Roasted Butternut Squash

5 from 3 votes

This Oven Roasted Butternut Squash is caramelized, tender, and cozy—the fall side dish that's easy to make any night of the week. A simple technique keeps every cube golden instead of soggy, while a maple-cinnamon glaze, six seasoning variations, and my expert tips make these melt-in-your-mouth cubes worth making on repeat. I've also included variations in the NOTES to suit your mood and cuisine.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings -8

Author [email protected]

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash (3 lbs) peeled, cut into 1" cubes
2 tablespoons melted butter (may sub olive oil)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp EACH ground cinnamon, dried thyme, dried rosemary, garlic powder
1/4 tsp EACH pepper, paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 15 x 20 jelly roll pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add squash to the prepared pan.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Drizzle 2/3 of the butter mixture over the squash, then mix until evenly coated.
Spread the squash in a single layer so the pieces don't touch.
Roast for 15 minutes, stir, and spread back into an even layer. Continue to roast an additional 10-15 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender. Broil for 1-2 minutes if desired. Remove from oven and toss with remaining butter mixture (microwave if needed to thin butter). Serve warm.

Notes

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash is SO easy with just four ingredients, from there you can add in all sorts of seasonings, flavorings and ingredients. Here are a few different options, but don't limit yourself to the alone and keep in mind, the recipe variations all start with the Basic Roasted Butternut Squash recipe.

BASIC ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

1 large butternut squash (3 lbs) peeled, chopped into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cocking spray..
Add squash, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss until evenly coated. Spread squash out into a single layer so it's not touching.
Bake at 400 degrees R for 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH SAGE

Sage pairs particularly well with roasted butternut squash. You can toss the squash with 12 sage leaves before roasting or 2 tablespoons finely chopped sage. You can also choose to toss sage with browned butter before adding to the squash. To do this:

Roast squash according to basic squash ingredients/instructions.
In a separate small pan, melt 2 tablespoon butter over medium heat until the foam subsides.
Add 20 sage leaves and cook just for 30 seconds, or until the butter is light brown and the sage is crisp.
Immediately pour over roasted squash and toss to coat.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH BALSAMIC

Balsamic Roasted Butternut Squash is one of my favorite combinations. Whisk together 2 tablespoons balsamic and 2 teaspoons either honey or pure maple syrup. Toss squash with a third of the mixture along with 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. After roasting, toss squash with remaining mixture.

CINNAMON ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup and 1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon along with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can also add a dash of cayenne pepper. Roast according to directions.

BROWN SUGAR ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Toss butternut squash cubes with 2 tablespoons brown sugar optional 1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, rosemary or sage along with olive oil, salt and pepper. You may also substitute the olive oil with 3 tablespoons melted butter.

Asian Roasted Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash and caramelized cashews infused with brown sugar and loaded with Asian spices for deliciousness in every bite. The caramelized roasted squash melts in your mouth and the cashews add a satisfying crunch, all seeping with Chinese 5 Spice, garlic, ginger, Sriracha and brown sugar. You will need:

1 medium squash, peeled, chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2-1 teaspoon Sriracha/hot Asian chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup whole cashews

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
Add butternut squash and all remaining ingredients except cashews and toss until evenly coated.
Spread out in a single layer so the squash is not touching.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes.
After squash has cooked 12 minutes, add the cashews and stir to coat in some of the pan seasonings.
Cook an additional 12-18 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

*If you aren't familiar with Chinese 5 Spice, I first introduced my readers to it with my Chinese 5 Spice Chicken Wings with Sticky Soy Balsamic Reduction Glaze (in case you needed a second delicious reason to buy the spice). Its a powder spice mix of cinnamon, cloves, Szechwan pepper, ground fennel seeds, and star anise which creates an explosion of flavor and the perfect balance of spice and heat. It is thought to have been created by ancient Chinese who were attempting to produce a perfectly balanced “wonder spice.”

MAKE AHEAD

The squash can be chopped a day in advance and either stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator OR tossed with olive oil and seasonings, spread out on the baking sheet, covering tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated. When ready to serve, simply roast the butternut squash, adding an additional 5 minutes to roasting time.