This Roasted Butternut Squash is cubed butternut squash that bake in the oven until tender, crispy with a sweet caramelized flavor. Takes less than 30 minutes and you’ve got the perfect healthy side dish simple enough for any busy weeknight and a delicious addition for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday meal. Naturally gluten-free, vegan, paleo, dairy-free, low carb & easily Whole30 compliant!
Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Looking for an easy side dish for fall? This Roasted Butternut Squash is a simple and delicious recipe that the entire family will love! All you need is some butternut squash, oil, salt, pepper and any of your favorite seasonings.
Our oven baked butternut squash recipe includes cubes of butternut squash roasted with cinnamon and maple syrup that bake up tender and caramelized perfectly. Quick and simple enough for busy weeknights and you can easily double up the recipe if you plan on serving it at Thanksgiving or any holiday dinner. Plus you can serve it with any mains or add it to harvest salads or cozy and comforting autumn soups.
Why we love this simple side dish
- Quick and easy to make with simple ingredients
- A healthy and delicious side dish that is not only delicious but it’s low in calories and packed with a chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and nutrients. Rich in vitamin A, vitamin c, mag
- Perfect for most guest with dietary concerns: naturally vegan, paleo and easily Whole30 compliant if you leave out the maple syrup
- Goes great with practically any side or protein
Ingredients you need
These roasted maple butternut squash bake up in the oven with a little oil, some salt and a few seasonings. If you’d like to add additional toppings and flavorings after they cook, feel free!
- Butternut Squash: one whole medium-sized squash – about 3 lbs.
- Avocado Oil: Or olive oil.
- Coarse Sea Salt: You’ll need about half a teaspoon to season the butternut squash before it cooks, and you can add more later to taste, if desired.
- Black Pepper: Freshly cracked, to taste.
- Ground cinnamon: This warm and cozy spice screams fall and enhances the sweetness from the butternut squash.
- Pure maple syrup: Adds a natural sweetness. Leave out for Whole30.
- Fresh Parsley: Chopped, for serving.
Other dried seasonings or fresh herbs that would be delicious:
- Dried or fresh rosemary
- Dried or fresh thyme
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Oregano
Tools you need:
- Large Baking Sheet
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Oven
How to cut butternut squash
1. Remove the ends first. Start by washing and drying a medium butternut squash. Second, place the squash on a sturdy cutting board and use a large, sharp food knife and cut off the ends of the squash.
2. Peel squash – The easiest way to peel butternut squash is to hold the squash in one hand, and use a sharp vegetable peeler (we like Oxo’s Y shaped peeler) in the other hand and peel off the outer layer of the squash.
3. Halve the squash and remove the seeds. Place the squash upright and holding firmly with one hand while using the other hand, cut the squash down the middle from the top to bottom. Use a metal spoon to scrape the seeds out and remove the stringy pulp from the center.
4. Cut squash into chunks: Place the squash halves cut side down on the cutting board. Cut each section into slices, then turn the squash cross-wise and cut into desired cube sizes.
How to Roast Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven and prepare the baking pan: Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet (or 2 as needed) with parchment paper. Set aside
- Season the vegetables: Add the butternut squash cubes to a large baking sheet or a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with oil then sprinkle with ground cinnamon, maple syrup and salt and pepper, to taste. Toss all the ingredients together, using tongs or your hands, ensuring all the cubes are coated. Arrange the squash cubes in an even layer (being careful not to overlap – working in batches as needed) on the prepared baking sheet.
-
- Bake: Roast the butternut squash for about 30-35 minutes (or more depending on the size of your squash) until the squash is tender and golden brown with carmelized edges, using tongs to flip the squash and rotating pan half-way through. Season with more salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Serve: Transfer to a plate or serving bowl, garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve warm.
Tips for Success for making butternut squash in the oven
You can’t go wrong with this recipe! Here are a few extra tips for baking butternut squash:
- Cut Squash Evenly: Be sure to cut the butternut squash into even-sized cubes to ensure they all cook evenly.
- Don’t Crowd the Sheet Pan: Make sure you’re not putting too many squash cubes on your baking sheet at once. It’s better to work in batches. If the squash is too crowded, it won’t get as crispy.
- Preheat: Don’t skip preheating your oven. The oven should be at 400°F.
- Flip Halfway Through: Use tongs to flip your squash halfway through the cooking process. This ensures crispiness all around!
What Goes with Roasted Butternut Squash?
We love pairing these tender baked butternut squash with one of the following sides!
- Mains: Easy mains or at the Holiday Table: Roasted Turkey,Slow Cooker Ham, Keto Pot Roast or Pork.
- Salad: My Brussels Sprouts Salad is a great dish to serve with this butternut squash. It’s tossed in a tangy Dijon vinaigrette that really ties it all together.
- Sides: You can serve baked butternut squash with a side ofCauliflower mash , Sauteed Green Beans, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Pesto
- Chicken: If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, we highly recommend serving this easy side dish with a hearty chicken recipe like this Easy Grilled Chicken or Air Fryer Chicken Breast. Such a healthy and satisfying meal!
Make ahead and storage
Meal prep: The great thing about crispy roasted butternut squash is that you can easily make it in advance on your Sunday meal prep.
Wash, peel and cut butternut squash into chunks and store in a large resealable bag or airtight container in the fride for up to 1 day in advance.
Storage: Roasted butternut squash is easy to make ahead and can last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three to four days. We like to make a huge batch one day a week so we can have it as an easy side dish to enjoy all week long. From salads to soups, butternut squash is definitely the type of vegetable to keep around the home all year long.
Can you freeze butternut squash?
Yes, the great thing about making maple cinnamon butternut squash cubes is that you can make them ahead of time and freeze them for meal prep.
How to Freeze
To freeze butternut squash, spread out onto a large baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes or until frozen. Once firm, transfer to a large resealable freezer bag, Stasher bag or airtight container with a lid. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Place the cooked squash on a large baking sheet and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Transfer to a large resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat from frozen
When ready to reheat, place the frozen buternut squash (cooking in batches) in a single layer and spread onto a large baking sheet or air fryer basket. Bake in a preheated oven or air fryer at 375F for about 15-20 minutes in the oven or 8-12 minutes in the air fryer or until warm.
More easy butternut squash recipes you will love:
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Cornbread Stuffing
Maple Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash
This Roasted Butternut Squash is cubed butternut squash that bake in the oven until tender, crispy with a sweet caramelized flavor. Takes less than 30 minutes and you've got the perfect healthy side dish simple enough for any busy weeknight and a delicious addition for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday meal. Naturally gluten-free, vegan, paleo, dairy-free, low carb & easily Whole30 compliant!
- 1 large butternut squash , about 3 lbs, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil OR olive oil
- 1-2 teaspoons pure maple syrup , to taste (leave out for Whole30)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or to taste
- fresh chopped parsley, thyme and / or sage , for garnish
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon any of these seasonings or herbs to taste: dried or fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, Italian seasoning or oregano
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet (or 2 as needed) with parchment paper. Set aside
Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler, cut the squash down the middle, lengthwise and remove the seeds and pulp. Then cut into 1-inch cubes.
Add the butternut squash cubes to a large baking sheet or a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with oil then sprinkle with ground cinnamon, maple syrup and salt and pepper and any extra optional seasonings, to taste. Toss all the ingredients together, using tongs or your hands, ensuring all the cubes are coated. Arrange the squash cubes in an even layer (being careful not to overlap - working in batches as needed) on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast the butternut squash for about 30-35 minutes (or more depending on the size of your squash) until the squash is tender and golden brown with carmelized edges, using tongs to flip the squash and rotating pan half-way through. Season with more salt and black pepper, to taste.
Transfer to a plate or serving bowl, garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve warm.
Recipe Video
How to Meal prep:
Wash, peel and cut butternut squash into chunks and store in a large resealable bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day in advance.
How to store: Roasted butternut squash is easy to make ahead and can last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three to four days.
How to Freeze
Place the cooked squash on a large baking sheet and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Transfer to a large resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat from frozen
When ready to reheat, place the frozen buternut squash (cooking in batches) in a single layer in the air fryer basket at 365F and heat for 7-9 minutes or until desired crispiness.
If you have any leftovers, store the butternut squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven at 350°F until they're hot.
Karen -
Pretty sure the only way to make roasted butternut better would be to add maple and cinnamon!! YUM. Looks amazing!
Lizzie Webz -
This would be a great soup! Was thinking of pureeing it. Should I add a cream or milk or half & half to it?
Kelly -
Hi Lizzie, yes soup would be perfect for this. I usually like to add coconut milk but you can also add half and half or cream if you prefer. I have a soup recipe you can refer to here for some rough measurements:
https://lifemadesweeter.com/2015/10/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-sweet-potato-soup/ Enjoy!
Mary Frances -
What a fantastic side dish! Love how easy it is too!
Arpita -
What a fabulous and easy side dish!
Ceara -
What an awesome side dish! I love butternut squash!