Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple (2024)

Such familiar ingredients, just butternut squash cut in cubes, chopped apples, maple syrup and warm fall spices. Yet somehow these easy, fall roasted vegetables create unexpected layers of flavor and color. And isn't this one of the prettiest vegetable dishes to ever hit a table?! Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple is festive for special occasions like Thanksgiving but simple enough for weekend suppers too.

Real Food, Fresh & Seasonal. Perfect for Fall and Winter. Budget Friendly. Especially Pretty on a Buffet. Weeknight Simple, Weekend Special. Easily Converted to Vegan.

~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~

COMPLIMENTS!

"Fantastic recipe! ... huge hit with everyone." ~ Andrew
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A "Real Food" Recipe from a Surprising Source

When I was first learning to cook, my "teachers" were three church cookbooks, a 3x5 box for recipes clipped from newspapers and, over time, a stack of Pillsbury cookbooks, you know the ones, right? from the grocery store check-out lane?

As my cooking style veered toward "whole food" and "real ingredients", the Pillsbury product-heavy recipes no longer appealed.

So I hadn’t bought a Pillsbury cookbook in years until somehow, last year’s November issue grabbed my attention. And hey! it was a nice little recipe book, with short and seasonal recipes, good pictures, a focus on eating healthfully – all in all, my kind of recipe inspiration!

If you find yourself with an extra minute waiting in a grocery line, you might scan the current issue, just to see.

This squash and apple dish is the first recipe from the Pillsbury cookbook. And honestly, it caught me by surprise – the layers of flavor are just so good, that brightness of cinnamon, that smokiness of curry, the familiar bites of winter squash and apple.

It would be a hit, I think, at Thanksgiving, especially in a buffet since it’s good served both hot and at room temperature. Later, I’d serve it with ham, perhaps pork, perhaps lamb. It has a festive feel that makes it perfect for holiday tables but a Saturday night supper, too.

About This Recipe

This is a colorful vegetable side dish for serving hot or at room temperature, just cubes of butternut squash and apple tossed in spices and roasted until soft and aromatic.
The distinctive ingredients are the pretty orange squash, the crisp apple, the spices (curry, cinnamon and nutmeg) plus a touch of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.
It takes about 20 minutes to cut up and prep the squash and apple, then almost another hour in the oven.
Because the squash takes longer to cook than the apple, it goes in the oven by itself first, then the apple is added later. The baking sheet is covered with foil, this creates an "oven within an oven" that keeps the squash and fruit moist and flavorful.
This is one of the prettiest side dishes, especially welcome in the fall and winter when so many dishes are just a lot of brown-brown-brown.
The recipe yields about four cups of roasted squash and apple, that's about eight side-dish servings.

How to Cut, Peel & Cube a Butternut Squash and
Keep All Ten Fingers

I'm pretty sure you like all your fingers, right?

Consider this a public service announcement. It turns out, I'm not alone in approaching a butternut squash with wary eyes. They're dense and unwieldy, perhaps better left alone.

No more. Now there's the definitive step-by-step photo guide to cutting up a butternut squash at A Veggie Venture. Learning the right technique is a revelation, I've been squash-crazy ever since learning, finally, how to tackle one of these guys.

So many people are turning to that photo guide to learn how to cut up a butternut squash!

Bookmark! PIN! Share!

How do you save and share favorite recipes? recipes that fit your personal cooking style? a particular recipe your mom or daughter or best friend would just love? If this recipe for a colorful vegetable side hits the mark, go ahead, save and share! I'd be honored ...

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & APPLE

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1-1/4 hours
Makes 4 cups

1 butternut squash, about 1-1/2 pounds, washed well
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 apples, cored, chopped into half-inch pieces
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (don’t skip)

Set oven to 375F/190C. While the oven heats up, place a glass or ceramic baking dish on the center rack in the oven to preheat.

SQUASH Place the squash in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften (see TIPS). Remove the skin, seeds and membrane, then into half-inch cubes (see How to Cut, Peel & Cube a Butternut Squash). In a large bowl (see TIPS), toss the squash with remaining squash ingredients, coating the cubes well with butter and spices. Transfer to the baking dish.

ROAST THE SQUASH ALONE Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

ADD THE APPLES Combine apples, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Arrange apples over the squash. Re-cover with foil, bake for another 10 minutes.

Hungry Yet?
A Menu for a Fall Feast

Cranberry Orange Spread & Crackers
Tender Pork Tenderloin
~ Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple ~
(recipe above)
Celery, Date & Walnut Salad
from A Veggie Venture
with Fried Bread

Apple Cider Indian Pudding

More Favorite Winter Squash Recipes

more
~ winter squash recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

~ Steamed Butternut Squash ~
~ Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze ~
~ Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash, Chard & Cheddar ~
more
~ winter squash recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture, my food blog about vegetables

THE RECIPE Squash Puff An old family recipe, traditional for Thanksgiving.
ANOTHER TAKE Turnip Puff or Rutabaga Puff A family Thanksgiving favorite.

THE RECIPE Rich with world spices.
ANOTHER TAKE Mediterranean Eggplant Skillet Quick, easy & tasty vegetarian supper.

THE RECIPE Winter Stew A master recipe, cook with confidence, no recipe required.
ANOTHER TAKE On the table and flavorful within an hour.

Shop Your Pantry First

(helping home cooks save money on groceries)

~ winter squash ~
~ apples ~
~ maple syrup ~

~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, for more scratch cooking recipes using whole, healthful ingredients, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple (2024)

FAQs

Do I need to peel butternut squash before roasting? ›

While butternut squash skin is edible and it can even turn nice and crisp when roasted, many people prefer to peel it first so it's easier to eat. Butternut squash skin is smooth and thin and the best way to peel it is by using a sharp vegetable peeler.

How do you know when butternut squash is cooked through? ›

Bake in the preheated oven until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water as needed.

What is the liquid coming out of my butternut squash? ›

Butternut squash contains a sticky, sap-like substance that is released when the fruit (squash is technically a fruit) is cut.

Tell Me More ›

Why do my fingers feel weird after cutting butternut squash? ›

Raw butternut squash can cause some people to develop an allergic skin reaction called “squash hands.” Wearing gloves while handling the fruit or purchasing prepared butternut squash can help you prevent this skin reaction. A 1% hydrocortisone cream can help alleviate squash hands symptoms.

Read On ›

Do you cut butternut squash before roasting? ›

Here's what you need to do:

Start by peeling the squash. Peeling winter squash can be intimidating, but don't let butternut scare you. ...
Next, cut the squash. Chop off the stem and slice the squash in half vertically. ...
Finally, it's time to bake!

Keep Reading ›

Can you eat butternut squash without peeling? ›

You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups.

See Details ›

Should skin be removed from butternut squash? ›

Use a sharp knife (or a sturdy vegetable peeler) to carefully remove the skin. Alternatively, the skin can stay on because it's edible when roasted! But if adding to a soup (or recipe where it won't be roasted), remove and discard.

Keep Reading ›

Should squash be peeled before cooking? ›

Depending on what type of squash you are using you might not need to peel it, with thinner skinned squash such as butternut squash you can eat the skin. For thicker skinned squash it is often easier to cut the squash into large wedges, roast, and then peel the skin off after it's cooked when it's softer and easier.

Discover More Details ›

How do you roast a whole butternut squash Jamie Oliver? ›