This gluten free maple ginger butternut squash tart is healthy and delicious…and yet fancy enough for any holiday party. Maple and ginger flavors pair beautifully with the sweetness of butternut squash.
Fall is in the air, and the holidays are around the corner. Every year, I make several desserts to see which is the best for our family’s Thanksgiving celebration. Tart recipes look impressive but are so easy to make.
My husband has it easy… every year, he makes the same showstopper gluten free pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. He has been making this dessert for at least five years, and everyone always insists he makes it yearly. It is a lovely gluten free pumpkin bourbon layered cheesecake…totally irresistible.
Me? I like variety, and I bring something different every year. It keeps people guessing and gives me the opportunity to try a lot of recipe ideas out.
This gluten free maple ginger butternut squash tart may be my new favorite!
If you love winter squash as much as we do, both in sweet and savory recipes, check out all of my delicious gluten free winter squash recipes!
I think this squash tart recipe is going to be a winner. The candied ginger with the subtle maple and butternut is too good to pass up. I buy my candied ginger at Trader Joe’s, but this candied ginger recipe is easy if you prefer to make your own!
How to make butternut squash puree
I used organic canned butternut squash because it is pureed so smoothly; it is perfect in this gluten free tart recipe.
If you prefer to make your own homemade butternut squash puree, here are the directions:
- Preheat your oven to 375º F.
- Take a butternut squash and cut it in half. Use a sharp knife because butternut squash tends to be tough to cut.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Brush coconut oil onto the inside of each squash half. Place the butternut squash halves in a baking pan facing upwards. (You can also use olive oil, but coconut oil adds a little sweetness to this dessert.)
- Place the baking pan in the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes until the butternut squash halves are soft.
- Remove the squash and allow it to cool.
- Use a spoon to scrape the soft butternut squash out and put it into a Vitamix or blender. Add a little water (quantity depends on how thick you want the pumpkin puree to be) so that it purees smoothly. (You can also use a mixer if you prefer, but the blender will make the pumpkin puree smoother.)
This delicious tart is great for Thanksgiving or any time. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream!
Instructions:
The first step is to add the dry ingredients for the crust to a bowl. Whisk to blend them.
Mix up the wet ingredients and pour over the dry ingredients.
Mix well so that it forms a nice dough.
Press the dough into a greased tart pan. (**TIP: I love the tart pans with the removable bottoms because it makes it really easy to remove the tart from the pan.)
Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350F degrees. Remove from the oven.
Add the butternut squash and tart filling ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend. Pour the wet tart ingredients over the half-baked crust and bake for 20 minutes.
Tools You Need To Make This Butternut Squash Tart Recipe:
- Tart pan…this pan makes it easy to get the tart out, especially when it has a scalloped edge.
- Almond flour makes gluten free crusts so easy.
Gluten Free Maple Ginger Butternut Squash Tart
Ingredients
- For Crust:
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¾ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Flour Blend (*Note, my flour blend has xanthan gum included. If yours doesn’t, add 1 teaspoon.)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons whipping cream
- ½ cup butter cold
- For Filling:
- 1 14 ounce can organic butternut squash puree I like this vs roasting butternut because the texture is so smooth
- 3 large eggs
- â…“ cup grade B maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- â…› teaspoon salt
- ½ cup whipping cream
- optional: candied ginger pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a tart pan with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, add crust ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to blend.
- Mix well with your hands.
- Put dough into tart pan and press down along the edges to form the crust along the bottom and the walls of the tart pan.
- In a medium bowl, add all wet ingredients and mix well.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and pour the filling in to the tart pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until firm in the middle.
- Remove and allow to cool.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
(*This post was updated from an older 10/2016 post.)
What a gorgeous looking tart 🙂 I love your gluten free pastry!
Thank you Nicole 🙂
We are butternut squash freaks and I’m thrilled to add your beautiful tart to my ever-growing collection of goodies!
I hope you enjoy it Linda 🙂
What a healthy and delicious option for Thanksgiving! Love the zing from the ginger here, too!
Thank you Abigail 🙂
This tart looks so incredibly scrumptious! Maple syrup and ginger, yum!!
Thank you so much Marsha 🙂
I love the zing from the ginger here! What a great, healthy and delicious option for Thanksgiving!
This is such a creative tart idea! All the flavors sound so good too. It’d be perfect for Thanksgiving!
Thank you Briana 🙂
I love this gluten free crust. I’ve been looking for a tasty one. I’m going to try this with annual pumpkin pie I make for The Hubby. It’s the only thing I bake! 😉
I hope he likes it KC 🙂
I love ginger! I am always looking for ways to add this superfood to my recipes. YUM
I hope you like it Sara 🙂
So pretty! I’ve never tried using butternut squash this way, but I’m pretty sure the kids would approve!
My kids had no idea this was healthy LOL.
I love the flavor combinations, I must give this a try.
I hope you enjoy it Janette 🙂
I am the same as you! I need surprise and variety and love to do something different! get bored with food so easily…
This is anything but boring! I am loving the flavour combo in this! Candied ginger, maple and butternut squash? It’s like the best of all thanksgiving desserts PLUS it’s gluten free! Definitely pinning!
Thank you so much Dini 🙂
Yum ???? This tart looks amazing. I love the candied ginger mixed with the maple. Sounds Perfect ???? Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much Lyndsay 🙂
I love the idea of an alternative to pumpkin! And everything is better with maple syrup. 🙂
Agreed…I need to figure out a paleo crust so this recipe can be made as a paleo option next 🙂
Wow! This looks so good Sandi!! I am pinning this to try, but with y fresh squash puree!
Sounds wonderful, please let me know how it comes out 🙂
What a nice alternative to pumpkin pie!
Thank you Sylvie 🙂
Wow, fantastic flavors here! Love the ginger with the maple, that sounds lovely!
Thank you so much Rebecca 🙂