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Maple roasted butternut squash makes a satisfying side dish or element of salads, grain bowls, and more. Don’t miss it.
Why we love this recipe
Earthy, sweet, and just a touch savory, this maple roasted butternut squash makes an apt companion to a wide variety of meals. It works equally well alongside a Thanksgiving turkey and as an element of a healthy vegan grain bowl. This recipe is:
- Straightforward to make, but with a beautifully complex flavor profile
- Lightly crisped and caramelized on the outside, and tender inside
- Largely hands-off once you’ve prepped the squash
- Naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, and easily made vegan if you prefer
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Butternut squash is such a well-behaved winter squash variety. It’s easier to peel and chop than some other types, and it takes equally well to sweeter and more savory preparations. For this recipe, you’ll dice it nice and small so it cooks quickly and evenly. If you’re using pre-cubed squash, you’ll want to cut it smaller. Don’t use frozen squash here — it won’t get brown and crisp. (Save it for soups and risottos.)
- Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn’t have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price. If you’d like to make this recipe vegan, you can substitute olive oil without making any further changes.
- A little bit of good-quality pure maple syrup adds a gentle layer of sweetness and complexity to the flavor of the squash, and helps it caramelize a bit in the oven.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a satisfying batch of maple roasted butternut squash. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll peel, seed, and dice the butternut squash into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Add the melted butter, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Give it all a good stir until evenly coated.
- Divide between two parchment-lined baking sheets, arrange in a single layer, and roast until tender and lightly caramelized. That’s it!
Expert tips and FAQs
It’s easy once you get the hang of it, since this winter squash variety yields to peeling and chopping more readily than many others. Here’s a full tutorial with video if you’d like some next-level help.
Like most roasted veggies, maple roasted butternut squash is at its absolute best shortly after emerging from the oven. That said, it keeps very well too, and makes a great element of meal prep if that’s your thing. Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. You can reheat it in the microwave or with a quick spin in the oven or toaster oven if you prefer it crispier.
More favorite roasted veggies
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Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, about 2 1/2 pounds (1134 grams)
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F with two racks close to the center.
- Trim, peel, and seed the butternut squash. You can find detailed instructions for this process here if you like.
- Cut into 1/2-inch dice. This is quite small, so take note.
- Place diced squash into a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Toss well to coat evenly.
- Line two rimmed half-sheet pans with parchment. Divide squash between pans and arrange in a single layer.
- Roast for 15 minutes, then swap the positions of the pans and roast for about 15 minutes more, until lightly browned outside and tender inside.
Notes
- Butternut squash is such a well-behaved winter squash variety. It's easier to peel and chop than some other types, and it takes equally well to sweeter and more savory preparations. For this recipe, you'll dice it nice and small so it cooks quickly and evenly. If you're using pre-cubed squash, you'll want to cut it smaller. Don't use frozen squash here — it won't get brown and crisp. (Save it for soups and risottos.)
- Use a really good-quality butter if you can. Here and virtually everywhere, I start with a cultured, salted butter from grass-fed cows. This sounds fancy but doesn't have to be. Kerrygold, for example, is sold in most supermarkets at a reasonable price. If you'd like to make this recipe vegan, you can substitute olive oil without making any further changes.
- A little bit of good-quality pure maple syrup adds a gentle layer of sweetness and complexity to the flavor of the squash, and helps it caramelize a bit in the oven.
- Like most roasted veggies, maple roasted butternut squash is at its absolute best shortly after emerging from the oven. That said, it keeps very well too, and makes a great element of meal prep if that's your thing. Once cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. You can reheat it in the microwave or with a quick spin in the oven or toaster oven if you prefer it crispier.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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