Spaghetti Squash Dessert Recipes: Pies, Puddings and Cakes

Spaghetti squash works in desserts because it tastes like almost nothing on its own. The cooked strands are mild and a little sweet, and they soak up cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla and coconut, which is how a squash pie ends up passing for coconut custard. These spaghetti squash dessert recipes lean on that trick, from custard pie and cheesecake to rice pudding, spice cake and muffins.

I grouped them into pies and cheesecake, warm cinnamon squash and puddings, and cakes, muffins and bread. My own two recipes lead their sections, and the rest link straight to the food bloggers who created them.

Most of these start with cooked, cooled strands, and half of a medium squash gives you about 2 cups. Roast one squash ahead of time and you have enough for a pie and a batch of muffins.

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Table of Contents

Spaghetti Squash Pies and Cheesecake

Spaghetti Squash and Coconut Custard Pie

This is my own recipe, and it has been on the site since 2013. Squeezed spaghetti squash strands bake into a soft vanilla and coconut custard, and once it is chilled the strands look so much like shredded coconut that the squash is hard to spot. Serve it cold with a spoonful of whipped topping.

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A slice of mock coconut pie made with shredded spaghetti squash in a golden pie crust

allrecipes.com

Mock Coconut Pie (Spaghetti Squash Pie)

This old-fashioned pie uses shredded spaghetti squash as a stand-in for coconut, with sugar, eggs, butter, lemon juice and vanilla holding it together. It goes into a prebaked 9 inch pie shell, so most of the prep is stirring. The pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon on top is optional but worth adding.

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sparecake.com

No-Bake Spaghetti Squash Cheesecake

Cooked spaghetti squash gets blended with cream cheese and cheesecake pudding mix until it is completely smooth. The filling goes into a store-bought graham cracker crust with a swirl of jam on top, then chills for an hour. I especially like it for a hot day when nobody wants the oven on.

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Warm Cinnamon Squash and Puddings

Cinnamon Spaghetti Squash

My cinnamon spaghetti squash is the simplest sweet way to use a squash: the strands are sauteed with butter, brown sugar, fresh ginger, cinnamon and vanilla in about 20 minutes. It tastes a lot like the inside of an apple pie. Serve it as a side, or add whipped cream and call it a light dessert.

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Roasted spaghetti squash halves filled with cinnamon brown sugar apples

mindyscookingobsession.com

Spaghetti Squash and Apples

Roasted spaghetti squash gets topped with apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter and goes back in the oven until the apples soften. The recipe is filed under both side dish and dessert, and it works either way. It is a good fall pick when apples are cheap.

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Sweet spaghetti squash tossed with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans

sixsistersstuff.com

Sweet Spaghetti Squash with Pecans

This one bakes the squash whole, then tosses the strands with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans. The pecans add a crunch the softer recipes on this list do not have. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it crosses the line from side dish to dessert.

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myheartbeets.com

Spaghetti Squash Kheer

Kheer is an Indian rice pudding, and this version swaps the rice for spaghetti squash strands simmered in coconut milk. Cardamom, a little honey, golden raisins and sliced almonds finish it off. It is dairy-free and grain-free without tasting like a compromise.

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Bowl of creamy rice pudding made with spaghetti squash and topped with cinnamon

simplyhomecooked.com

Rice Pudding with Spaghetti Squash

Short-grain rice and spaghetti squash cook together in milk with sugar and butter until the pudding turns thick and creamy. The squash blends right into the rice, so it eats like a classic stovetop rice pudding. Finish each bowl with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

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Spaghetti Squash Cakes, Muffins and Bread

onegreenplanet.org

Cinnamon Spice Spaghetti Squash Cake

This vegan snack cake folds spaghetti squash into a spelt flour batter sweetened with maple syrup. Cinnamon, ginger and allspice give it a classic spice cake flavor, and a flax egg stands in for eggs. It is only lightly sweet, so it works with coffee as well as after dinner.

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Sliced loaf of vegan spaghetti squash bread with cinnamon and cardamom

sweetsimplevegan.com

Easy Spaghetti Squash Bread

This quick bread gets its moisture from spaghetti squash and mashed banana, with coconut sugar, cinnamon and cardamom for flavor. It is vegan and oil-free, and whipped aquafaba does the job eggs usually do. Stir in chocolate chips if you want it to lean more dessert than breakfast.

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Spaghetti squash kugel muffins with apple and a maple walnut crumb topping

kosher.com

Mock Kugel Muffins with Maple Walnut Crumb

These muffins take the flavors of a sweet noodle kugel and use spaghetti squash in place of the noodles. Grated Granny Smith apple, cinnamon and vanilla go into the batter, and a maple walnut crumb goes on top. They use potato starch instead of flour, which makes them a handy Passover dessert.

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Tips for Baking with Spaghetti Squash

Squeeze the strands dry. Wrap the cooked strands in a clean kitchen towel and twist out the liquid. Wet squash is the usual reason a custard pie turns watery or a cake bakes up gummy.
Roast it for drier strands. Oven roasting cut side down gives drier, more separate strands than the microwave or Instant Pot, which is what you want for baking.
Chop the strands for cakes and breads. Long strands can make a slice stringy, so run a knife through them a few times before stirring them into batter.
Measure after cooking. Recipes call for cooked strands by the cup, so cook the squash first and measure once it has been squeezed.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Here are quick answers about prepping, tasting and storing spaghetti squash when you use it in sweet recipes.

Not much. Cooked spaghetti squash is mild and only slightly sweet, so it takes on the flavor of the sugar, spices and vanilla around it. In a custard pie the strands look and eat a lot like shredded coconut.

Yes. Every recipe on this list starts with cooked strands, whether you roast, microwave or pressure cook the squash. Let the strands cool, then squeeze out the extra water before you measure them.

Skip the freezer for custard pies, because the filling turns weepy when it thaws. Quick breads, muffins and snack cakes hold up better; wrap them well and thaw them overnight in the fridge.