Butternut Squash Crostini with Shallots
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These butternut squash crostini have a roasted squash spread with sautéed shallots and almond butter, spooned onto crisp baguette slices. The squash gives the topping its sweetness and the shallots and nut butter give these canapes enough richness that there’s no need for cheese.
It’s a vegan appetizer made with a short ingredient list. Serve a platter before dinner or include the crostini in a fall appetizer spread. You can roast the squash ahead of time and finish the bread just before serving, so most of the prep can happen before any guests arrive.
Butternut Squash Crostini at a Glance
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
Total time: About 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 24 crostini
Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Main ingredients: Butternut squash, baguette, shallots and almond or peanut butter
Cooking method: Oven-roasted squash and toasted bread, with skillet-cooked shallots
Storage: Refrigerate the topping separately for up to 3 to 4 days; assemble just before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- The topping is sufficiently rich with no need for dairy or vegan cheese substitutes.
- You can roast the squash and prepare the spread ahead, then toast the bread before serving.
- You can use your choice of almond butter or peanut butter.
Ingredient Notes
- Butternut squash: Buy a small squash and measure 1½ cups (360g) of the roasted flesh. Squash sizes vary, so measuring the cooked flesh gives you a more consistent topping. Save any extra for soup or a vegetable mash.
- Shallots: Chop them finely so they cook evenly. Sauté until tender and golden before blending; I found that raw shallots gave the spread too sharp a flavor.
- Almond or peanut butter: Choose a smooth, unsweetened variety. Stir separated nut butter before measuring it and taste the topping before adding all the salt if your nut butter is salted.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Measure the oil for the shallots separately from the extra oil for brushing the bread and greasing the baking sheet.
- Baguette: Check the ingredients if you need vegan bread, since some loaves contain milk or butter.
How to Make Butternut Squash Crostini
- Roast the squash halves until you can easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
- While they cool enough to handle, toast the oiled bread and sauté the shallots.
- Measure the roasted squash, blend it with the nut butter and shallots, then spread it over the crostini just before serving.
Tips for the Topping and Toast
- Check tenderness: The roasting time depends on the size of the squash. Firm flesh will be harder to blend, so give it longer if a fork meets resistance.
- Brush lightly: Coat the bread with oil without soaking it. Arrange the slices in a single layer so they toast evenly.
- Scrape the processor bowl: Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to blend the shallots in well.
- Assemble at the last minute: Moist topping gradually softens toasted bread. Keep the components separate until you’re ready to serve.
Substitutions and Variations
- Peanut butter: Use the same amount as almond butter. It gives the spread a more pronounced peanut flavor.
- Other winter squash: Roast a fleshy winter squash such as acorn squash and measure the same volume of cooked flesh. The roasting time may differ.
- Sweet potato: Roast until tender and use the same amount of cooked flesh.
- Toasted almonds: Sprinkle a few chopped toasted almonds over the assembled crostini if you want a garnish.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Rimmed baking sheet: Use it to roast the squash and toast the bread. This linked sheet is extra large, so check that it fits your oven; use a second sheet if the bread won’t fit in a single layer.
- Food processor: Blend the roasted squash with the shallots and nut butter. Work in batches if needed.
- Pastry brush: Brush a light coating of olive oil over both sides of the baguette slices.
You’ll also need a skillet, a chef’s knife, a serrated bread knife, a cutting board and measuring cups and spoons. A spoon helps scoop out the squash, and a spatula helps scrape the processor bowl.
How to Store Squash Crostini
- Refrigerate: Transfer the topping to a shallow, covered container and refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Prepare the topping a day ahead and refrigerate it separately. Toast the bread close to serving time, then add the topping.
- Reheat: If reheating refrigerated topping, heat it in a microwave-safe bowl or a small saucepan, stirring regularly, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Freeze: Freeze the topping separately in a freezer-safe container and thaw in the fridge. Avoid freezing assembled crostini because the bread will go mushy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crostini means “little toasts” in Italian. In cooking, the name usually refers to small slices of toasted bread served with a topping.
A baguette gives you small slices that are easy to serve as appetizers. Choose a loaf with a fairly even crumb so the topping doesn’t fall through large holes.
Aim for crisp, golden bread that’s easy to bite through. Very thick slices or prolonged toasting can make the bread unpleasantly hard.
Yes. Use a gluten-free baguette and check the labels on the remaining ingredients. If you also need the recipe to be vegan, check the bread for egg, milk and butter.
Crostini usually use small slices of baguette toasted until crisp, while bruschetta traditionally uses larger slices of rustic bread, grilled and rubbed with garlic. Both can have different toppings; bruschetta doesn’t have to include tomatoes.
Butternut Squash Crostini with Shallots
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded; use 1½ cups (360g) of lightly mashed roasted flesh
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the baking sheet and brushing the bread
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1 baguette, cut diagonally into 24 slices
- 3 tablespoons smooth almond butter or peanut butter, preferably unsweetened
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet, plus a second if needed for the bread
- Large skillet
- Food processor
- Chef’s knife
- Serrated bread knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Pastry brush
- Spoon
- Spatula
- Tongs
- Serving platter
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
- Arrange the squash halves cut-side down on the baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the flesh. Larger squash may take longer.
- Remove the squash and let it cool until you can handle it safely. Keep the oven on. Brush both sides of the bread slices lightly with olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through with tongs, until golden and crisp.
- While the bread toasts, heat the measured ½ tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until tender and golden. Stir in the salt, using less initially if the nut butter is salted.
- Scoop out the squash flesh and measure 1½ cups (360g). Save any extra for another dish and discard the skin. Add the measured flesh, cooked shallots and nut butter to a food processor.
- Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Add the topping to the toasted bread slices and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prepare the topping a day ahead if needed and refrigerate it separately.
- Assemble the crostini just before serving, so they don’t get soggy.
- Refrigerate leftover topping promptly in a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days.
Serving Your Squash Crostini
Arrange the freshly topped crostini on a platter and serve them while the bread’s still crisp. For a smaller gathering, I recommend toasting only the slices you need and then you can refrigerate the remaining topping. You can also offer the squash spread as a dip with crackers if you have some left over.
More Appetizers to Try
My tomato bruschetta gives you a different topping for toasted bread, with garlic and fresh tomatoes. If you’re preparing a vegan appetizer selection, add some parsnip crisps to serve with a dip.
