This has got to be the prettiest festive side dish! These maple roasted acorn squash halves are:
Easy To Prepare
Melt In Your Mouth Soft & Buttery
Subtly Sweet
Garnished With The Roasted Squash Seeds
And A Filling Side Dish!
What Is Acorn Squash
Acorn squash is a smaller squash with green skin that is usually tinged with yellow or orange. Compared to Butternut Squash it is:
- A little less sweet
- The flesh is a bit more stringy or fibrous
- And the taste is a bit more watery
So... this recipe:
- Sweetens the squash with maple syrup for a subtle sweet caramelization.
- Roasts the squash for 40-50 minutes to soften that flesh.
- And uses plant butter to seep into the flesh and create a melt in your mouth buttery flavour!
How To Prepare Acorn Squash
- Wash the skin under cold running water since you will be eating the skin once roasted.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the squash in half, from stem to stem.
- Mind your fingers and when you get to the thick top stem just use your hands to pull the two halves apart.
- Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and the stringy membrane leaving a hollowed out centre.
- Reserve the seeds and roast them for a tasty garnish or snack for later!
- Lay the hollowed out squash halves on a parchment or silicone lined baking tray.
- Brush each half with some melted butter.
- And sprinkle the skins with salt and pepper.
- Flip the squash halves over so the flesh is facing up.
- Brush the remaining butter over the flesh.
- Drizzle the maple syrup over the flesh and use the pastry brush to spread it evenly.
- Give it another sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- And roast in the preheated (400 degrees F) oven for 40 - 50 minutes!
- If adding fresh herbs it is best to add them in the last 10 minutes of the cooking time so they don't burn.
Recipe Cost
This easy maple roasted acorn squash recipe can serve 2-4 people as a side dish and costs us approximately: CAD $4.29. We garnished the squash with some frozen sage we had on hand which adds roughly: $0.15 to the cost.
- Feel free to garnish with fresh herbs.
- A sprinkling of dried herbs: sage, thyme or rosemary perhaps.
- Or, sprinkle with cinnamon for another boost of festive sweetness!
And of course! Use those roasted squash seeds as a garnish or have them as a tasty snack later!
If you like this recipe you will want to take a look at our Stunning, Simple Curried Butternut Squash Soup and make your acorn squash the star of a main dish with this Fall Thai Green Curry!
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Maple Roasted Acorn Squash On The Side
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This beautiful maple roasted acorn squash is a stunning festive side! Easy to prepare, melts in your mouth, and perfectly caramelized!
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash*
- 1 tbsp melted vegan butter
- 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
- Sage leaves, optional (or herb of choice, I used frozen sage!)*
*Fresh Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Wash your squash well under running water as you will be eating the skin. Slice the squash in half from stem to stem. When you arrive at the thick top stem just pull the two halves apart and the stem will split cleanly (no need to try and slice through it).
- Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy membrane. Reserve the seeds and follow the instructions below for roasting them (toss the stringy membrane in your veggie scraps for flavourful homemade broth!).
- With the seeds removed, place the squash halves on the prepared baking sheet with the skin side up. Brush the skins with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Flip the squash halves so the flesh is facing up and brush the squash flesh with the remaining melted butter, the maple syrup, and give them another pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place them in the oven (flesh side up) and roast for 40-50 minutes.
- While your squash roasts you can prepare the seeds and roast them along with the squash for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time. Pull the seeds from the stringy membrane, rinse them clean, and pat them dry with a clean cloth. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. You can keep the seeds plain or drizzle them with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can even add maple syrup if you prefer them sweet!
- At 40 minutes check the squash. Scoop a bit of the butter and maple syrup that has pooled in the centre cavity over the edges of the flesh to give them a quick baste. Now you can sprinkle with any fresh or dried herbs you desire. I used some frozen sage leaves I had and it worked well! Thyme, rosemary, oregano, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon could be nice!
- Roast the seeds on a lower rack in the oven with the squash for the final 10 minutes or so (the seeds will take 8-10 minutes, they are done when they start “popping” and are lightly browned).
- Best served straight from the oven. You can sprinkle with some fresh herbs and the roasted seeds if desired. If you need to reheat the squash, place it back in the oven for a few minutes until warm.
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $4.29 for the squash plus any herbs you desire. Our cost using the frozen sage leaves we had is roughly an extra $0.15.
The maple syrup provides a subtle sweetness to the squash. If you prefer the squash quite sweet, consider sprinkling with brown sugar (coconut or cane sugar could work as well).
1 squash can feed 2 to 4 people as a side dish. Either serve one half for each person or quarter the squash once it is roasted to feed 4. Increase the butter and maple syrup amounts depending on how many squash you are roasting.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: American
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