Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

4.67 from 3 votes

Maple roasted butternut squash makes a satisfying side dish or element of salads, grain bowls, and more. Here's how to make it great.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Sides

Cuisine: American

Keyword: maple roasted butternut squash

Calories: 137kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

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 ½-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.

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.