These Butternut Squash Phyllo Bites combine flaky phyllo cups with maple orange butternut puree, freshly toasted pistachios, walnuts, and pecans. Top them with a drizzle of honey and get ready to faceplant!
Sometimes I get so ridiculously hung up on a veggie that they manage to find their way into almost everything I make.
I humored my fruit fancy earlier in the month with a cranberry-palooza of sorts, but lately it’s all about the butternut. So much so, in fact, that I straight up butternuted my baklava.
I regret nothing.
So what on earth are Butternut Squash Phyllo Bites?
I filled crispy, flaky phyllo cups with pureed butternut squash spiked with maple and orange, topped them with a medley of toasted nuts and went beyond overboard with my bear-o-honey!
They’re a bite-sized indulgence that are not only packed with protein, but are practically a vegetable too! At least I like to think so! They taste like little jazzed up bites of baklava and are great for holiday parties and potlucks.
Butternut Squash Phyllo Bites
The maple-spiked squash and candied nuts can be made in advanced and assembled when needed, for a speedy sweet treat that is perfect for the holidays!
Butternut Squash Phyllo Bites
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 TBSP orange juice
- 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup whole shelled pistachios
- ¼ cup walnut halves and pieces
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1.5 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1.5 TBSP brown sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 25 pre-made phyllo cups (thawed if previously frozen)
- ¼ cup honey or to taste
Instructions
- Bring a medium-small pot of water to boil and cook squash for 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
- In a food processor or blender, combine squash with orange juice and maple syrup and puree until smooth.
- Next finely chop your nuts. This can be done in a food processor, with a sharp knife, or even by filling a plastic bag with nuts and smashing them with a wine bottle. I've employed all three techniques, choose what's easiest for you!
- Bring a small skillet to medium heat and melt your butter. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and your chopped nuts and saute for five minutes until they're nice and toasty and have a light glaze on them. If you have a major sweet tooth I'll look the other way while you double the glaze. Since I have a heavy hand with the honey I go light on the glaze.
- Fill each phyllo cup with a teaspoon of butternut puree and pile on the candied nuts!
- Top each bite with a hearty drizzle of honey and dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
The only thing that takes less time than making these, is eating them!
They also make a perfect party pairing with my Chocolate Coconut Baklava Bites and Chocolate Cranberry Bliss Baklava Bites!
Phyllo cups have never been so fun!
not my favorite =( mine got soggy, I missed the note. but the butternut squash puree wasn’t seasoned enough for my liking- just felt like it was missing something and tasted like plain vegetable puree
So you said these counted as a serving of vegetables, right? I’ll take five a day. Times five.
On another note I’ve always wanted to try baklava but it seemed a) too difficult and b) every recipe yielded enough to serve a family of ten with leftovers. Not so cool for a single lady. I’m majorly impressed by how simple your version looks and the appropriate yield.
I want the pic of ze chickpea mouthing the honey bottle.
YUM!!!!!
OH my goodness these look crazy good.
This is love at first sight. I can’t wait to taste these babies!! They are happening sometime between now and the new year. Thank you love!
I’ve been on a butternut squash kick myself lately. These sound delish. Great photos!
These are adorable and very creative with butternut. Thanks!
Baklava is seriously one of my absolute favorite desserts: nuts, honey, phyllo dough, and now you’ve captured it all with a side of butternut. You’re a genius. I love these.
Genius doesn’t even come close. I keep linking my mates to all Jen’s recipes- our friends ‘Christmas’ dinner is the most un-traditional.
Such a cute little dessert! Love the addition of butternut squash 🙂
I have been saying for YEARS that I want to make my own baklava!!! This is going to happen this year for a Christmas something. I swear. You rock.
Agreed — these look SO amazing! Love the twist on traditional baklava.