Kabocha Squash Casserole (Gluten-Free)

Creamy, naturally sweet kabocha squash casserole with gluten-free walnut topping – a marvelous dish to share with friends and family during the holidays. 

This hearty and delicious Kabocha Squash Casserole recipe comes with a perfectly sweet, fluffy filling and the most delightful nutty topping. It is ideal for serving during the holiday season, or for using up any kind of winter squash!

Have you tried kabocha squash yet?

If not, I will try to adequately describe the flavor of kabocha squash in words.

It’s very sweet, super creamy as though it’s made out of butter, almost cinnamon-y with a hint of nutmeg and vanilla on the back end with a nutty finish.

Some folks may think that’s ludicrous and may disagree with me entirely, but the aforementioned is precisely how my mind space computes the flavor of the kabocha.

The texture? Exceedingly soft like a down comforter slash pillow top fluffy apparatus of luxurious delight.

If you’ve been around this blog space a time or two, you may remember the Kabocha Squash Spice Cake with Chai Caramel and Creamy Kabocha Squash Mash I’ve shown you in past posts. Both succulent recipes, both made for sharing.

Can You Make Casserole With Kabocha Squash?:

Yes! Just like you would a sweet potato casserole, or a pumpkin souffle, kabocha squash casserole recipes are not only easy to prepare, they are so delicious!

The idea is similar to my Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping or my Paleo Sweet Potato Casserole.

It entails a soft, sweet, creamy filling with a crispy topping. It’s kind of like eating a crust-less squash pie with wholesome ingredients.

And it encapsulates all my soul feelings surrounding fall in one dense and warm dish of carb dreams.

The way I see it, this casserole is perfect for serving to friends and family during holiday get togethers. It is naturally sweetened, gluten-free, protein packed, and sinfully scrumptious enough to eat for dessert.

Kabocha Squash Casserole Ingredients:

Kabocha Squash Filling Ingredients: Cooked mashed kabocha squash, eggs, pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, gluten-free all-purpose flour (or regular all-purpose flour) and warm spices.

This combination of ingredients yields a fluffy, delicious casserole that is filled with warmly-spiced flavor for an absolute celebration of autumn!

Walnut Streusel Topping Ingredients: Gluten-free all-purpose flour (or regular all-purpose flour), walnuts, coconut oil (or butter), pure maple syrup, pure vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.

This combination of ingredients makes a perfectly sweet topping that is loaded with nutty cinnamon goodness.

Recipe Adaptations:

• If you aren’t a fan of walnuts, you can use almonds or pecans to replace them.
• You can use agave nectar, honey, or coconut nectar in place of the pure maple syrup.
• For sweeter casserole, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of brown sugar to both the kabocha mixture and the streusel topping mixture.
• Use any kind of winter squash. Butternut squash or pumpkin are my top two recommendations for replacement.
• Replace the gluten-free all-purpose flour with regular all-purpose flour.
• Swap the coconut oil for one stick of butter.

Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make this amazing winter squash casserole!

How to Make Kabocha Squash Casserole:

Preparing this casserole is a simple five-step process.

1. We first roast the kabocha squash until it’s nice and soft. Follow my Roasted Kabocha Squash recipe for a full tutorial to see how to cook kabocha squash.
2. Add the cooked squash to a blender with the rest of the filling ingredients to puree everything together.
3. Transfer this filling mixture to a casserole dish.
4. Mix the streusel ingredients together in a bowl. Top the kabocha puree with our little streusel topping situation.
5. Bake it in the oven.

Serve it up with your main entree and enjoy!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Enjoy this dreamy kabocha squash casserole recipe during the fall and winter months (and throughout the holiday season) when you’re serving guests!

Kabocha Squash Casserole

5 from 7 votes

Kabocha squash casserole with a gluten-free topping is an amazing side dish during the fall and winter months! Prepare it during the holidays, just as you would a sweet potato casserole!

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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 Servings

Equipment

• Large Casserole Dish

Ingredients

Kabocha Squash Filling:

• 1 large (5-pound) kabocha squash about 5 cups mashed
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom optional
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Casserole Topping:

• 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour
• 1 cup raw walnuts chopped
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup to taste
• 6 Tbsp coconut oil or 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Roast the Squash:

• Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F.
• Trim the top off of the kabocha squash. Cut the squash in half, then use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds and innards. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil and use your hands to spread the oil over the flesh. Sprinkle with salt and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven 55 to 65 minutes, or until kabocha squash is very soft when poked with a fork. Scoop the flesh out of the kabocha squash and place it in a bowl to cool. The kabocha squash may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Make the Casserole:

• Once cool, add the kabocha squash to a high-powered blender along with the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Blend until well-combined. Note: you can use a potato masher and a mixing bowl for this step if you'd prefer. Transfer the kabocha filling mixture to a 9-inch round casserole dish (or a 13" x 9" baking dish) and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Stir together all of the ingredients for the topping until well combined. Evenly spread the topping mixture over the kabocha squash – it’s fine to have large clumps.
• Cover the casserole with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving. Note: if your kabocha squash is cold going into the recipe, you may need to bake the casserole for 10-15 minutes longer. Mine is room temperature or slightly warmer when I make the casserole.
• Store leftovers in a sealed container and refrigerate up to 7 days.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 10) · Calories: 343kcal · Carbohydrates: 24g · Protein: 10g · Fat: 8g · Fiber: 4g · Sugar: 10g

Author: Julia

Course: Side Dishes & Snacks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: kabocha squash casserole, kabocha squash recipes

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