thanksgiving

The Best Squash For Pumpkin Pie Is… (Hint: It’s Not Pumpkin)

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was The Kitchn's founding Design and Lifestyle Editor as well as Managing Editor of Re-Nest, Apartment Therapy’s late '00s green living site. She…read more
updated May 2, 2019
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(Image credit: Faith Durand)

Go figure. Pumpkin pie is best when it’s, well, not made with pumpkin, according to Melissa Clark. She tested a bunch of pumpkin and squash varieties to determine which one would provide the freshest, sweetest flavor. And the winner is…

Butternut squash!

Melissa said that butternut squash ‘pumpkin’ pie was “deep and richly flavored, sweet, with relatively smooth flesh that is easy to purée.” Additionally, it was “so very easy to work with” because the skin easily slips off with a peeler. The runner-up was acorn squash, which created a “honeyed, moist, not too fibrous, very nice” pie. But butternut was still the winner!

See the notes from all 9 of her squash tests below, and then tell us: will you be forgoing the canned pumpkin this year and trying out a new squash instead?

→ Read more: The Squash You Should Use in Pumpkin Pie at NYT’s Diner’s Journal

Related: Family Recipe: My Dad’s Legendary Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

(Image: Faith Durand)

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autumn
baked goods
Dessert
thanksgiving