Enhance your winter squash game with Maple Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash. Tender squash is warmly-spiced and drizzled with maple for a delicious side dish. Add butter if you’re looking for a real wild ride!
If this is your first time preparing butternut squash, you are in the right spot, my friend! The straightforward cooking method I have laid out here involves easy steps for great results so you can feel confident coming back for more.
This simple roasted butternut squash recipe answers all of your questions about the hearty vegetable. From how to cut butternut squash, how long to roast butternut squash, and what to do with it once roasted, I’ve got you covered!
At a minimum, we only need three ingredients for this simple recipe: butternut squash, avocado oil, and sea salt.
We throw in the cinnamon and maple because we know how to party.
One cup of mashed butternut squash contains 82 calories, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fat, and a little less than 2 grams of protein. This makes it an excellent choice for those who like to source their carbohydrates from vegetables and fruit.
This winter vegetable is also a great source of Vitamin A and is also a good source of Vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.
For those who love incorporating whole foods into their daily diet, this loveable winter vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse.
There are many different ways one can cook winter squash varietals.
I personally believe cutting the squash in half and roasting is the best way to cook butternut squash due to its efficiency and great result.
That said, you can absolutely chop butternut squash into cubes for a crispy on the outside, tender on the inside roasted veggie approach. I have included instructions for both methods below.
Let us go over the simple ingredients for this easy butternut squash recipe.
Roasted Butternut Squash Ingredients:
Butternut Squash: The main ingredient! Pick any size that looks good to you, but be aware that the size of the squash will impact its total cooking time.
Avocado Oil: In order to protect the vegetable from burning throughout the cooking process, we need a little oil.
Avocado oil is great for cooking at high temperatures, which is what we are doing here. It is my preference over olive oil, as olive oil burns at a lower temperature.
Sea Salt: Season the squash with sea salt to your personal taste.
Ground Cinnamon: Adding a warm spice to the naturally sweet squash levels up the experience and give you cozy fall and winter vibes. Swap it out for pumpkin pie spice if you’d like!
Pure Maple Syrup: A drizzle of pure maple syrup brings added natural sweetness to make you feel like you’re eating dessert. Swap it for brown sugar if you’d prefer.
If you’re a butter lover like me, consider mashing 1 tablespoon of salted butter into each cooked half.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s get to the step-by-step recipe!
How to Roast Butternut Squash:
Instructions for Roasting Halves:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the butternut squash on a cutting board and use a large sharp knife (a sharp Chef’s knife is optimal) to cut off the tip and tail.
Slice the squash in half lengthwise.
Use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds and innards. I find that scraping the spoon as close to the flesh as possible helps release the insides.
Drizzle each half with avocado oil and use your fingers to spread it around.
Sprinkle the flesh with sea salt.
Turn the two halves cut side down on a large baking sheet, casserole dish, or baking dish.
Roast for 40-60 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven, or until the squash is very tender when poked with a fork. Smaller squash require about 40 minutes whereas very large squash require close to an hour.
Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool enough to handle. Once cooled, turn the squash halves over so that they are cut-side up. Sprinkle with your desired amount of ground cinnamon.
Drizzle each squash half with pure maple syrup. If you’d like, you can use a fork or a spoon to mash up some of the squash to drizzle in more pure maple syrup and/or add butter.
Serve cinnamon maple butternut squash with your main dish, and enjoy!
Store leftover butternut squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze squash in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Instructions for Cubed Squash:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Chop off the tip and tail. Use a good vegetable peeler to peel the whole squash. Cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the insides, then chop the squash into 1-inch cubes.
- Spread the chopped butternut squash over a large sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon (and black pepper if you’d like). Toss everything together using your hands until the cubes are well coated.
- Roast for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the butternut squash is golden brown. It should be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
What To Do With Butternut Squash:
- Make a meal out of it: Prepare my Turkey-Stuffed Butternut Squash for a healthy dinner filled with lean protein, carbs (thanks to the squash), and fiber (on account of the veggies).
- Turn it into soup: If you’re roasting squash for butternut squash soup, make my creamy silky smooth Vegan Butternut Squash Soup recipe.
- Go to pancake town: I like using leftover butternut squash in my Butternut Squash Pancakes.
- Make Brownies!: Use my Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies recipe, subbing butternut squash for sweet potato.
- Mash it!: Remove and discard the skin and use a potato masher to make butternut squash mash. Add in butter, pure maple syrup (or brown sugar), cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or orange zest to your personal taste.
Is Butternut Squash Skin Edible?
Butternut squash skin is edible, although most people find the tough skin to be unpalatable. For this reason, I recommend removing and discarding the skin unless you find you enjoy it.
Enjoy the nutty flavor of butternut squash during the fall and winter months when it is in season!
The way I see it, the natural sweetness, earthy flavor, and nutrient density of this healthy vegetable makes it the ideal food to keep as a staple in a healthy lifestyle.
Delicious enough to enjoy on your holiday table, and easy enough to whip up on any busy weeknight, prepare this loveable veggie the next time you’re craving a filling, healthy simple side dish.
Looking for more ways to enjoy winter squash? Learn How To Roast Spaghetti Squash and How to Roast Delicata Squash.
Try my plethora of butternut squash recipes to keep the winter squash love alive.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized butternut squash
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- ¼ tsp sea salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup to taste
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the butternut squash on a cutting board and use a large sharp knife to cut off the tip and tail. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds and innards. I find that scraping the spoon as close to the flesh as possible helps release the insides.
- Drizzle each half with avocado oil and use your fingers to spread it around. Sprinkle the flesh with sea salt. Turn the squash halves cut side down on a large baking sheet or casserole dish.
- Roast for 40-60 minutes on the center rack of the preheated oven, or until the squash is fork tender. Small butternut squashed require about 40 minutes whereas very large squash require close to an hour.
- Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool enough to handle. Once cooled, turn the squash halves over so that they are cut-side up. Sprinkle with your desired amount of ground cinnamon. Drizzle each squash half with pure maple syrup. If you’d like, you can use a fork or a spoon to mash up some of the squash to drizzle in more pure maple syrup and/or add butter.
- Serve cinnamon maple butternut squash with your main dish, and enjoy!
Nutrition
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