Heading into the season of delicious holiday meals, we’re looking forward to enjoying beloved flavors and traditional recipes. (Tummies around Earthbound are growling already!)

And of course, we’re also thinking about how to streamline traffic in our crowded kitchens and oversubscribed ovens.

Our partner Stacie at One Hungry Mama has come up with a delightfully light, indulgently flavorful make-ahead/no-bake dessert that’s easier than pie: Maple Harvest Mousse, featuring Earthbound Farm Frozen Organic Butternut Squash, one of our most versatile harvest season favorites.

Watch how Stacie brings it together easily:

Try it yourself this holiday season!

Maple Harvest Mousse

Original recipe by Stacie Billis of One Hungry Mama
Prep time: 30 mins + cooling | Cook time: 5 mins | Serves 4

Ingredients
10 ounces Earthbound Farm Frozen Organic Butternut Squash (1 package)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or a pinch of ground nutmeg)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
Cook the butternut squash according to package directions.

In the meantime, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water and stir gently. Allow the gelatin to sit for 5 minutes, then heat the water in a small pan over medium heat for a few minutes, or in a microwave for about 20 seconds, stirring just until the gelatin is just dissolved. Do not bring the water to a simmer or boil. Set aside.

Reserve 1 tablespoon of the squash cooking water and drain. Place the cooked squash in a high-powered blender or food processor with the reserved cooking water, syrup, yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and blend until smooth. Take your time on this step: butternut can be a little grainy if it’s not puréed completely. Using a high-powered blender is best: start low and slowly work your way to high power over the course of 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and silky.

Once you achieve the right texture for the squash purée, pour it into a medium bowl and whisk in the dissolved gelatin mixture. Set the mixture aside in the refrigerator to cool; you want it to be room temperature — or a little cooler — to the touch.

Stacie's Maple Harvest Mousse

While the squash is cooling, pour the whipping cream into a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

Once the squash mixture is cool, use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold in the whipped cream. This gives the mousse its light and airy texture, so be careful not to stir it in so hard that the whipped cream deflates.

Divide the mousse mixture into 4 serving bowls or ramekins and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours to set. If you’re leaving it in longer, cover them with plastic wrap to keep the mousse from absorbing the flavors or smells in your fridge.

When you’re ready to serve, top with more whipped cream, candied nuts or pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, dark chocolate shavings and/or graham cracker crumbs.

Stacie Billis is a cookbook author, recipe developer and busy mom — is there any other kind? — who creates nutritious food that the whole family can love at One Hungry Mama. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter, too.