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Home » Recipes » Slow Cooker Meals

Panera Butternut Squash Soup

Published: Oct 20, 2022 · Modified: Nov 10, 2022 by Bowl Me Over · 34 Comments

Creamy, rich and velvety Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup Recipe is an easy recipe.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Panera Butternut Squash Soup - A creamy, rich, velvety soup made in the slow cooker using butternut squash and tart apples. Perfect when you have a busy day and you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen.

Easy? Absolutely! The fall flavor is deep and complex. Better than the Panera soup recipe, this is the BEST Crock Pot Butternut Squash Soup you've ever tasted and a meal your whole family will love! 

If you love this, next time try Potato Soup Recipe! This easy recipe is so good. Super cheesy and creamy, this hearty soup will be a new favorite!

Butternut squash soup in white bowls, topped with chopped nuts.
Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions 
  • Slow Cooker Instructions
  • Stovetop Instructions
  • Equipment
  • FAQ's
  • Tips
  • How to safely slice butternut squash:
  • Variations
  • Storage
  • Related recipes
  • Serve with
  • Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Why you'll love this recipe

This copycat Panera recipe has been tasted and perfected over the years and this recipe it is fabulous!

It's simple and delicious and can be made on the stove top or the slow cooker. I'm sure you could make it in the pressure cooker as well, I just haven't ever tried that. Frankly I love dumping everything in the crockpot.

What can I say, I'm lazy! 😋

You're going to love this delicious soup recipe!

Ingredients for the creamy squash soup recipe.

Ingredients

For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

  • fresh butternut squash - you can buy a whole butternut squash or save yourself some time and get pre-peeled cubed squash. Frozen butternut squash work too. In a real pinch, sweet potatoes would work as well!
  • pumpkin purée or frozen butternut squash puree.
  • yellow onion
  • granny smith apples - actually you only need just one. Granny Smith or a Honeycrisp apple would be my favorite choice. Both have a bright tart flavor that adds a real depth of flavor to this soup!
  • cream cheese adds richness and creaminess.
  • honey for sweetness, though you could substitute brown sugar or maple syrup.
  • vegetable stock - use chicken broth if you'd prefer.
  • you'll love these warm spices - yellow curry powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, powdered ginger, red pepper flakes, garlic powder.
  • optional garnishes - pumpkin seeds, pecans - I love adding a bit of crunch. A splash of cream swirled in looks really pretty on top!

Instructions 

Collage of photos with instructions to make Panera Butternut squash Soup. With print overlay.
Instructions for copycat recipe for Panera Butternut Squash Soup.

Slow Cooker Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!

  1. Peel the squash, remove the seeds and chop into 1 inch pieces. 
  2. Peel the onion and rough chop. Remove the core from the apple and dice.
  3. Dice the brick of cream cheese. 
  4. Add the squash (fresh & frozen), onion, apple and cream cheese to the crock pot.
  5. Measure and combine all spices and sprinkle into the slow cooker along with the honey, stir well.
  6. Pour in the vegetable stock and cover. Set the temperature on low and cook for 8 hours.
  7. Use an immersion blender or regular blender and blend until the soup is creamy.

Stovetop Instructions

This is an easy recipe for Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup. It's a creamy combination of pumpkin and autumn squash.

  1. Follow steps above, peel the squash, remove seeds and dice. Dice the onion, etc.
  2. Add the ingredients to a dutch oven.
  3. Bring to a boil and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, about 45 minutes.
  4. Use an immersion blender and blend until the soup is creamy. Or pour soup into a stand blender and process until smooth.

Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.   

  • Of course you need a slow cooker!
  • Though you can blend this with a blender, I recommend using a hand-held immersion blender is really so much easier and safer than ladling hot soup.
White bowl filled with Autumn Squash Soup topped with chopped nuts.
Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup.

FAQ's

Is butternut squash soup good for you?

This soup is filled with antioxidants and it's a healthful meal AND yummy!

Do you have to peel butternut squash when making soup?

Yes I recommend removing the skin, it's tough, waxy and not very tasty.

Do you need to add flour or cornstarch to thicken butternut squash soup?

Not with this recipe! Pureeing the soup thickens it.

Can you put butternut squash in a slow cooker?

Absolutely! This meal is meant to be cooked in your crockpot. The soup slow cooks and the flavors meld together. The result is a creamy luscious soup that is incredibly rich and flavorful.

Tips

If you're short on time, purchase diced butternut squash. It's such a timesaver!

This can be pureed with an immersion blender or a stand blender.

If you want your soup to be perfectly smooth and velvety use a stand blender. Just be careful not to overfill the blender as the hot soup expands as it blends.

How to safely slice butternut squash:

  1. Peel the squash with a sharp knife.
  2. Place a damp paper towel on the cutting board to keep it from slipping.
  3. Slice the top and bottom end off the squash.
  4. Stand upright and starting at the top, carefully slice in half lengthwise.
  5. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
  6. Dice the flesh into cubes.

Variations

You can get really creative with the toppings and garnishes for this soup, having a little crunch adds the nicest texture!

  • Roasted pumpkin seeds are terrific!
  • You can also roast butternut squash seeds.
  • Crumbled goat cheese.
  • A swirl of heavy whipping cream adds richness.
  • Pecans or walnuts are yummy!
  • I think my favorite is popcorn. I love buttered popcorn topping the soup, it's crunchy and a little fun.
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup in white bowl with spoon.
Rich and creamy Panera Bread Autumn Squash Soup Recipe.

Storage

Allow the creamy soup to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Freeze leftovers up to three months.

Related recipes

  • This recipe for carrot soup? AMAZING! Easy to make as well. It's a lovely meal.
  • Be sure to try my recipe for Best Crockpot Beef Stew with Dumplings!!
  • The recipe for classic Navy Bean Soup is always a hit!
  • Creamy rich Tomato Bisque Recipe - this is the perfect soup served with a toasted cheese sandwich!
  • This earthy mushroom soup is over the top delicious.
  • Or this paella slow cooker recipe, it's amazing with so little effort!

One of my favorite things is re-purposing leftovers. I'm not a fan of eating the same meal day after day. Reserve a cup of leftover Panera’s butternut squash soup and use it to make Butternut Squash Pasta.

If you love butternut squash, be sure to try Butternut Squash Ravioli - it's seriously delicious!

Serve with

Serve the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup with a salad!

This lovely Fall Harvest Salad with butter lettuce, roasted butternut squash and persimmons makes a crunchy, beautiful salad with a creamy butternut squash salad dressing.

  • Make this easy yeast rolls recipe - they are so soft, tender and mouthwatering! Perfect with a bowl of soup.
  • For an appetizer, how about this ground beef taco dip, yum!
  • If you're not ready to do the whole bread baking thing, this recipe for Chicken Bacon Roll-Ups would be great with this meal.
  • For dessert make a batch of Butter Cookies - you can nibble on them all week long! Or for the perfect fall treat enjoy Gourmet Caramel Apples!

Don't forget to check out the Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products! 🛍️

If you love this recipe please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! 

White bowl filled with Autumn Squash Soup topped with chopped nuts.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.75 from 8 votes

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Creamy, rich and velvety Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup Recipe is an easy recipe.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 15 mins
Course: Soups and Stews
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 299kcal
Author: Deb Clark
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups squash for me this was one medium squash
  • 14 ounce can pumpkin puree or frozen butternut squash puree (thawed)
  • 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 granny smith apple peeled and chopped
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2-3 cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds optional

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Peel the squash, remove the seeds and chop into 1 inch pieces. Peel and chop the onion and apple also. Dice the brick of cream cheese. Add the squash (fresh & frozen), onion, apple and cream cheese to the crockpot.
  • Measure all of the spices and put them in a small bowl. Stir well to combine and then sprinkle all the spices into the slow cooker. Using a large spoon, stir well - add the honey and stir again.
  • Pour in the vegetable stock and cover. Set the temperature to low cook for 8 hours. When the soup is finished cooking, blend the soup until it is a creamy consistency.
  • Toast the pumpkin seeds - using a dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the pumpkin seeds until they are a golden brown - takes about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately - if you leave them in the pan, even though you've removed the pan from the heat, the residual heat may burn the seeds (this happens very quickly!).

Notes

Serve topped with toasted pumpkin or pine nuts or pecans for a little crunch and a drizzle of heavy cream.

Nutrition

Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 847mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 24185IU | Vitamin C: 30.2mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2.5mg
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More Slow Cooker and Crock Pot Meals

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  • Crockpot Pork Chops with Mushroom Soup
  • Slow Cooker Potato Soup
  • Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple

About Bowl Me Over

Welcome to Bowl Me Over! My name is Debra and I send warm greetings from sunny California. I am a serious foodie – I’ve been known as the go-to girl in our family for years, catering weddings and anniversary parties. In the summer I help cook mountains of food for our family reunions. Often times things I create end up in a bowl, hence the name Bowl Me Over! Let's stay connected, you can email me at [email protected] and find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rosalind Smith

    March 08, 2021 at 12:23 pm

    3 stars
    Hi, I was surprised that the taste was not sweet with all the ingredients. I have read and re-read the instructions and I did follow them properly. Not the fault of the recipe, just my taste buds. Can you suggest any sweet ingredient that I may add to the squash to sweeten it up ? I really don't want to put this in the garbage disposal. Sorry......

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      March 08, 2021 at 6:43 pm

      Add some honey or maple syrup Rosalinda - I think that will sweeten it up nicely. It's a great question as well and I'll add that as a tip. Thanks so much for letting me know!

      Reply
  2. Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)

    October 18, 2017 at 10:03 am

    This butternut squash soup looks creamy and delicious!!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      October 18, 2017 at 10:29 am

      Creamy, delicious and easy too - thanks Jocelyn!!

      Reply
  3. Liza

    October 17, 2017 at 10:28 pm

    5 stars
    This soup... I've been SEARCHING for a recipe like this for a while now! This soup is PERFECT! Just saved it in a few places and will definitely make it! It was exactly what I've been craving lately! 🙂

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      October 18, 2017 at 7:07 am

      Thank you Liza, this just the BEST soup and so easy also! I know you'll love it as much as we do, please let me know what you think!

      Reply
  4. Sandi

    October 04, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    5 stars
    I love how creamy this soup looks...and those pumpkin seeds add just the right crunch 🙂

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      October 05, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Just that little bit of crunch with this yummy soup tops it off perfectly - thank you!

      Reply
  5. MPaula

    April 07, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    Wow! I was only checking out this recipe because 1 c is used in the Butternut Pasta recipe. I didn't expect to need it never mind that it would seem even more enticing than the pasta!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      April 08, 2016 at 11:15 am

      Well I have to say I just LOVE this soup! I hope you give it a try, it's so easy and good - thanks so much for taking the time to comment!! 😀

      Reply
  6. Debi @ Life Currents

    November 04, 2015 at 9:36 am

    Not only does this look amazing, it sounds amazing! I love that you have all kinds of goodies in here ... apples, squash, cream cheese... yum! And I love that it's made in the slow cooker! Awesome!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 04, 2015 at 11:23 am

      Thanks Debi - we just love this soup!

      Reply
  7. Camilla

    November 04, 2015 at 8:51 am

    5 stars
    I would love a bowl of this, butternut works so well in soups and this looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 04, 2015 at 11:25 am

      It sure does Camilla - just perfect for soups & stews!

      Reply
  8. peter @feedyoursoultoo

    November 04, 2015 at 6:38 am

    Perfect using the slow cooker. Love the color you got with your soup.

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 04, 2015 at 11:25 am

      Thanks Peter!

      Reply
  9. Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish

    November 03, 2015 at 5:41 pm

    I never thought about adding cream cheese to butternut squash soup...great idea! Love the flavor combination, honey and ginger especially!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 04, 2015 at 11:27 am

      Thanks Suzy - I hope you give this a try!

      Reply
  10. Nicole

    November 03, 2015 at 4:54 pm

    This soup sounds absolutely delicious! Even better that it's done in the slow cooker 🙂

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 04, 2015 at 11:28 am

      I know, gotta love that - thanks Nicole!

      Reply
  11. Kiano

    November 03, 2015 at 2:25 am

    I've had squash all week & have had no idea what to make with it. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 03, 2015 at 3:22 am

      You bet Kiano, I hope you give it a try!

      Reply
  12. cristina

    November 03, 2015 at 12:02 am

    Not only a beautiful color to this butternut squash soup, but the texture looks so silky smooth and creamy rich from the cream cheese. Pinning as a must make this season!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 03, 2015 at 3:23 am

      Thank you for all of the beautifully descriptive words! Enjoy Cristina!

      Reply
  13. Alisa Fleming

    November 02, 2015 at 9:22 pm

    I'd never thought to do squash in the slow cooker -brilliant idea and no doubt quite rich.

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 03, 2015 at 3:25 am

      Squash & sweet potatoes really work well in the slow cooker!

      Reply
  14. Kristina

    November 02, 2015 at 8:11 pm

    oh my gosh, the cream cheese in this recipe must make the soup SO rich and creamy - YUM!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 03, 2015 at 3:25 am

      Thanks Kristina!!!

      Reply
  15. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet

    November 02, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    This sounds wonderful! Love the addition of the cream cheese and honey!

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 03, 2015 at 3:26 am

      Such a yummy combination - perfect for fall!

      Reply
  16. Gina

    November 02, 2015 at 8:31 am

    I can't wait! Going to make it tomorrow! Looks just like it! Yum!! My addiction! ????????

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 02, 2015 at 2:57 pm

      Awesome, I can't wait to hear what you think Gina!

      Reply
  17. Lois

    November 02, 2015 at 6:58 am

    This looks so good. Look forwad to making it.

    Reply
    • Bowl Me Over

      November 03, 2015 at 10:29 am

      It's wonderful Lois - I hope you really like it!

      Reply

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