Published December 20, 2021.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Roasted acorn squash is a delicious vegetarian side dish that is brushed and baked with brown sugar butter and finished with fresh chopped sage. The addition of the sugar really helps to bring out the flavors in the squash.
Try serving up this roasted acorn squash alongside my beef tenderloin recipe or my standing ribeye roast. Don’t forget to watch the video tutorial to get the perfect step-by-step procedures for making this tasty roasted acorn squash recipe.
Acorn Squash is a tasty winter squash that has a green outside peel and orange flesh. The flavors are like a cross between butternut squash and a pumpkin. They can be roasted, smoked, or grilled whole, or can be peeled, large diced, and cooked to your likeness.
Like all hard squashes, acorn squash goes very well with any sort of sweetener like honey and fat, like butter. It’s an easy to prepare vegetable and is often served up at holiday meals.
Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe Video
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Acorn Squash – This is a winter squash but can be found all year long.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter.
- Brown Sugar – Packed light brown sugar is what you will use.
- Sage – Fresh chopped sage is best.
How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash
- Add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper to a small sauce pot and cook over low heat until melted.
- Place the sliced and seeded acorn squash wedges to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and brush the tops of them with the brown sugar-butter and bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
- Garnish with more butter and chopped fresh sage.
Make-Ahead
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done. You can keep them in a pot covered in the oven at 225° for up to 1 hour before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These do not freeze that well.
How to Reheat: Add to a saucepan with ½ cup of water and cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
chef notes + tips
- Once the acorn squash is done roasting you can add a few more things like chopped cooked bacon and shredded mozzarella cheese to enhance the flavors.
- You can use dried sage in this recipe if that is all you have.
More Side Dish Recipes
- Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Boiled Green Beans
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Vinegar Coleslaw
Video
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Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe
5 from 7 votes
Roasted acorn squash is a delicious side dish that is brushed and baked with brown sugar butter and finished with fresh chopped sage.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 seeded and quartered acorn squashes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°.
Add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper to a small sauce pot and cook over low heat until melted and mixed together.
Place the sliced and seeded acorn squash wedges skin side down onto a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and evenly brush the tops of them with the brown sugar-butter.
Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
Garnish with any leftover brown sugar-butter and chopped fresh sage.
Notes
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they are done. You can keep them in a pot covered in the oven at 225° for up to 1 hour before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These do not freeze that well.
How to Reheat: Add to a saucepan with ½ cup of water and cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
Once the acorn squash is done roasting you can add a few more things like chopped cooked bacon and shredded mozzarella cheese to enhance the flavors.
You can use dried sage in this recipe if that is all you have.
Nutrition
Calories: 167kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 12mgPotassium: 932mgFiber: 4gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 957IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 2mg
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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21 comments
- spenserf
I have always made this steamed in over or microwave with the same ingredients-I now have a new way to make it-thanks you Billy!
- Reply
- Teresa J Jackson
I made this recipe for my son-in-law, He loved it. I used the same recipe for my chicken. Both came out delicious.
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- Chef Billy Parisi
Glad you enjoyed it!
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- Cindy Faughner
This is delicious! Had guests over and they loved it‼️. My neighbor has a garden and gave me a few. I added onions and mushrooms (I had to use or they would go bad) to a couple halves! Busy moms…this one is definitely in your time frame!
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- Thora Dorn
Loved this recipe. I did tweak it with maple butter and pumpkin pie spice instead of brown sugar butter and sage.
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- Leslie Bryant
Love roasted acorn squash- I cut inhalf, scoop out the glunk, put dollop of butter and spoon of brown sugar in each half, bake in oven. 45 min or so, 350°. So good!
- Reply
Thanks for making it.
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- Sheila
I remember when I was still pretty young, one Christmas, My 2 Older sisters were married and myself and my younger sister were still at home. It was really nice having everyone home for Christmas!! Well, my dad cried while opening his presents. I’ll never forget this. It makes me tear to this day. He was so happy we were all together!! I was so happy we were all together!! I think Everyone was really happy we were all Together!! It was a Great Christmas!! Thank You Jesus for a Really Great Memory!! 🙏🙏❤️❤️
- Reply
Thanks for sharing that story!
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- Gayna
This recipe looks superb! My most fondest Christmas memory was the year we got snowed in and my girls were 4 & 5. We lost power at one point, so we picnicked in the living room around the fire eating cheese and crackers until it came back on! Definitely a day I’ll never forget!
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- Cynthia Kay
My best Christmas memory is being at Grandma’s house for her dinner which she always took great pride in. My twin brothers were at home, one on leave from the Army and the other home from collage and they were late getting to Grandma’s house. Everyone else was there and the dinner was done. So my Dad said, ” Well Mom, go ahead and call my house and see if they’re there!” So we all listened to Grandma as she rang up and started right in, “Why aren’t you here? The potatoes are mashed, the gravy is done, the turkey is going to be dry! And I made your favorite pie!” There was a long pause and Grandma quietly hung up the phone. ” Well, what did they say?” we asked. With an embarrassed look, Grandma said, “Wrong number, but he asked if he could come anyway.”
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- Melissa R
I remember lying on the floor of the living room late at night, with all the lights in the house off, just staring at the beautiful patterns on the ceiling made by the colored lights on the tree. A simple joy.
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- Brenda Haines
It has to be in my great grandma’s big, pink 50’s kitchen. We would drive out to my great grandparents house, open our presents and then help grandma in the kitchen. The smells that came from that kitchen were heavenly, and we try to recreate those recipes every year. Some years we are on the money, other years we’re off the mark a tad. But, Great Grandma Margaret’s meals live on with us. Thanks for the chance!
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- Donna Lynch
This Christmas is the most memorable Christmas memory. I say that because I have my daughter back. For the last 16 years my daughter would have nothing to do with me. Every Christmas was very sad and tension filled and I would spend it alone so she could have a good Christmas without having me around. But a few months ago she gave her life to God and turned completely around. One day I received a text that said “I love you Mom” and we keep getting closer and closer every day. The “I love you’s” come easy for her now. Whatever was causing her bitterness has ended. We laugh and talk and go places together. Yes, when this Christmas rolls around, it will be the best and most memorable Christmas I have ever had. Last year I spent Christmas day at the cemetery at my son’s grave who died way to early of a massive heart attack caused by a blood clot in his leg that broke loose. I can’t bring my son back and oh how wish I could but I can have my daughter this Christmas. I want to have the Christmas tree and sing carols and dance in the snow and have a feast. This Christmas will be the best Christmas memory I’ve ever had.
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- Brad Burgess
My favorite Christmas memories involved making Cashew Chicken with my family for Christmas dinner. Granted, this dish is not traditional for the holiday, but we usually were burned out on turkey and ham after Thanksgiving. In Springfield, Missouri, there are over 100 cashew chicken shacks, and it is the hometown dish without a doubt. As the oldest child of five, I was always a part of the meal preparation, but never as much as this feast. The chicken had to be soaked in salt water overnight, and breaded and fried the next morning. This was quite a task given the quantity of chicken needed and the shabby electric stove we cooked on. As the younger kids got older, my Mother and I incorporated them into the dinner preparation, which didn’t lighten our load at all, but it did give them more of an appreciation for how much time and love went into this venture. Along with the Cashew Chicken, we had rice, hot and sour soup and hand rolled egg rolls. The meal was so delicious and anticipated that the little kids didn’t even mind when the presents were all opened and the stockings were emptied. The Cashew Chicken was still coming!
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- lacey
I have had many, but the best was when I cooked Christmas dinner for my grandmother , who raised me and is now in a home. She cryed and said….”this tastes like home Lacey” and I replied ” its because I was taught by the best with love….you taught me grandma”…..in which she replied…”yes I did,,,,yes I did. And that’s why with your cooking , I’ll always be home”….her smile made me melt and I couldn’t even breath……THAT DAY AND THOSE WORDS WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME?????I LOVE YOU GRANDMA…..THE BEST COOK AND TEACHER I KNOW
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- Diane Richards
A few years back, when my sister was still living in San Diego, my husband and I went to spend Christmas with her and her then future husband. We also had the pleasure of meeting our future extended family as well for the first time. Days leading up to the Big Day, we went out and celebrated our future sister-in-law’s birthday at a fabulous restaurant, enjoyed Christmas lights at the San Diego Wild Animal Park and drove around and enjoyed beautiful Christmas decorations and lights around the San Diego area.
On Christmas Day, we started Christmas Dinner with pulling crackers, which was our first time doing this old school Christmas tradition. What was cool with these crackers, it had a paper with sheet music written on it and a tuned whistle. We all put on our hats and played our musical tune, laughing all the way through. Enjoyed a delicious traditional turkey Christmas Dinner with all the fixins, then opened presents. A lot of cool gifts, great laughs, awesome company and a great memory!
Sure did beat the starefest at my aunt and uncle’s house we used to have to go through growing up.
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- Susan Plummer
When both my husband and my family were together for the first time. I found Christmas crackers that had whistles with different notes… we each got a different note to play different holiday songs… it was so much fun and a fun surprise for everyone. We still talk about it.
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- Cyndi br
Christmas memory is making ornaments for the Christmas tree
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- Jeffrey
My most memorable Christmas was a few years ago when Santa brought new bicycles for my two boys, the surprise look on their faces was something I will not soon forget!
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- patsy crowe
had all my family there,, it was awesome.. now I am all alone,,
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