Reasons You’ll Love This Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe

Roasting acorn squash isn’t only easy as heck- but it’s shockingly delicious every single time… and seriously, I still surprise myself.

• • Incredibly easy to make. Five minutes of prepwork, four ingredients, including the salt & pepper, and the oven does all the work! After a quick 35 minutes, you’ll have beautifully roasted acorn squash that compliments any and all holiday leftovers.
  • Comfort food to the max. Warm, salty, and versatile enough to qualify for any Thanksgiving plate! Sweet, yet not too sweet, and gives you that I-wanna-take-a-nap feeling that is best felt in the Fall.
  • Stuff it or eat it on its own! I love to fill my roasted acorn squash with my basil fried rice recipe because they complement each other so wonderfully, but honestly, you can put just about anything in there! Leftover stuffing, a veggie/quinoa blend, or a tofu scramble! A few marshmallows (they make vegan ones!) with some brown sugar and cinnamon never hurt anybody, either… But they’re great on their own, too! You never feel like anything is missing with these guys, even when you’re enjoying them plain.
  • Safe to store. Feel free to keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days or freeze them in a sealed container/airtight bag for up to a few weeks! Just pop them back in the oven and re-toast the tops to your liking!
  • Always picture-perfect aesthetically – without the hardwork! It’s hard to take a bad photo of these, and anyone that you serve will almost positively make a comment, and you can feel guilt-free accepting!

Roasted Acorn Squash Ingredients and Equipment 

Roasted rainbow carrots are fun to make and only take a couple of ingredients.

• • Acorn Squash – An autumn classic, yet considered a winter squash that makes the perfect base for almost anything you throw together! Fried rice, quinoa/veggie blend, or any variation of a chickpea salad! High in potassium and fiber, acorn squash is an easy way to nourish your body and comfort your stomach!
  • Olive Oil – I’ll be honest, I have to exercise alot of will power when it comes to olive oil because if I don’t, I will put it on everything I eat… but it’s true, a little does go a long way! Virgin and extra virgin olive oil both work, but since you’re baking with it, I’d save the change and go with just regular virgin! Extra virgin olive oil caters more towards a high-quality taste, but since high heat frequently burns off most of the oil’s original flavor, it is usually best used for foods served cold!
  • Salt & Pepper – You don’t gotta ask me twice…I’m anextra-salt, extra-pepper kind of person, so I like to keep little bowls of each on my countertop and next to my stove!
  • Sheetpan, large knife, parchment paper, and a good spoon to scoop out the seeds! – Nothing fancy is required. If you don’t have any parchment paper or aluminum foil, don’t stress! You can use the sheet pan surface directly; just make sure it’s oiled before baking, and you scrub it well once you’re done!

How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash

This acorn roasted acorn squash recipe is so simple you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it earlier! 

• • Halve the squash. Using a large knife, halve the squash on a clean, steady surface, either horizontally or vertically. Both work just as well, so it’s up to you how you’d like it to look! I love to cut the tops off and bake them, too, so when I’m assembling everything on the final plate, my acorn squash has a little lid that I steady on top of whatever it’s stuffed with! Be careful- these buggers are slippery and require a stable surface to ensure it doesn’t shift around on you.
  • Scoop out the seeds. Use any spoon you have to scoop out all of the guts and seeds! In a perfect world, you’ll have an ice cream scoop on hand and can use that, but it’s totally not necessary. Make sure each squash is cleaned out thoroughly unless you’d like to be snacking on seeds later, hehe.
  • Coat lightly with oil. I liked to get both sides and inside the squash with a thin coating of olive oil to guarantee I get those crisp edges, but use as much as you deem necessary!
  • Salt and pepper like crazy! Over-salting, of course, can happen, but I rarely run into that issue when adding salt before baking… actually quite the opposite! I almost always end up salting again after baking, but it comes down to preference! Just make sure you give a good, healthy shake of salt and pepper to those bad boys- on both sides.
  • Rub it in. Rub everything into the squash, making sure it’s basically evenly coated with oil, salt, and pepper. Don’t forget the center! You want the entirety of the squash covered!
  • Sheet pan time! Place the acorn squash open face side down on the parchment paper – just trust me. The reveal will be incredible. Don’t worry about dripping oil, making a mess, etc. Cooking is dirty work, LOL! It’ll all come together perfectly after you pull it out of the oven. Using a fork, make a few marks on the outside of each halved squash so the steam can partially release while baking.
  • Bake! Roast them in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, checking the edges of the squash every once in a while to gauge the browning. Add five minutes at a time if you want them even crispier!

Roasted Acorn Squash Frequently Asked Questions

• • Acorn squash can last up to two months when kept at room temperature and have an even longer shelf life when stored in the fridge, so it takes a while! But the surefire way to tell is to cut it in half, as explained above, and if you find that the guts/seeds are slimy or grayish in color, it’s best to toss it out!
  • Cutting acorn squash is miserable. Anytips?Cut about half an inch off of the top and/or bottom of the squash so it can sit upright! Then cut down the center cleanly.
  • Can I use another type of oil? You sure can! Any mild – flavored, light oil will work just the same! Canola oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, and refined coconut oil would be my first choices.
  • Would this recipe work for butternut squash or pumpkin? Yes, it sure would! Please let us know if you try either one! We’d love to hear how it works out for you! You might have to adjust the baking time – but only a little.
  • Can I eat the skin? Although it’s edible, it doesn’t taste very good! I recommend scooping out all of the meat of the squash out and composting the shell!

How To Serve / What To Serve With Roasted Acorn Squash

• • Our Basil Fried Rice
  • Any couscous or quinoa blend you have on hand
  • Leftover stuffing
  • On its own with some of our cultured butter slathered on top of
    Brown sugar and cinnamon for a low-maintenance Fall dessert

I’ve yet to find another simple squash recipe that comes together as elegantly as this one. It looks absolutely stunning amongst a full Autumn spread or hidden delicately below a heap of basil-fried rice. Late lunch or Christmas dinner, this low-maintenance roasted acorn squash recipe is guaranteed to be a fan favorite, and you don’t even have to tell them how easy it was…