Spicy Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash – with video!
Posted: 10/25/2012
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This roasted butternut squash is both spicy and sweet and is 100% perfect! It’s an easy and healthy side dish that the whole family will love.
Let’s be real here for a minute.
Peeling and dicing butternut squash may just be the worst kitchen task ever. It takes forever, your hands get that weird film on them, and you can consider yourself very lucky if you finish the task with all ten fingers intact. (HINT: You can buy it already prepped from Costco! I pick up a package of it every time I go.)
Tip: I now have a full tutorial on how to cook butternut squash that includes step-by-step photos of how to peel and cut if you need some guidance!
However, it is one of my favorite fall treats. I love it roasted and tossed on top of a salad or as a side dish. This version is a fun mix of sweet and spicy that perfectly captures the flavors of fall. Roasted butternut squash goes perfectly alongside pork tenderloin with apples and onions.
The combination of spicy and sweet is irresistible. I’ve put this squash in a farro salad with bacon and it’s unbelievable. (Also – if you like spicy sweet, you have to try these spiced pecans!)
This would also be a great side dish for Thanksgiving if you’re looking to do something a little different.
Basically, it’s great any day of the year.
A few more roasted butternut squash basics:
- If you’re looking for a whole butternut squash recipe (for a mash or soup), you can easily cook butternut squash in the slow cooker!
- Learning how to roast squash is so easy — you can learn some more basics here such as how to roast acorn squash and how to cook delicata squash, or how to cook kabocha squash.
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes:
If you are obsessed with roasting vegetables like I am, I have a lot of great recipes for you to try, or you can check out my entire collection of roasted vegetables!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
This roasted butternut squash is both spicy and sweet and is 100% perfect! It's an easy and healthy side dish that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- one large butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Peel and cube butternut squash. (Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any personal injuries or anxiety attacks.)
- Place butternut squash cubes onto a large, rimmed sheet tray.
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, syrup, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Pour olive oil mixture over cubed squash and toss with your hands to coat. Spread out squash so that it is in an even layer.
- Bake for 15-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cooking time will depend on how crowded your squash is and how big your cubes are. You want the squash to be fork tender (stick a fork in and it comes right back out), but not mushy.
- Enjoy as a side dish or on a leafy green salad.
Notes
- The size of the squash will determine how many servings there are.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1of 4, Calories: 64kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 148mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: At the time I’m writing this, he hasn’t tried this roasted butternut squash yet! He’ll love it though.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Once you get that darn squash chopped up, easy!
Ben says
Nice one & I’ll try it! I have a kabocha that I just got at the farmer’s market. This should be really good!
Rachel Gurk says
That will be delicious! Let me know how it turns out!
Bill Downs says
You offer the tip on buying a bag of frozen prepared squash from Costco. But there is no mention of how many cups to use.
Rachel Gurk says
Sorry about that! It’s a very forgiving recipe. 4-6 cups cubed squash is about the equivalent of a large squash.
Elise says
Yummy!
Excited to have this recipe in my back pocket for when I need a heaty side! :)
I stumbled across this recipe when I was making trying to find a substitute for plantains and am loving the results! The squash, with all the fixings came out like a mix between the sweetness of a ripe plantain and the dryness of a green one. Kinda perfect! I couldn’t have asked for a better recipe/substitute!
Maybe the Kabosha squash is easier to peel? –but I lost no fingers (or blood) in the making of this dish.
*Didn’t have maple syrup so used honey instead.
Thanks for the simple, delicious recipe!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a commment!