Last Updated on October 15, 2022 by Kimberly Stroh

Fall harvest brings so many great ingredients to our family table. After a day of pumpkin picking, I always grab some fresh butternut squash from the farm too. My favorite way to prepare it is in this easy Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup recipe. Toss everything into the slow cooker in the morning and come home to an amazing one-bowl meal. This soup is savory, slightly sweet, and very comforting. It’s perfect for cold fall nights.

When soup season is here, I always turn to my slow cooker. It’s such an easy way to make soup and they come out great every time. It’s a reliable way to get dinner on the table without much effort. Everyone loves coming home to a hot dinner after a long day of work and school. Even my kids will eat this soup!

Looking for more great slow cooker recipes? I’ve got some amazing dump-and-go meals that can’t be any easier, but they produce fabulous hot family dinners:

• Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Chili
• Slow Cooker Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
• Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Soup

Butternut Squash Soup In The Slow Cooker

Of course, you’ll need a slow cooker for this recipe. I use a 7-quart slow cooker to make all of my soups in. That gives you plenty of room and helps to prevent splatter. You can even double the soup if you do a 7-quart size slow cooker and still be fine.

Also, you’ll need an immersion blender to blend the soup. Don’t own an immersion blender? That’s ok! You can move the soup by the cupful to a traditional blender, if you have that, and puree it in the blender. It’s just harder to transport the soup instead of sticking the immersion blender directly into the soup.

Why We Love This Recipe So Much

I love that even my picky eaters will eat this soup. The slightly sweet flavor profile really adds dimension to the soup. The sweet flavor comes from the apple cider and coconut milk additions. My stovetop butternut squash soup recipe uses heavy cream, but that’s not as sweet.

It also makes enough that our family can have leftovers to enjoy on another night. It’s already hardly any effort to make this soup, thanks to the slow cooker, and we can enjoy two dinners from it! That’s always a great way to save some money.

What To Serve With Butternut Squash Soup

There’s one must-have when I’m enjoying this soup – a great piece of crusty bread. That’s the minimum I love with this one-bowl meal. I also love to serve a Fall Kale Salad that has apple, cranberries and pecans. That makes it the ultimate fall dinner.

You can also serve the soup in a bread bowl or sandwiches, which is the heaviest option. A Ham, Gruyere & Apple Panini would be so amazing with the soup!

What Makes This Butternut Squash Soup Unique

This is a sweeter butternut squash soup! It’s definitely unique compared to a traditional version that only uses heavy whipping cream. Instead of HWC, the addition of coconut milk, apple and apple cider gives it the sweetness. You can also control how thick you like the soup.

How To Safely Cut A Fresh Butternut Squash

The hardest part of this soup is cutting your fresh butternut squash into chunks. Isn’t that funny? The cooking part is easy! You need to use a peeler to peel the outside of the squash. The peel is not consumed. After that it can be tricker to make the first cut since there isn’t a flat side.

I recommend watching this YouTube video below to ensure you know how to safely cut your squash:

How To Keep Your Soup Fresh & Reheating Tips

After your soup has cooled completely, store it in an airtight food storage container. Refrigerate your soup. It will stay fresh for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. We love to enjoy it for lunches by warming it in the morning and using a Thermos to transport it in lunchboxes.

To reheat the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup, you don’t need to use the slow cooker again. You can reheat it on low, over the stovetop or you can use the microwave. I prefer to cover it and microwave it on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring it at the halfway point.

Can You Freeze Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup?

Absolutely! This is one of my favorite meals to freeze. It makes such a large portion that you can enjoy half while it’s fresh and freeze the other half. To freeze it, you can store it in an airtight food storage container or use freezer bags. Freezer bags will allow you lay the soup flat, which takes up less space.

The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating – following the instructions above.

What You’ll Need From The Grocery Store:

• Butternut Squash
• Olive Oil
• Garlic
• White Onion
• Fresh Sage
• Carrot
• Vegetable Broth
• Apple Cider
• Granny Smith Apple
• Cayenne
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• Sea Salt & Fresh Black Pepper
• Optional Garnish: More Coconut Milk, Fresh Sage, Pumpkin Seeds

Directions To Make Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Toss the olive oil, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, apple cider, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a large (7-quart) slow cooker. Toss briefly to combine.

Cook for 4-6 hours on low, or 2-3 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. Season the soup generously with salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with your favorite garnishes, and enjoy!

I love to add a tiny bit more coconut milk on top of mine and a fresh sprig of sage.