Kabocha Squash Yogurt Bar

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 35

Chilling time:: 4

Total Time: 4 55

Servings: pieces

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Marvellina

Creamy, tangy, and lightly spiced, these Kabocha Squash Yogurt Bars are a lighter twist on pumpkin cheesecake bars — made with Greek yogurt and homemade kabocha puree.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust:

85 g graham cracker crumbs or use biscoff or digestive biscuits
1 Tbsp sugar
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground ginger
50 g unsalted butter melted

For the kabocha layer:

112 g kabocha squash
60 g brown sugar
50 g egg from 1 large egg, room temperature
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground ginger
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp salt

For yogurt layer:

480 g whole-milk plain Greek yogurt room temperature
100 g egg from 2 large eggs, room temperature
150 g sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt

Instructions

Prepare kabocha squash puree with oven (if you haven't already):

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C) for conventional oven. If you are using a convection oven, reduce temperature by 20 F (15 C). I used about 5 lbs of whole kabocha squash. I wash the squash well and pat dry. Pierce the skin with fork all over and place it on a baking sheet
Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork. If your squash is smaller, you may not need to bake for that long. You can start checking at 30 minutes
Let it cool down for about 10 minutes before cutting. Cut the baked squash in half with a very sharp knife. Scoop out all the seeds and stringy bits. Scoop out the flesh into a blender or a food processor.
You may need to add 1-2 Tbsp of water to help you puree the squash. Kabocha squash is at a "drier" side and more firm in texture compared to other squash and pumpkin. You want to get that thick but creamy consistency
Let it cool down completely. Store in freezer-friendly containers or bags in smaller portions. Freeze for 3 months. You can use them whenever you need them

Prepare kabocha squash puree using a steamer: (If you haven't already)

I use this method when I have a small squash like 2-3 lbs. Wash the kabocha squash clean and pat dry. Cut into half and scoop out all the seeds and strings. Cut into wedges and then cut into smaller cubes.
Arrange the squash on the steaming basket. Steam for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size). If you can easily pierce with a fork. If you can, it's done steaming. If it's still too firm, steam another 5 minutes and check again
Scoop out the flesh into a blender or a food processor. You may need to add 1-2 Tbsp of water to help you puree the squash. Kabocha squash is at a "drier" side and more firm in texture compared to other squash and pumpkin. You want to get that thick but creamy consistency

30 minutes before you plan to bake:

Before you start preparing the crumbs, get eggs and yogurt out of the fridge to let them come to a room temperature.

Prepare cookie crumbs:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven. If you are using a convection oven, reduce temperature by 20 F (15 C)
Line a 8 x 8 square metal pan with parchment paper sling for easy removal
Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Add melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and pulse a few times to combine into a "wet sand" texture
Press the graham cracker crumbs evenly onto the base of the pan. Make sure you really pack it down so it won't crumble when you cut it later. Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10-13 minutes. Let it cool down when you prepare other things
Lower the oven temperature to 325 F (16 C) for conventional oven. If you are using a convection oven, reduce temperature by 20 F (15 C)

Prepare the kabocha squash layer:

Combine the kabocha puree, brown sugar, egg, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until they are well-mixed. It should be quite thick

Prepare the yogurt layer:

Take the Greek yogurt out from the fridge and scoop into a bowl lined with cheesecloth or coffee filter to drain off excess liquid. Let it sit for 30 minutes or as long as few hours if you plan ahead. Discard the excess liquid
Whisk drained Greek yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth and combined. Pour this into the pan and smooth with a spatula
Dollop about 18-20 of the kabocha mixture on top of the yogurt layer
Use a butter knife to create a few decorative swirls but be careful not to touch the crust at the bottom
Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release trapped air bubbles

Baking:

Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. The edges should be puffy but the center will jiggle slightly.
Turn off the oven and crack the oven door open. I use an oven mitten to wedge the oven's door open a bit. Let it cool down in the oven for 30 minutes like this. This helps to prevent the surface from cracking from a sudden temperature change

Cool down completely:

Transfer from the oven to a cooling rack to let it cool down completely. Then store it in the fridge, uncovered, overnight before cutting

Serving:

Depending on how big or a piece you want, you can cut into 9 or 12 pieces. I like it served cold, but you can serve it at room temperature too

Storage:

The bars can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month

Nutrition