Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash

By Ina Garten

4.5

(4)

Roasted acorn squash halves with a pool of maple butter in the center.
Photo by Quentin Bacon

When I was growing up, my mother served a lot of canned vegetables, but the one thing she always made from scratch was acorn squash, which she roasted with butter and maple syrup. When I revisited her old method, I found it was just as good as I remembered. The sweet squash filled with a big puddle of melted butter and sweet syrup is so irresistible!

Cooks' Note

Acorn squash is hard to cut. To halve a whole squash, plunge the blade of a large chef’s knife into the side of the squash as far as it will go. Holding the handle of the knife, bang the squash (with the knife in it) on the board until the blade cuts all the way through.

Editor's Note: Head this way for more of our best acorn squash recipes →

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 6

Ingredients

3 acorn squash, unpeeled, halved through the stem, and seeded
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, plus extra for serving
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Step 2

    Place the squash, cut sides up, on a sheet pan. Place ½ tablespoon butter and ½ tablespoon maple syrup in the cavity of each squash. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle the squash with 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash, until tender when pierced with a small knife.

    Step 3

    Place the squash on a serving platter. If the halves are too large for one serving, cut each piece in half through the stem. Drizzle lightly with extra maple syrup, sprinkle with sea salt, and serve hot.

Cover of the cookbook featuring Ina Garten flipping croutons in a skillet
Recipe courtesy for COOK LIKE A PRO. Copyright © 2018 by Ina Garten. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Buy the full book from Amazon.
TagsAcorn SquashSquashVegetableSideDinnerGluten FreeNut FreeVegetarianEasyWeeknight Meals5 Ingredients or FewerRoastThanksgivingFallCookbooks

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Halloumi Lasagna
In this lasagna, soft layers of pasta and béchamel are interspersed with a rich tomato sauce laden with hearty Mediterranean vegetables.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Grape Dumplings
Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.
Roasted Honeynut Squash With Cottage Cheese and Chili Crisp
This little squash loves big-flavor toppings.
Sheet-Pan Sausage With Corn, Peach, and Cucumber Salad
This summery sheet-pan dinner celebrates the bounty of the season and couldn't be simpler to make. Chorizo plays nicely with the salad, thanks to its spice.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Fluffier, fresher, and fancier than anything from a tub or can.
Zucchini, Pea, and Bulgur Pilaf
This fragrant salad uses bulgur wheat as its base, an endlessly versatile, slightly chewy grain that’s very popular throughout the eastern Mediterranean.