Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Butternut Squash is the PERFECT side dish, made with olive oil, spices, and a dash of cinnamon, ready in under 45 minutes!
If you’re looking for a simple side dish for dinner, look no further than this roasted butternut squash. It’s easy to make, and also a healthy option during the holiday season with a beautiful roasted flavor. This is one of my favorite recipes to make for my family in the fall, and it’s sure to become yours, too!
If you like this recipe, you should also check out my Oven Roasted Vegetables, Oven Roasted Garlic, and Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick and Easy! This recipe is on the table in under 45 minutes, and even less time if you buy pre-cut butternut squash from the store!
Perfect for Holidays! This is the perfect match for fall spices, and the color of butternut squash looks amazing on a holiday dinner table.
Healthy Meal Prep: This is also perfect for a weekly meal prep. One butternut squash will give you enough for about 4-6 meals, depending on how big your squash is. This pairs perfectly with my Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Butternut Squash. I like to use a whole butternut squash, which isn’t as hard to cut up as you think it is! You can also use pre-cut squash from the grocery store, if you want to make this even faster.
A medium butternut squash will take up one regular sheet pan, but if it’s on the larger side you may need to work in batches.
Olive Oil. Regular extra virgin olive oil helps hold the spices to the squash pieces, and helps the squash caramelize in the oven. You can also use avocado oil or canola oil.
Spices. You can go simple and just use kosher salt and black pepper, but I like to also add some savory notes with garlic powder and onion powder, and some classic fall flavor with a touch of ground cinnamon.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe, all you need is a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet.
If you’re cutting up your own butternut squash, you’ll also need a sharp knife and a sharp vegetable peeler.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash
Time needed: 40 minutes
- Mix the seasoning.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and spices.
- Coat the squash in seasoning.
Add the cubed squash to a medium mixing bowl. Pour the oil mixture over the squash, and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Make an even layer on the sheet pan.
Pour the butternut squash cubes onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly in a single layer and leaving some space between each piece.
- Roast for 30 minutes.
Transfer squash to the hot oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender, golden brown and caramelized on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Variations
- Make your roasted butternut squash cubes spicy with a dash of cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes.
- Try using difference spices. This recipe would also work well with my Homemade Italian Seasoning, or my Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- If you like this sweet, try drizzling with maple syrup or honey before roasting. Use pure maple syrup for the best results.
- If you like this savory, try topping with fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme before serving.
Recipe Tip! This can be served as a side dish, but butternut squash also goes well when added to other dishes! Try it on salads, rice bowls, in soups, or tossed with pasta. You can also puree these to make a butternut squash soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t be intimidated by cutting up a fresh butternut squash, it’s surprisingly easy! Once you get the hang of it, your prep time will be much faster.
First, cut the top and bottom ends off of the squash, where the stem was. Discard these pieces.
Then, take a vegetable peeler and peel the skin off of the squash. I use the same tool that I use to peel carrots. Discard the skin.
Once it’s fully peeled, cut the squash in half, separating the long thin part from the round bottom part. Then cut the round part in half as well. From here, you can scoop out the butternut squash seeds and discard them.
Finally, cut each end into slices. From here you can cut each part of the squash into 1-inch cubes. Try to keep them around the same size, so they can cook evenly.
Recipe Tip! If your squash pieces are cut on the larger side, you have to increase your cook time by a few minutes. Smaller pieces will cook faster. This recipe is for about 1-inch pieces.
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes
- Parmesan Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Honey Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
Storage
Refrigerate roasted squash in an airtight storage container for 3-4 days.
Freeze leftover butternut squash in an airtight container for 2-3 months. The texture may change slightly after being frozen.
Cooking Tips
- Try to cut your butternut squash pieces to about the same size, so they all finish cooking at the same time.
- If you don’t have parchment paper, you can spray your baking sheet with cooking spray instead.
- Try to leave space between each piece, so they can roast properly. If your squash pieces are piled up on top of each other they will steam instead of roast.
- If you’d like your squash to caramelize more, turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn.
- You can prep the squash the day before and refrigerate the pieces in an airtight container. When you’re ready to cook, just toss in the olive oil and seasoning and roast.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds discarded, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper , or to taste
Equipment
- 1 rimmed baking sheet
- 1 medium mixing bowl
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and spices.
- Add the cubed squash to a medium mixing bowl. Pour the oil mixture over the squash, and stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour the squash onto the baking sheet, spreading evenly in a single layer and leaving some space between each piece.
- Transfer squash to the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, or until fork-tender and caramelized on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- If your squash pieces are cut on the larger side, you have to increase your cook time by a few minutes. Smaller pieces will cook faster.
- Try to cut your butternut squash pieces to about the same size, so they all finish cooking at the same time.
- Try to leave space between each piece, so they can roast properly. If your squash pieces are piled up on top of each other they will steam instead of roast.
- You can prep the squash the day before and refrigerate the pieces in an airtight container. When you’re ready to cook, just toss in the oil and seasoning and roast.
Nutrition
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