Baked Squash Butternut Pecan Cookies

Last Updated on September 17, 2025 by Lisa Keys

Sweetly spirited baked squash butternut pecan cookies

Today's recipe is brought to you by NOT the great pumpkin, but the butternut squash. It's not that I am not tempted to share some great pumpkin idea, but if your inbox is anything like mine you have been completely inundated with pumpkin recipes. Besides that I did not plant sugar pumpkins this year. I like to rotate my crops and the butternut squash did not disappoint. Neither will these baked squash butternut pecan cookies.

There is nothing like a fresh picked butternut squash. The biggest difference from store bought? The tender skin! There is no battle slicing through it nor the fear of chopping off a finger. Most of the dozen or so I got from just 1 seed grew quite large, but my final pick was a wee 5-inches. Such a cute baby squash.

Chopped, baked and smashed this little beauty yielded just ½ cup of butternut squash puree. It was more than enough for these sweetly spirited butternut pecan cookies.

Yes! It is a spirited cookie. I guess you could say a certain Sailor inspired this one. He has been around a lot lately. (Still so grateful to feel his energy and presence.)

Key cookie ingredients

The recipe also calls for a few other complimentary flavors like vanilla bean paste, pumpkin pie spice, toasty pecans and demerera sugar. The cookie bakes up soft, but not cake-like, on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside from the sprinkle of sugar.

Helpful tip

Here is a tip to plan this cookie adventure. If you are baking, roasting or boiling up a butternut squash for dinner set aside ¼ cupful for these cookies before adding any seasoning. You will be glad you did.

Baked Squash Butternut Pecan Cookies

Lisa Keys

Tender tasty and dare I say "healthy".

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course cookies

Cuisine American

Servings 3 dozen

Calories 161 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• ¼ cup mashed butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon Jack Daniel's whiskey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 tablespoons demerera or turbinado sugar
• 36 pecan halves

Instructions

 

• Heat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In medium bowl, whisk flour, spice, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for 5 minutes or until light and well mixed. Add egg yolk; blend well. Add squash, whiskey and vanilla bean paste; blend well.
• Add flour mixture; stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well blended.
• Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon drop cookie batter onto prepared baking sheet.
• Press 1 pecan into center of each cookie. Sprinkle each with a pinch of demera sugar.
• Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around edges.

Notes

Nutrition information is for a 2 cookie serving.

To bake a butternut squash:

• heat oven to 350F. Slice squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.
• place squash cut side down in a baking dish that has about a cup of water in it.
• bake squash for 60 to 90 minutes (depends on side) until soft.
• cool, peel off skin and mash.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 99mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 1gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 381IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg

Keyword butternut squash, healthy snack, Jack Daniel's, pecans, snack, whiskey

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