This Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza is the perfect fall pizza recipe that everyone in the family will love. It is made with a delicious pizza crust and topped with caramelized onion, roasted butternut squash, spinach, a balsamic glaze, and cashew ricotta. It is sweet, savory, and packed with autumnal flavors and is completely plant-based!
Honestly is there a person on this planet that doesn’t like pizza? If there is, they are definitely someone I don’t want in my life. Pizza is so versatile and is the ultimate comfort food. I love the way that you can combine many flavors and make pizza in a variety of different ways.
A few weeks ago, I had a butternut squash pizza at a restaurant and it was delicious! I never thought to put squash on pizza before but the flavor combos were amazing. The sweetness of the butternut squash perfectly paired with the savory-ness of the pizza crust and it was so delicious. I decided to try and recreate it myself and GUYS this pizza turned out so amazing.
Also, I’ve made this cashew ricotta in a previous recipe but it paired SO well with the butternut squash. It’s also so easy to make and makes for a perfect vegan substitute on pizza.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza
What You’ll Need:
- Homemade pizza dough OR store-bought pizza crust (I love the Trader Joe’s Frozen Pizza Crusts)
- One butternut squash (about 3-4 cups butternut squash)
- 2 white onions
- 2 cups spinach
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbps balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbps maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp thyme
- 3/4 cups raw cashews
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbps garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
For the butternut squash:
First, preheat your oven to 400 F. Then, peel the butternut squash and then scoop out the seeds. Chop into 1-inch sized cubes and add to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika.
Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway.
For the caramelized onions:
Add 2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil to a saucepan. Allow to melt on medium-low heat. Chop your white onions into thin strips.
Add the onions into the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Cook and continuously stir until the onions turn brown. Once caramelized, turn off the heat and set aside.
For the cashew ricotta:
This has been a favorite recipe of mine for a while now and pairs so well with this pizza. First, you’ll want to add 3/4 cup raw cashews to a saucepan and boil the water. Allow the cashews to boil for about 10 minutes then remove from heat. This helps to soften the cashews and makes them easier to blend and create a creamy texture for the cheese.
In a food processor or blender, add the cashews, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and it should be a hummus-like consistency. Place the ricotta in the fridge for one hour to thicken up before serving.
Putting the Pizza Together
Instead of using a traditional pizza sauce, I made a balsamic glaze to use as the base. To make, combine 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tsp thyme. Mix and then spread onto the pizza crust.
Add on the caramelized onions, the roasted butternut squash, and the spinach. Reduce the heat in the oven to 350 F and bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the crust are golden brown.
Once the pizza is done baking, top with the cashew ricotta and serve. The butternut squash will be extra roasted, the caramelized onions will give the pizza a sweet taste, and the spinach will be nice and crisp. The cashew ricotta will add a layer of creaminess and slight tanginess to the pizza making it just a wonderful combination of flavors.
Wanting to try out some other pizza recipes? Try these next:
Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Naan Bread Pizza
Easy Vegan Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
Vegan Flatbread Pizza with Cashew Ricotta
Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Pizza with Cashew Ricotta
Ingredients
For the Pizza:
- 2 pizza crusts
- 4 cups butternut squash
- 2 white onions
- 3 cups spinach
For the balsamic glaze
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
For the Cashew Ricotta
- 3/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F. Then, peel the butternut squash and then scoop out the seeds. Chop into 1-inch sized cubes and add to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Add 2 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil to a saucepan. Allow to melt on medium-low heat. Chop your white onions into thin strips. Add the onions into the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Cook and continuously stir until the onions turn brown. Once caramelized, turn off the heat and set aside.
- For the cashew ricotta, add 3/4 cup raw cashews to a saucepan and boil the water. Allow the cashews to boil for about 10 minutes then remove from heat. In a food processor or blender, add the cashews, water, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and it should be a hummus-like consistency. Place the ricotta in the fridge for one hour to thicken up before serving.
- Next, prepare the balsamic glaze. Mix together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil, and thyme in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the butternut squash is done in the oven, reduce the oven heat to 350 F.
- Begin to assemble the pizza. Spread out the balsamic glaze on the pizza crust. Top with the caramelized onions, butternut squash, and spinach. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the crust turn golden brown.
- After the pizza is done baking, top with the cashew ricotta. Serve and enjoy!
