Butternut squash quiche has a super rich, custardy filling packed with butternut squash, sautéed onion and garlic, fresh sage, and creamy goat cheese, all baked inside a golden, flaky crust. You can eat it for days, it freezes perfectly, and tastes fresh out of the oven when you reheat it!
I started making this quiche when my mom had an overload of butternuts from the garden and wanted to make something that wasn’t butternut squash soup. I also had loads of sage in my garden, and there's something about butternut squash and sage together that just feels cozy yet elevated all at once.
The goat cheese was a no-brainer. Iit melts into the custard in some spots and stays crumbly in others, giving you these little pockets of tangy goodness in every single bite.
I’m a huge fan of quiche - it’s the BEST way to use up produce or chunks of leftover meat and cheese. It tastes amazing every time, it’s easy to add a seasonal spin, and quiches freeze and reheat perfectly, so you can stock up.
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Why We Love It!
- Fall flavors in every bite - sweet and earthy butternut squash, fragrant sage, and tangy goat cheese are a combination that just works. It's cozy, savory, and a little unexpected in the best way.
- Works any time of day - Brunch, lunch, a light dinner alongside a salad! Quiche fits wherever you need it. Serve it warm or room temperature, it's delish either way.
- Make it your way - Use a homemade all-butter crust or grab a store-bought one. Both work beautifully here, and the filling is what really shines anyway.
- Make-ahead friendly - This quiche actually gets better as it sits and the flavors have time to meld. Make it a day ahead and you're set.
Ingredients
- Butternut squash. You want about a 2-cup dice at ½" pieces - small enough to cook through but big enough to hold their shape and give you something to bite into. Frozen chunks work too, see the notes section!
- Fresh sage. Use fresh here if you can get your hands on it. It makes a real difference. You get this incredible fragrant, almost nutty flavor when it hits the hot pan with the squash.
- Goat cheese. Grab the log kind, not the crumbles. Break it up yourself and get those gorgeous chunky pieces throughout the filling.
- Heavy whipping cream and whole milk. This combo gives you a custard that's rich and creamy without being too heavy. Full-fat everything is the move here.
- Eggs. The main star of the custard, plus some egg whites to seal the par-baked crush and prevent a soggy bottom!
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap butternut squash for sweet potato, acorn squash, or even roasted pumpkin.
- Use feta cheese in place of goat cheese for a saltier, more crumbly filling.
- Swap out the sage for fresh thyme or rosemary if that's what you have.
- Add a handful of sautéed mushrooms or wilted spinach to bulk up the filling.
- Use a store-bought pie crust to simplify the whole process - it works well enough, though has less flavor overall.
- Make it crustless by skipping the pie crust and baking the filling in a greased pie dish.
📸 Step By Step Overview
This is a quick visual overview. See the recipe card for full, detailed instructions.
- Step 1: Roll out the pie dough, crimp, dock it with a fork, and freeze.
- Step 2: Par-bake for 15 minutes with parchment paper and pie weights.
- Step 3: Brush with egg wash, and continue baking.
- Step 4: Sauté the squash, onions, garlic, and sage.
- Step 5: Whisk together the eggs, cream and milk until smooth.
- Step 6: Add the vegetables and goat cheese to the baked crust.
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- Step 7: Pour in the custard, then bake until the center is wobbly.
- Step 8: Rest for at least 20 minutes, then slice and serve.
Pro tip
Rest time matters!
The custard continues to set as it cools and slices much cleaner after sitting. If you slice in too soon, the filling will just ooze everywhere.
Tips for Success
- Par-baking the crust is not optional. It keeps the bottom crisp and prevents a raw, doughy crust under all that custard.
- The egg white wash after the first par-bake acts like a seal and it keeps moisture from soaking into the crust during the final bake.
- Whisk the custard really well before pouring. Any streaks of yolk or unincorporated whites will show up as patches in the finished quiche.
- Moving the quiche to the bottom third of the oven for the last stretch is a move I use in all of my pie recipes. It crisps up the bottom of the crust beautifully.
- Don't overbake! A slight jiggle in the center is exactly what you want. It will finish setting up on the counter as it cools.
- Let the quiche cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing or else it will completely fall apart.
Common Questions
Yes! Just add it straight to the pan with the onion, garlic, and sage and cook briefly. It won't need as much time as fresh squash since it's already cooked.
Absolutely - this is one of those dishes that actually improves overnight. Make it a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, then reheat slices in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
The edges will be slightly puffed and set, and the very center will have a gentle wobble when you give the pan a nudge. If it sloshes around, it needs more time.
Yes! Grease a pie dish well with butter or nonstick spray and pour the filling right in. The bake time will be slightly shorter, so start checking around the 30-minute mark.
This is usually from overbaking or an oven that runs hot. Pull the quiche when that center jiggle is still there, and consider using an oven thermometer to make sure your temperature is accurate.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store the cooled quiche covered with plastic wrap or foil for up to one week. To reheat, warm slices in a 375°F oven or toaster oven for 10-15 minutes. The microwave works in a pinch too, it just won’t re-crisp the crust.
Freezer: Cool the quiche completely, then wrap individual slices (or the whole quiche) tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through and the crust is crisp again.
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General Tid Bits
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Butternut Squash Quiche with Sage and Goat Cheese
Equipment
- Food processor to make the pie crust (or make by hand)
- Pie weights or rice/beans
- 9" pie plate
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust homemade or store-bought
- 1 large egg white to seal the crust
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups diced butternut squash ½” dice 200g
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced sage or 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz goat cheese log kind
Instructions
- If using the All-Butter Pie Crust, begin by making the dough and hydrating it in the fridge for about 2 hours.1 pie crust
- Roll out one disc of pie dough to ⅛" thick, or unroll one pre-made pie crust.
- Add the crust to the pie plate and press into the bottoms and corners, then crimp the edges. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes, then dock all over with the tines of a fork.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉/190℃. Add a piece of parchment paper to the crust and fill completely with pie weights (or dried rice/beans).
- Par-bake the crust for 15 minutes (5 minutes for pre-made), then carefully remove the weights and parchment. Whisk an egg white with a splash of water, then brush all over the bottom and sides of the crust.1 large egg white
- Continue baking (no weights) for another 10 minutes (5 minutes for pre-made), then remove to a wire rack to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350℉/177℃.
- While the crust bakes, prep the filling.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the oil, butternut squash, and salt and toss to combine. Cook and toss every few minutes until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cups diced butternut squash, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the onion, garlic, and sage and cook until very fragrant, then remove the filling from the pan.½ yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh minced sage
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, and salt until no streaks of yolks or whites remain.4 large eggs, ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the vegetables to the par baked crust, then crumble chunks of goat cheese all around (save a few crumbles for the top).4 oz goat cheese
- Carefully pour the egg filling into the pie dish. Top with the extra goat cheese crumbles and slices of fresh sage leaves (if you want).
- Bake for 30 minutes in the center rack, then transfer to the bottom third of the oven for the final 10-15 minutes to ensure the bottom is fully baked.
- The quiche is done when it's slightly puffy around the edges with a jiggle in the very center (but not sloshy).
- Cool the quiche on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes, then slice and serve.
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