, too.

My eldest is not really one to broaden his range of toppings much, but my youngest and I are definitely always up for experimenting. Some of the less typical combinations I have tried draw on seasonal pizzas served at a local restaurant, like my corn pizza and this fall flavored one. And if you like non-tomato pizzas, this is definitely one to try.

Squash sauce for seasonal flavor

Don't get me wrong, I do love a classic tomato pizza sauce, but I also think you in no ways need to be tied to all pizzas having that. And while I know some pizzas have a white sauce instead, to me that feels pretty bland so only works with bold toppings.

However, other vegetables can also be made into sauces that can work well for pizza, too, like the pureed corn sauce in my corn pizza, then the squash sauce here. It's a great way to add some variety, as well as make the most of seasonal produce when it's in season.

The squash sauce here is loosely based on my butternut squash pasta sauce, just a little less liquidy, for obvious reasons. You only want it just liquid enough to give you a spreadable sauce, not so much that it pours. If the sauce is too wet, it makes the dough more wet and so less likely to cook/crisp properly.

All you do is roast some diced squash until tender, then blend it up with some parmesan and a little liquid to loosen it up. You can use water, stock or cream as you prefer. Cream will obviously make it more creamy, which can be good, but arguably you get a more distinct squash flavor with water or stock.

Butternut pizza toppings and variations

Here I've gone with a few simple toppings that I feel work really well:

• Pear slices - these add a lovely bit of texture as well as sweet flavor. I used Bosc but Bartlett would also work well, in both cases only just ripe.
• Bacon jam - packed with sweet-savory flavor, I used my apple bacon jam here but a store bought one will also work.
• Mozzarella and parmesan - classic pizza additions that are also great here.
• Sage - just a little chopped fresh sage adds a lovely savory herb flavor that pairs really nicely and balances the slightly sweeter ingredients.

They all combine to give a delicious mix of slightly sweet and savory, as well as variety in texture and color.

However, you can also change up the toppings depending on what you have or prefer. For example:

• Go vegetarian by swapping the bacon jam for mushrooms and maybe some thinly sliced red onion, or some caramelized onions for some similar sweet-savory indulgence.
• If you don't have bacon jam, try some chopped cooked bacon or prosciutto instead.
• Add some arugula or pine nuts after baking for some added crunchy texture.

This butternut squash pizza has a lovely balance of sweet and savory, with a definite fall comfort factor. It's a lovely seasonal twist, that's relatively hearty too. True, it takes a little more work than some other simpler pizzas, but it's well worth it for some tasty variety. Be sure to try and you'll see what I mean.

Looking for more pizza ideas? Try these!

• Another fall pizza with sausage and squash as toppings with classic tomato.
• Spanish pizza (Catalan coca) with no sauce as such but a delicious mix of caramelized pepper and onion instead.
• Lahmacun, this Turkish flatbread/pizza has a tasty meat-based topping.
• Gorgonzola and caramelized onion pizza/flatbread with a great mix of flavors.

Plus get more ideas for fall recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was first shared in October 2016 and has been updated, primarily with new photos and additional information & tips, as well as small recipe tweaks.

Try some more pizza ideas from fellow bloggers:

Main course pizzas

• BBQ Bacon Mango Pizza by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Chicken Pot Pie French Bread Pizza by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Chicken Vegetable Pizza (Low-Carb) by My Life Cookbook
• Meatball Sub Pizza by Life Tastes Good
• Pizza Toscana by Cooking with Carlee

Dessert pizzas

• Caramel Apple Dessert Pizza by The Foodie Affair
• Cheesecake Pizza by The Redhead Baker
• Coconut Macaroon Pizza by Pies and Plots
• Fresh Fruit Pizza by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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