This isn’t a wildly difficult recipe by any means, with it being simply toast, cream cheese and butternut squash, but it deserves a blog post all the same. Toast with cream cheese is a brunch staple that everyone is well acquainted with but this combo, with the butternut squash pumpkins, makes it a little extra special.
I LOVE getting festive with my cooking and I have a special attachment to fall, it’s my favourite season. I love bringing cozy autumn vibes to every dish I make. This recipe for Cream Cheese Toast with Butternut Squash Pumpkins is the perfect representation of that.
Making a toasty delight: Cream Cheese Toast with Butternut Squash Pumpkins
Sure, I could have smeared some cream cheese on a lightly toasted sourdough slice and added slices of butternut squash randomly on top. That would be a perfectly delicious way to enjoy this combo. Did I get a little “extra” with it? Why yes, I did and I have zero regrets. I’m a big advocate for plating, the fung shui of servingware. There is something about the arrangement of food in a certain way that appeals to the eyes, fires a little dash of dopamine, and how it curiously manages to also make the food taste better. It’s food for the soul.
And don’t get me wrong, most days I would do exactly as I mentioned – spread the cream cheese and plop on the slices of butternut squash on top. In fact, that’s exactly what I did with the leftovers from this creation. But for the sake of just wanting to try out this cute idea, I decided to put a little work into it and wow, did it ever make my soul happy.
If you’re looking for more pumpkin/fall recipes, click here. And if it’s more breakfast recipes you’re after, check these out.
The Cute Butternut Squash Pumpkins
By arranging the little slices of butternut squash you can make a little pumpkin. It is such an easy step but it certainly makes for a camera-worthy brunch that is sure to impress.
Slice the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Start slicing little half circles so that when placed together, they look like a pumpkin.
Arrange the butternut squash pieces on a baking sheet in the shape of a pumpkin. Lightly brush each pumpkin with olive oil. Sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden and add pieces of sage for your pumpkin stems at the last few minutes.
The Whipped Cream Cheese Spread
While making my Strawberry Puff Pastry recipe, I discovered my love for piping bags. For that recipe, I learned how to make a fluffy cream cheese that made the most beautiful squiggle on top of the pastry. A small change but it looks super elegant.
I used two different types of cream cheese for this recipe simply because I already had the two to work with and I thought it would be a nice combo. Having solely plain, or another flavour of cream cheese would be just as delightful. If you discover a tasty combo, let me know.
I added one block of plain cream cheese, and 1/4 cup chive cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. To make the fluffy squiggle you simply use a handheld mixer, beating the cream cheese until it forms a smooth whipped texture.
Putting It Together: Cream Cheese and Butternut Squash Pumpkins
Here is where it gets extra fancy. Put the whipped cream cheese mixture into a piping bag and swirl it over a piece of lightly toasted sourdough bread. You could stop here or use a butter knife to gently flatten the fluffy whip to cover more of the bread and to give the butternut squash a more level base.
Using a spatula, gently guide the pumpkin slices onto the sourdough bread on top of the cream cheese. Add the little crispy sage pieces to the pumpkin shapes as the stems.
If you make this Cream Cheese Toast with Butternut Squash Pumpkins please snap a picture! Be sure to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest so that I can see your yummy dishes. And, if you make it, please leave a comment below (it helps others to find the recipe).
Cream Cheese Toast with Butternut Squash Pumpkins
Equipment
- 1 Piping Bag and Round Tip
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Pumpkins
- ½ butternut squash
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 – 2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 6 sage leaves removed from stem
Whipped Cream Cheese
- 1 cup plain cream cheese 227g
- ¼ cup chive cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet.
- Cut butternut squash in half and remove the flesh and seeds. Slice the butternut squash making little half circles to make your pumpkin shape.
- Arrange the butternut squash pieces into a pumpkin shape on the baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle paprika, salt and pepper on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Add your 6 sage leaves at the last few minutes to lightly crisp.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of plain cream cheese and ¼ cup of chive cream cheese. Using a handheld mixer, beat until it forms a smooth whipped texture.
- Transfer cream cheese to a piping bag or spread on toast.
- Use a spatula to guide the pumpkin squashes onto your toast and add a sage leaf for the stem.
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These are the cutest little pumpkins!! How creative!
Thank you 🙂 Such a fun and easy way to make cream cheese toast a little more festive. Hope you give it a try!