Honey Roasted Butternut Squash is a delicious and easy side dish with diced squash and crunchy pecans roasted to perfection with cinnamon and honey. This wonderful recipe for roasting butternut squash is perfect as a side or add-in for weeknight meals and holiday dishes like Thanksgiving turkey!
Easy Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Pecans
I love, love, love going back to the basics sometimes. It’s a nice and humble reminder that less is often more. And for me, there’s nothing better than a recipe that’s plain and simply delicious without much fanfare – come fall, that recipe is this Honey Roasted Butternut Squash.
Caramelized butternut tossed with crunchy pecans, cinnamon, honey and olive oil; this sweet and savory squash side dish is just loaded with flavor. Going through the ritual of cutting down and roasting a whole butternut squash is worth it, when the rest of the recipe couldn’t be any easier! I promise, this recipe is so simple, you’ll be making this yummy roasted squash over and over again all season.
Is Butternut Squash Good for You?
Butternut squash is a wonderful winter superfood, loaded with fiber, and antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Antioxidants have tons of health benefits like helping to reduce inflammation and damage to cells, so butternut squash is not only a versatile ingredient but definitely a healthy one also!
What You’ll Need
For this roasting recipe, all you need is a baking tray or baking dish, and a sharp knife for cutting the squash. Oh, and an oven for roasting – though that should be a given!
- Butternut Squash: One whole squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes. See below for tips on how best to cut up butternut squash!
- Honey: Maple syrup is also a good alternative.
- Olive Oil: For the highest quality, Extra Virgin is best. My go-to for this recipe is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Star Fine Foods!
- Crushed Pecans
- Ground Cinnamon
- Salt
How to Pick a Good Squash
Now to pick a perfect squash! Look for butternut squash that’s beige in color and free from deep cuts, soft spots, heavy scratches or bruising. The next “tell” for a quality squash is to pick it up and compare its weight to a few others – the heavier a squash is for its size, the better!
Once you have picked out your prize specimen, a good butternut squash will keep for two weeks (and often longer!) if kept in a cool and dry location.
The Best Way to Cut Butternut Squash
While it’s not the most glamorous kitchen activity, peeling and cutting a squash doesn’t have to be a battle! Cut the top and bottom ends off the squash, and using a peeler or a sharp knife, slice the peel off carefully lengthwise. You can stand the squash upright on a cut end if it makes things easier.
How to Make Honey Roasted Butternut Squash
I promised the easiest recipe ever; and since I’m a woman of my word, here are the instructions for roasting this beautiful butternut squash with honey and pecans:
Combine all ingredients with the squash in a good sized bowl.
Bake the butternut squash in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet, until tender. Give the cubes a light light stir halfway through cooking to make sure they are evenly roasted.
Serve after removing the squash from the oven, and transferring it to a serving dish. Adjust the seasoning to taste and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Be Careful When Cutting the Squash: Make sure you’re using a sharp enough knife (very important) and steady work surface when cutting up the butternut. Work slow and safe!
- Soften the Peel Before Peeling the Squash: If you think you’d fare better with the outside of the butternut softened a bit for peeling, poke a few holes in the peel and then microwave the squash for a minute or so.
Serving Suggestions
A perfectly roasted butternut squash is perfect to serve as a side, or as an add-in for so many easy fall meals! Here are some suggestions:
- Include this honey-coated butternut as the vegetable component in a juicy Pork Loin Roast.
- Serve as a side to tasty Baked or Grilled Marinated Chicken or Braised Short Ribs.
- Toss roasted butternut squash cubes into leafy Winter Salads or into a medley of Roasted Vegetables.
- Add roasted butternut squash as a sweet-savory element in pastas and risottos, or in wraps and quesadillas.
- Bake this butternut squash into a hearty Vegetarian Lasagna, or gluten-free Rice Casserole.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
You can store both cooked and uncooked leftover butternut squash for easy reheating and cooking! Just follow these directions.
- Cooked: To store, allow the butternut squash cubes to cool completely, then keep a batch airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat cooked squash in the microwave for a few minutes, or in the oven until heated through.
- Uncooked: Store the peeled and cubed squash in an airtight bag or container in the fridge for 3-5 days, then cook as desired.
Can I Freeze This?
You can freeze uncooked butternut squash by pre-freezing peeled and cut squash cubes on a sheet tray, then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer-safe container or resealable bag. Thaw the cubes whenever inspiration hits!
Cooked butternut squash is actually best to freeze when pureed! Blend the cubes of honey-roasted squash in a food processor until smooth, and then transfer to a freezer-safe container to freeze. Thaw the butternut squash puree in the fridge to use in recipes like Butternut Squash Soup!
More Thanksgiving Side Dish Ideas
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Creamy Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts Casserole
- Garlic Butter Roasted Parsnips
- Maple Roasted Carrots
- Traditional Stuffing Recipe
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
![Premium Organic Bamboo [ HEIM CONCEPT ] Extra Large Cutting Board and Serving Tray with Drip Groove [ 18" x 12" x ¾" inch Thick ] Eco-Friendly Thick Strong Bamboo Kitchenware](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Gj03UdjyL._SL500_.jpg)
Honey Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 (2.5 to 3 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
- 1 cup pecan pieces
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (My favorite is Star Fine Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil!)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Lightly coat a baking sheet or baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cubed squash, pecans, olive oil, honey, cinnamon and salt; toss well to combine.
- Transfer the butternut squash mixture to previously prepared baking sheet and arrange in one layer.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender, giving it a light stir halfway through cooking.
- Remove from oven.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Love roasted squash; the spices I prefer to use are thyme, garlic s and p, along with the honey. Best way to cut, is microwave squash for 2 minutes…so much easier to cut and peel
This is so delicious. I added minced garlic, and forgot the cinnamon. …
WOW! I will make this again!!.
Cutting it open is the hard part for me. Cutting the butternut squash into manageable pieces makes it easier to peel. Cut in half lengthwise, then across into 4 sections then peel.
I love butternut squash and your recipe looks delicious. What is the calorie count on this? Thank you so much!
Hi!
The nutritional information is located in the recipe card, toward the bottom. This dish serves 6 as a side, and each serving is 290 calories.
Fixed this at the request of my grandson because he wants to start eating better. Was a hit and got 5 stars for my effort. Was a big hit by the whole family.
Just curious…has anyone tried this in the slow cooker? If so any changes? I want to make it for Christmas dinner, but my turkey will hog the oven. Thinking a slow cooker may be the answer?
Hi Carolyn! Yep, you can definitely make it in the slow cooker. Also, I have a slow cooker recipe for butternut squash, if you’re interested: https://diethood.com/crock-pot-butternut-squash-apples-walnuts-raisins/
Hope that helps. Merry Christmas!!
thank you so much…looking forward to trying it today! Merry Christmas
I could eat just this for dinner and be perfectly content – yum!
Oh my gosh, this looks amazing!! I can’t get enough butternut squash this time of year and this recipe is a total must!