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This Roasted Honeynut Squash recipe plays up its natural sweetness with cinnamon and maple syrup. It’s an easy side dish you’ll want to make again and again!
If you’ve never had honeynut squash before, let me tell you: it’s a treat. It looks like a smaller version of butternut squash, but its flesh is dark orange and much sweeter than a standard butternut. While you can generally find butternut squash at the grocery store year-round, honeynut squash is easiest to find in fall and winter. Which means the time to make this recipe is now!
When you roast honeynut squash, you can choose to complement its sweetness by adding savory flavors for balance, or you can just lean into the sweetness and play that up. In this roasted honeynut squash recipe, we do the latter by adding ground cinnamon and maple syrup. The result is sweet, yes, but also earthy, fragrant, and beautifully caramelized. So good.
What You’ll Need
Other than the squash, you probably have everything you need to make this recipe on hand already.
- Honeynut squash – If you can’t find it at the grocery store, a winter farmers market is your best bet.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Black pepper
- Maple syrup – The kind labeled “Dark Color and Robust Taste” is my favorite; it used to be called Grade B.
How to Make Roasted Honeynut Squash
This is a great side dish for when you have a time-consuming entree and you want something easy to serve with it! I also love it with my Apple Cider Chicken Skillet because the flavors work together so well.
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Cut the squash in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp.
Season. Drizzle olive oil on the cut sides of the squash halves and season with salt and black pepper.
Bake. Place the squash on a baking sheet with the cut side down and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.
Finish. Serve the squash with a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of maple syrup.
Tips for Cooking Honeynut Squash
If you’re new to cooking honeynut squash, here are some things you might want to know.
Is the skin edible? Yes! You can eat honeynut squash skin, as it’s thinner than that of other winter squash varieties. Of course, if you’re not a fan, you can just scoop the flesh out after you’ve roasted the squash. This is much easier than peeling the squash first.
Roasting time. So about the roasting time! Even though the size of honeynut squash is less variable than that of butternut squash, even slightly different shapes and sizes can affect the cooking time, so yours may take longer in the oven. You’ll know it’s done when you can piece it with a fork with absolutely no resistance. You want the flesh to be melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Using roasted honeynut squash. You can eat the squash as-is after you make this recipe, but you can also scoop out the flesh and mash it with a fork or puree it; add the cinnamon and maple syrup, along with a pat of butter if you like. You can also use this as a base for a roasted honeynut squash soup.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftover squash in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave until it’s warmed through.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this recipe if you like. Place it in an airtight storage container and freeze it for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then warm it up in the microwave.
Roasted Honeynut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 honeynut squash washed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.
- Drizzle some olive oil, on the cut side and sprinkle some salt and black pepper.
- Now place the squash, cut side down in a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for about 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
- Remove serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and some maple syrup.
