Add a festive flair to your dinner table with the mouth-watering Maple Glazed Acorn Squash. Requiring just five ingredients, this simple and tasty dish brings the sweetness of maple to the fore. A perfect easy side dish, suitable for occasions like Thanksgiving or to perk up your everyday meal!
Need an exceptional yet easy side dish that works well for a weeknight dinner but is easy enough for your holiday spread? Look no further than the sensational Maple Glazed Acorn Squash.
Its delectable sweetness and soft texture, paired with the rich, caramelized maple glaze, will undoubtedly impress your friends and family.
It's remarkably easy to put together with just a handful of ingredients. Whether arranging a grand Thanksgiving spread or just livening up your regular dinner routine, this recipe is something you absolutely need to try.
Ingredients
- Acorn Squash: These sweet and nutty squashes are the stars of our dish. They're perfect for roasting and pair perfectly with both sweet and savory flavors. If you can't find acorn squash, don't worry! Butternut squash or delicata squash would make excellent substitutes.
- Salted Butter: This adds a rich, creamy depth to our roasted squash. You could use unsalted butter if that's what you have on hand, just remember to adjust the salt to taste. For a dairy-free option, coconut oil or olive oil would work nicely.
- Maple Syrup: This gives our squash a delightful hint of natural sweetness. If you don't have maple syrup, you could try using honey or brown sugar instead. For a lower-sugar option, you could use a brown sugar substitute.
- Kosher Salt: This helps to enhance all the flavors in our dish. If you don't have kosher salt, you can use table salt or sea salt. Just be careful with the amount, as different salts have different levels of saltiness!
Step by Step
For the full recipe with measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Tips and Tricks for Maple Glazed Acorn Squash
- Choose the Right Squash: Look for acorn squash that feels heavy for its size and has hard, dull skin. Avoid those with soft spots or shiny skin - those are signs that the squash is either underripe or overripe.
- Use Real Maple Syrup: I can't stress this enough - use real maple syrup, not the artificially flavored ones. I personally love the robust flavor of Grade A Dark Color Maple Syrup. It brings out the natural sweetness of the acorn squash and adds a lovely depth of flavor.
- Don't Forget to Season: While the maple syrup provides sweetness, don't forget to season your squash with salt and pepper before roasting. This helps bring out the flavors and gives a nice balance to the sweetness of the syrup.
- Enjoy the Seeds: Don't throw away the seeds! Just like pumpkin seeds, acorn squash seeds can be roasted for a crunchy, nutritious snack. Just rinse them, toss with a bit of olive oil and your favorite spices, then roast until golden brown.
More Squash Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto: This creamy, dreamy risotto is a one-pot wonder, packed with the sweet and nutty flavors of butternut squash - perfect for those cozy family dinners.
- Butternut Squash Quinoa Casserole: This casserole pairs the earthy sweetness of butternut squash with protein-packed quinoa for a hearty and nutritious meal that's sure to please the whole family.
- Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta: Transform your weeknight dinners with this Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta, where the caramelized squash adds a delightful sweetness that dances perfectly with the savory pasta - it's a must-try!
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash: Looking for a low-carb alternative to spaghetti? Our Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash is an easy, healthy option that doesn't sacrifice flavor.
Maple Glazed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- ⅓ cup salted butter or Earth Balance
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Halve acorn squash, scoop out seeds and pith, peel, and slice into half-rings.
- Melt butter, maple syrup, and salt in microwave and then whisk to emulsify.
- Toss squash in butter and syrup mixture.
- Roast at 400F, moving around every 5 minutes, for 20-25 minutes until caramelize and crispy on the edges.
- Serve and enjoy!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle
That sounds so good! I can already taste the sweetness of the maple mixed with the sweet earthiness of the acorn squash. Yummo!
Wendy Polisi
Thanks Stacie!
WithOurBest
I've never peeled acorn squash like this! I love how you do that... I need to remember this for next time!
Wendy Polisi
It is really fun!
Wendy Del Monte
oh, who I love Squash! Almost any kid! This squash looks like it' would be perfect any time of the year, not just Thanksgiving!
Wendy Polisi
I agree - I don't know why I don't serve acorn squash more often.
WhispersInspire
Mmm, I bet this tastes amazing. I love how you peeled it too. SO creative.
Wendy Polisi
Thanks!
sara
This recipe looks delicious! I love the flavor of maple with squash, it is a perfect pair.
Wendy Polisi
Thanks Sara - I am a huge fan of the combo too.
Run For Life
I haven't tried acorn squash. I always see them at the grocery store but I haven't ever looked into how to cook them. I might have to give this recipe a try. The maple glaze sounds amazing.
Wendy Polisi
Let me know how it goes if you try it. I am a huge fan of maple anything!
Ricci
I'm normally not fan of squash but this recipe looks really good!! YUM!!
Wendy Polisi
Thanks so much Ricci!
Kathy
This looks very good. I love squash! I'm going to have to give yours a try. Yum!
Wendy Polisi
I hope you enjoy it Kathy!
Adriana
This sounds SO good!! I need to try this recipe. I love trying out new things so I'll be giving this a try ASAP!
Wendy Polisi
Enjoy!
Adriana
Wow what beautiful pictures!!! You have great photography skills - and this recipe looks delicious! I need to try this out! -Kendall
Wendy Polisi
Thanks so much for your kind words. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
rika agustini
I love squash! This recipe looks delicious! Can't wait to try it on my salad!
Wendy Polisi
I hope you enjoy it Rika!
Wendy Polisi
I used to hate veggies and now I adore them. I think it is just about finding ways to fix them that you enjoy!
*Wendy Polisi*
*https://wendypolisi.com *
Shannon Graham
What a delicious idea! Never had squash prepared this way!