✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos, built from Panera's own ingredient label
This copycat Panera autumn squash soup is silky, sweet and warmly spiced, with roasted butternut squash, pumpkin, a little apple and a gentle hit of ginger and curry. I built it from Panera's own ingredient label, so it can be yours all year.
How Do You Make Panera Autumn Squash Soup at Home? (Quick Answer)
Roast cubed butternut squash and a carrot with oil and honey at 425°F until caramelized. Soften an onion in butter with ginger, curry powder and cinnamon, then simmer the roasted vegetables with canned pumpkin, vegetable stock, apple juice and brown sugar for 15 minutes. Blend smooth with a little cream cheese, then stir in milk, cream and a squeeze of lemon.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Roast the squash until the edges turn dark gold. Those caramelized bits are where the deep, almost pie-like sweetness comes from, so don't pull the pan early.
Why You'll Love This Soup
- Silky and gently sweet with warm ginger, curry and cinnamon instead of heavy spice.
- Built from Panera’s own label pumpkin, butternut squash, vegetable stock, milk, cream cheese, brown sugar, apple, honey, ginger and curry.
- Vegetarian and gluten-free just like Panera's version, with no flour at all.
- Make-ahead friendly it tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully.
- Fall in a bowl for Thanksgiving starters, cozy lunches and chilly weeknights.
What Is in Panera's Autumn Squash Soup?
Panera prints the ingredients on its grocery soups, and the Panera at Home autumn squash soup label reads: pumpkin, vegetable stock, milk, cream cheese, brown sugar, butternut squash and heavy cream, then 2% or less of carrots, onions, butter, apple juice concentrate, sugar, corn starch, salt, ginger puree, honey, lemon juice concentrate, curry powder and spices (checked October 2026).
The big surprise is how much pumpkin there is, and that cream cheese sits fourth on the list. Both are in this copycat. Panera calls it a seasonal, vegetarian and gluten-free soup. The amounts below are mine, since Panera doesn't publish its recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Butternut squash: one small squash, about 1 1/2 lb, or a 20 oz bag of pre-cut cubes.
- Pumpkin puree: one 15 oz can of 100% pumpkin.
- Vegetable stock: keeps it vegetarian, like Panera's. Chicken stock works if that's what you have.
- Apple juice or cider: stands in for the apple juice concentrate on the label and adds a soft fruity sweetness.
- Cream cheese: full-fat, softened, so it blends in without lumps.
- Ginger, curry powder and cinnamon: fresh ginger is brightest; 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger works in a pinch.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Pumpkin is the star, not just squash. Panera's label lists pumpkin first and butternut squash further down. A can of pumpkin gives that thick, velvety body, and the roasted squash brings the caramel flavor.
- Use pure pumpkin, not pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and it throws the whole balance off. Check the can says 100% pumpkin.
- Cream cheese is the secret to the texture. It's right there on the label, and 2 oz blended in gives a rich, slightly tangy creaminess you can't get from cream alone.
- Go easy on the curry. One teaspoon of mild curry powder adds warmth without tasting like curry. Taste at the end before you add more.
- Finish with lemon. Panera's label lists lemon juice, and that tiny squeeze wakes up all the sweet flavors. Without it the soup can taste a little flat.
- Microwave the squash before peeling. Pierce a whole butternut squash a few times and microwave it for 3 minutes. The skin softens and peels off so much more easily.
- Toast your own pepitas. Toss raw pumpkin seeds with a drop of oil and a pinch of salt and toast them in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes, until they puff and pop.
Copycat Panera Autumn Squash Soup
6
servings15
minutes45
minutes270
kcal1
hourA copycat version of Panera’s seasonal autumn squash soup: butternut squash and carrot roasted with honey, simmered with pumpkin, vegetable stock, apple juice, brown sugar, ginger and curry powder, then blended with cream cheese and finished with milk, cream and lemon. Vegetarian and gluten-free. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- For the Roasted Vegetables
4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 lb)
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 pinch kosher salt
- For the Soup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
15 oz can pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- To Finish
2 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), to serve
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the squash and carrot with the olive oil, honey and a pinch of salt on a sheet pan and spread them out in one layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until fork-tender and caramelized at the edges.
- While the vegetables roast, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the ginger, curry powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the roasted squash and carrot, pumpkin puree, vegetable stock, apple juice, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Take the pot off the heat, add the cream cheese and blend until completely smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender with the lid vented.
- Return the pot to low heat and stir in the milk, cream and lemon juice. Warm gently without boiling. Taste and add a pinch more salt or brown sugar if it needs it.
- Ladle into bowls and top with toasted pepitas and a small swirl of cream. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Variations
This soup is forgiving, so play with it.
- Vegan: use olive oil instead of butter, maple syrup instead of honey, and full-fat coconut milk instead of the cream cheese, milk and cream.
- Slow cooker: add everything except the cream cheese, milk, cream and lemon, and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Blend, then stir in the rest.
- Less sweet: cut the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon and skip the honey on the squash.
- Spicier: add a pinch of cayenne with the curry powder.
- All pumpkin: no squash? Use two 15 oz cans of pumpkin and skip the roasting. Simmer for 15 minutes.
What to Serve With It
I roast the squash for this on a Sunday afternoon in fall, and the whole kitchen smells like pie. It makes a lovely first course before a holiday meal, and you'll find more ideas for the big day in my Thanksgiving recipes roundup.
For a Panera-style lunch at home, serve a cup with half a sandwich, a green salad or crusty bread. If you want to explore other squash for soup, my guide to types of squash covers which ones roast sweetest.
Storing and Reheating
Cool the soup and refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours. It keeps for 4 to 5 days and thickens as it sits.
Reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring and loosening with a splash of stock or milk, until it reaches 165°F. Keep the pepitas separate so they stay crunchy.
More Copycat Soups
Making a soup lineup? My copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup and copycat Panera tomato soup round out the trio. For more cozy bowls, try my Olive Garden zuppa toscana, and find every restaurant favorite in our copycat recipes collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in Panera autumn squash soup?
Panera's at-home autumn squash soup label lists pumpkin, vegetable stock, milk, cream cheese, brown sugar, butternut squash and heavy cream, plus small amounts of carrots, onions, butter, apple juice concentrate, sugar, corn starch, salt, ginger puree, honey, lemon juice concentrate, curry powder and spices (checked October 2026).
Is Panera autumn squash soup vegetarian?
Yes. Panera describes its autumn squash soup as vegetarian and gluten-free, and the label uses vegetable stock. This copycat is vegetarian and gluten-free too, as long as your vegetable stock and curry powder are gluten-free.
When is Panera autumn squash soup available?
It is a seasonal fall soup in Panera's cafes, so it isn't on the menu all year, and timing varies by location. Panera at Home also sells a grocery version. This homemade copycat works any time you can find butternut squash and canned pumpkin.
How many calories are in Panera autumn squash soup?
Panera's at-home autumn squash soup lists 240 calories per 1 cup serving (checked October 2026). This homemade version is about 270 calories for each of 6 servings, a generous cup each, including the pepita topping.
Can I make it without roasting the squash?
Yes. Simmer the raw squash cubes and carrot with the onion and stock for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender, then continue with the recipe. Add the honey to the pot. The soup is a little less deep and caramelized, but still delicious.
Can I use frozen butternut squash?
Yes. Use about 20 oz of frozen cubed butternut squash. Roast it straight from frozen at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or simmer it in the soup for about 15 minutes.
Can I freeze autumn squash soup?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze it before adding the milk and cream if you can, then stir them in when you reheat. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat until it reaches 165°F. In the fridge, it keeps 4 to 5 days.
