Better than Pumpkin Spice: 10+ Fall Recipes to Make the Most of Winter Squash Season
November 6, 2026
When fall rolls around, the farmers market is full of more than just pumpkin spice. Beyond pumpkins, a variety of winter squashes, including kabochas, delicatas, butternuts, and pumpkins, grow to a hearty size and offer sweet flavors and a comforting texture. You can even roast the seeds and use them as a crunchy topping on your favorite recipes.
Make the most of your farmers market squash with these recipes, created and demonstrated by Bay Area chefs and friends of Foodwise. Be sure to check out the Seasonal Spotlight booth throughout November, and join us for our Winter Squash Celebration on November 21, for cooking inspiration and free samples of cozy winter squash recipes like these.
Hot Honey Glazed Winter Squash from Naomi Webb, Foodwise’s Culinary Program Manager
This easy recipe from Foodwise’s Seasonal Spotlight program takes your typical baked squash and turns up the heat with red pepper flakes and farmers market honey. Culinary Program Manager Naomi Webb recommends pairing this sweet-and-spicy recipe with roasted meats and whole-grain sides.
Butternut Squash and Pork Dumplings from Frankie Gaw, First Generation
Frankie Gaw describes this recipe from his cookbook, First Generation, as a “Thanksgiving dumpling that pays homage to the Asian American immigrant table.” Stuffed with seasoned ground pork, sesame oil, and a few common seasonings, this recipe makes for a unique way to use the nutty and sweet taste of butternuts.
Butternut Squash, Kale, and Crunchy Pepitas Tacos by Telmo Faria, Tacolicious
You can also use winter squash to create a unique, Californian spin on foods from a variety of cultures. These autumnal tacos come with a fresh cashew crema, made from scratch to complement the diced butternut squash and roasted pumpkin seeds, known as pepitas.
Nani Kobi Ne Kola Nu Shak (Butternut and Brussels Sprouts Curry) by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, Shanta’s Backyard Kitchen
Farmers market squash can be blended into a wide variety of soups, including this warm and fragrant curry. Shanta writes, “This recipe was inspired by my sister visiting from India who created a dish when she saw the cute Brussels sprouts for the first time. My version is a fusion of her Indian techniques with some Thai ingredients, adding a thick spiced sauce made of butternut squash and coconut milk.”
Almond-Crusted Delicata by Naomi Webb, Foodwise’s Culinary Program Manager
No need for chicken nuggets when you can satisfy your cravings with the light, savory flavor of this crunchy recipe, a fall hit at Foodwise’s Seasonal Spotlight booth. Try drizzling it with hot honey, lemon tahini, or maple mustard.
Pinakbet (Filipino Vegetable Stew) by Linda Shiue, MD, Spicebox Kitchen
You can use kabocha, delicata, or butternut squash to make a filling, hearty stew with end-of-summer tomatoes, eggplant, okra, and crunchy fried shallots on top. Linda writes, “Pinakbet, also called pakbet, originated in the northern part of the Philippines. Traditionally, the vegetables are left to stew, without stirring, in an earthen pot called a banga.”
Autumn Molo Dumplings by Aaron Escalada, Abacá
Along with thin slices, the seeds, threads, and trimmings of a delicata squash all add a seasonal topping to pork molo dumplings filled with fall produce and sitting in a warm broth. The dumplings are the star of pancit molo, a soup that originated on Panay Island in the Philippines.
Baked Pumpkin Squash (Zucca al Forno) by Joyce Goldstein
Though Joyce Goldstein’s Zucca al Forno is based on a winter squash variety that grows in Italy, she mentions that butternut squash can also achieve a similar flavor. Goldstein writes, “This squash gratin is Sicilian in inspiration and makes a wonderful accompaniment for roast chicken, duck, or pork, especially if the meat has a slightly sweet sauce.”
Japanese Pumpkin Curry by Moe Yamada, Kimono Mom
After moving to the US, Moe Yamada, aka “Kimono Mom,” says she was delighted to find kabocha squash, also known as Japanese pumpkins, outside her home country of Japan. In this recipe, she mixes together a curry filled with softened carrots and kabocha squash, thickened with flour, that all comes together in 15 minutes.
Winter Squash, Cabbage, and Apple Slaw by Naomi Webb, Foodwise’s Culinary Program Manager
Squash isn’t only for soups. This cooling slaw uses squash to make a refreshing side perfect for those occasionally warm days during fall in the Bay Area. Naomi writes, “Thinned-skinned varieties of winter squash are tender enough to eat raw and perfect in this crunchy, tangy slaw!”
Butternut, Orange, and Sage Galette by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi Flavor
This flaky galette brings out the sweetness of butternut squash with citrus, honey, marscapone, and a sprinkle of sage. Yotam Ottolenghi describes the dish as, “delicate balancing act between sweet and savoury. It’s rich, complex and very comforting.”
Fall Vegetable Hash by Evan Bloom, Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen
After checking out all of these delicious squash recipes, you may be left wondering what to do with the extra ends and leftovers. Bake them into this hash complete with potatoes and maple mustard, and bring it to your next fall potluck.
Find more tips for using winter squash and a list of farmers who grow them in our Farmers Market Guide to Winter Squash.