Sweet and savory Maple Roasted Butternut Squash has become a staple side dish for dinner and holidays. It’s flavorful, simple and beyond delicious!
We love discovering new and tasty side dish recipes. This maple roasted butternut squash happens to be one of those and has become as classic as baked potatoes and mashed potatoes.
Sweet and Savory Side
We love butternut squash for so many reasons. Not only because it’s healthy and filled with Vitamin A, potassium and fiber but because they can be used in so many ways – even as a sweet or savory side (we even have an amazing butternut squash soup and butternut squash macaroni and cheese).
We cubed the butternut squash for today’s recipe and gave it a sweet maple flavor that made it SO delicious. (It can be roasted halved or in slices too).
The first tip to making any recipe with butternut squash is knowing HOW TO PICK IT OUT. Here are some tips to do that:
- Butternut squash should be heavy for it’s size. It should also sound hollow when thumped.
- Store in a cool, dry place before using.
- Pick a squash that does not have soft spots. Scratches are fine.
How to Cut Butternut Squash
As mentioned, there are different ways to cut this veggie up. Here are some tips and tricks to cube a butternut squash:
- Use a large, good knife for cutting and a sturdy cutting board.
- Cut the ends off the squash and skin it with a peeler.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and then scoop out the sends and string from the middle.
- Place the squash face down onto the cutting board and cut into slices, then cut into 1 inch cubes.
Using these tips and tricks will help you cut the squash without any difficulty.
How to Make Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
Now that you have your squash cut up into cubes, you’re ready to roast them. As we mentioned, we love a sweet and savory version for this recipe and used olive oil, maple syrup, sea salt, pepper and cinnamon to do that.
Place the squash on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup. Toss with cinnamon and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once during the middle of the roasting time (add pecans during this time too, if desired).
Additions, Tips + Ways to Use
If you are looking to change up this Maple Roasted Butternut Squash recipe, here are a few other ideas:
- SWEET: Sprinkle with brown sugar instead of maple syrup. It’s also sweet but doesn’t have the maple flavor.
- SAVORY: Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese instead of syrup for a more savory version.
You can also use this roasted butternut squash in salads, mixed in a rice bowl or even mixed with other veggies.
For STORING cooked cubes, place in an air-tight container and put in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you want to FREEZE these cubes, we recommend doing that before cooking them. Just place the uncooked cubes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the freezer. When frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month.
Once you try this Maple Roasted Butternut Squash recipe, you’ll realize just how simple is to make and how delicious it is too!! You may also want to throw butternut squash into additional recipes like we did with our butternut squash soup and butternut squash macaroni and cheese. Trust us – it’s a veggie that doesn’t get a ton of attention but is so tasty!
For more side recipes, check out:
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Green Bean Casserole
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup - (grade A or B)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Place the squash on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup. Toss with cinnamon and pepper.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, turning once during the middle of the roasting time (add pecans during this time, if desired).
- When the squash is fork-tender, remove and cool for 5 minutes before serving.
This was such a great side dish and my kids loved it too. Easy way to get them to eat their veggies!! Thanks for the recipe!
Butternut squash normally isn’t my favorite but I will eat anything roasted! Can’t wait to try these.
Yum! Made this with our pork roast over the weekend, and it was delicious! Definitely going as a side dish for Thanksgiving.
What a beautiful and easy side dish! This will surely look fantastic on the Thanksgiving table this year!
Love this recipe! I love the maple syrup & cinnamon on it. It’s so tender!