Easy baked acorn squash, with butter and brown sugar, the perfect side dish for fall and the holidays.
One of my favorite things about the changing seasons is the changing seasonal vegetables, like winter squash. Acorn squash, and other varieties, are so good baked in the oven with a little butter and brown sugar. So simple and so delicious.
I think the hardest part of this recipe is cutting the squash in half! Use a very sharp knife and be careful, take your time. Fingers out of the way and squash firmly stabilized on the board, slice through and rotate around until it's cut in half. If the knife gets stuck, sometimes I bang the squash on the board to push the knife all the way through. The bigger the squash, the harder it is to cut.
Hard part over, now scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff and discard (or save the seeds for roasting). Place the halves cut-side down in a baking dish. Pierce the skin a couple of times with the tip of the knife. Pour a little water in the dish and bake. After awhile when they're tender and almost done, turn them over and add butter and brown sugar and then back to the oven to finish.
You can certainly bake other winter squash the same way. One of my other favorites is delicata squash, with it's sweet potato-like dense texture. Butternut is good, too, although usually too big for this purpose. I like the size, texture and taste of acorn and delicata for baking.
Baked acorn squash, a fall favorite that we love with pork, chicken or salmon. It's also perfect for entertaining and a great addition to the holiday table. Happy fall ~ Kelly🍴🐦
Since we're talking seasonal and easy vegetable side dishes, give these a try!
- The best Brussels sprouts caramelized with honey and Dijon mustard in one pan on the stovetop.
- Glazed carrots with honey, brown sugar and fresh thyme. So easy and delicious!
- Southern green beans with bacon and onion, easy hands off recipe on the stovetop.
- Oven roasted broccoli for a tasty change of pace, with garlic, lemon and Parmesan cheese.
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Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons butter (I use salted butter)
- 2 heaping tablespoons dark brown sugar
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º
- Cut squash in half carefully, from end to end, with a sharp knife. Scoop out seeds and stringy stuff with a spoon. Place cut-side down in baking dish and prick the skin a few times with the knife tip. Add about a ¼-inch of water to the dish so the squash doesn't burn or dry out. Bake in oven for 40 - 45 minutes.
- Turn squash over and add 1 tablespoon butter to each cavity, a sprinkle of salt, and then 1 heaping tablespoon of brown sugar. Return to oven and bake another 10- 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
- The squash will be very soft and tender when done, remove from oven and swirl the butter mixture around the sides and tops of the squash. Scoop out flesh and serve, make sure to get all the buttery sugar glaze! Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- One acorn squash will yield 2 to 4 servings depending on the size of the squash and how big of a serving you like.
Nutrition
Lynne LaFrance
Sunday 5th of May 2019
I just discovered your acorn squash recipe that I've been making for years. I recently found this pinterest hack on cutting the squash and it works perfectly. Prick the squash with a fork from top to bottom along one of the grooves. (I actually use a metal skewer which makes it even easier.) Pop the squash into the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave using hot pads. Put it on the cutting board and cut it in half along the groove where you pricked the sides. Clean the squash and finish off your reciped in the microwave or oven.
Kelly
Friday 6th of September 2019
Thanks! I'll have to try that.
Meathead
Tuesday 13th of November 2018
Actual copy: “sometimes I bang the squash on the board to push the knife all the way through.”
Poetic. As in Edgar Allan Poe.