Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (2024)

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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes » Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans

By Katie Moseman 30 Comments

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Rich, sweet roasted acorn squash is doused in maple butter and filled with maple butter roasted pecans to make it even more delicious.

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (1)

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans

Once the tremendous heat of summer fades into the coolness of fall, I feel free to enjoy cooking even more than usual. It seems like less of a drawback to turn on the oven, and instead of resenting its warmth, I look forward to it.

For that reason, I’m much more likely to experiment with baking during fall. It adds a pleasant seasonality to the rhythm of life here in Florida, where there are far fewer visual signals (such as turning leaves) with which to observe the change of seasons. Roasting is a wonderful cooking method and can be used for all kinds of vegetables from squash to Brussels sprouts.

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (2)

Roasted squash is a well-known fall side dish, but I’m adding my own twist by incorporating some contrasting flavors. In addition to maple butter and crunchy pecans, I’ll be garnishing the finished roasted acorn squash halves with blue cheese crumbles. The piquancy of blue cheese and the sweetness of the squash bring an elegant balance to this dish.

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (3)

Blue cheese crumbles are a wonderful garnish. You can sprinkle a little or a lot on salads, side dishes, soups, pizza, sandwiches, and main courses. It adds flavor without as many calories as blue cheesing dressing.

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (4)

The combination of roasted squash, nuts, and sharp cheese works well in many combinations. Although maple roasted acorn squash is my personal favorite, there’s no reason why you couldn’t change it up. I think cubed butternut squash, walnuts, and goat cheese would be really good, too!

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (5)

Tips for Making Roasted Acorn Squash

  • Be careful when slicing the acorn squashes in half. The skin is tough, but control the force of the knife so that it doesn’t slip and endanger you.
  • Did you know that Grade B maple syrup works wonderfully for cooking? Most of us are familiar with Grade A, which has a more delicate maple flavor, but Grade B is stronger and well suited for keeping its flavor even when cooked. Either grade will do for this recipe.
  • If you’re looking for the best of pecans, seek out Georgia pecans. (I may be biased; my mom is from Georgia and has gifted me with many a bag of Georgia pecans over the years.) And say it “PEEH-cans,” not “puh-CAHNS” if you want to sound authentic.
  • I usually have unsalted butter in my fridge, but if you have salted butter, simply omit any extra salt.

If you like this recipe, you’ll LOVE my new cookbook that’s all about veggies!

Watch the Video Below!

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (6)

5 from 10 votes

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Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans

Rich, sweet roasted acorn squash doused in maple butter and filled with maple butter roasted pecans, then topped with blue cheese crumbles.

CourseSide Dish

CuisineAmerican

Keywordautumn, comfort food, fall, thanksgiving, winter

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 282 kcal

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

  • 2acorn squash
  • 2tablespoonsunsalted butter
  • 2tablespoonsreal maple syrup
  • 1pinchsea salt
  • 1/2cupchopped pecans
  • Blue Cheese crumblesto taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a baking dish with foil or parchment for easy cleanup.

  2. Halve the squashes, then scoop out and discard the seeds and strings.

  3. Melt the butter with the maple syrup and sea salt, then stir to combine. Brush the cut sides of the squash with the mixture, allowing it to puddle in the center of each half.

  4. Stir the pecans into the remaining butter/syrup mixture and set aside.

  5. Bake the squash in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and scoop the pecans evenly into each squash half. Return the pecan-filled squash halves to the oven for 10 minutes.

  6. When finished, garnish with blue cheese crumbles and serve warm.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans

See Also
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Amount Per Serving

Calories 282Calories from Fat 153

% Daily Value*

Fat 17g26%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 20mg7%

Sodium 115mg5%

Potassium 844mg24%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 1020IU20%

Vitamin C 23.7mg29%

Calcium 129mg13%

Iron 1.9mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (7)

If you’re a maple syrup fan, you also must try these Maple Glazed Cashews.

Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (8)

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Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (9)

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Comments

  1. Cindy Gordon

    Now THAT looks delicious! I love the addition of blue cheese! I have to look for that! It would be so easy to add to dishes! My Mother in Law LOVES blue cheese, I’ll share this with her!

    Reply

  2. Bites for Foodies

    You’ve combined some of my favourite foods, root veggies and pecans!! Also, I LOVE salt…I probably eat way too much more than I’m supposed to!

    Reply

  3. Censie Sawyer

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (10)
    I love acorn squash but I have never thought to prepare it with Maple butter. What a great flavor combination. Talk about a totally perfect fall recipe. Yum. I am going to make this next week.

    Reply

  4. Kristy @ Mommy Hates Cooking

    Real Maple Syrup is one of my favorite things in this world! Especially this time of year, it is the ultimate form of comfort food. What a great idea to add cheese to roasted Acorn Squash!

    Reply

  5. Kim Croisant

    What a perfect recipe for my Thanksgiving dinner. My husband loves Blue Cheese and I love pecans in anything!!! This combination is perfect, and I can only hope I can fit it in to my already planned menu. Thank you.

    Reply

  6. Amanda @ Adorkablii

    See Also
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    This actually sounds really good and I don’t like squash… HAHA. Maybe I’ll give it a go again to see if maybe I will like it this time around!! This is perfect for the holidays for sure and I am positive it’s something that would be a hit this Thanksgiving!

    Reply

  7. Margaret

    In Alabama we would never say peeh- cans. Only a yankee ? would say it that way. We say puh-cahns! I am making this for lunch today though.

    Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      Hi Margaret!

      It’s funny how in different areas of the South, it’s pronounced differently. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

      -Katie

      Reply

  8. cakespy

    DANG does this ever look good!! I love the idea of this maple butter business! <3 These little squashes are like nests of nourishing awesome.

    Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      This is possibly my favorite vegetable recipe ever. We had our first cold day today (Florida!) and it sounds really appealing to me even at 8 in the morning.

      Reply

  9. Darian

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (11)
    Tried this today; to my surprise, it was delicious!

    Reply

    • Katie Moseman

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply

  10. Dorothea

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (12)
    I’ve got this in the oven right now. Making it for my daughter and husband while I babysit. It smells delicious! Can’t wait to hear how the like it.

    Reply

  11. Beth

    I’m excited to try this! My mom just moved in with us for a short time and she loves acorn squash.

    Reply

  12. Melissa Chapman

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (13)
    That acorn squash looks amazing so I have to look for them where I shop. I love how you combined all those different flavors into a great fall dish.

    Reply

  13. Tasheena

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (14)
    OMG! This recipe looks so yummy. Looking forward to giving it a try. I know my family is going to love it.

    Reply

  14. Denay DeGuzman

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (15)
    What a gorgeous fall recipe! It looks so delicious. I’ve saved it to Pinterest to make it later this month. This acorn squash is stunning.

    Reply

  15. Amber Myers

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (16)
    Wow, this looks so delicious! I’ve never had anything like this. I need to try it out for sure. These photos are making me drool.

    Reply

  16. GiGi Eats

    I 10000% need to pick up an acorn squash today!!

    Reply

  17. Marysa

    My grandmother used to make acorn squash with maple syrup, so this recipe really takes me back to my childhood. I haven’t used maple butter before but it all sounds like a great combination.

    Reply

  18. Lisa Favre

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (17)
    This recipe looks absolutely incredible! I love squash and pecans so it’s totally meant for me – can’t wait to try and make it myself!

    Reply

  19. rika livingston

    I love squash! The maple butter and pecan flavors sound perfect for fall!

    Reply

  20. Karen Morse

    Okay, I need to give this one a try since I love butternut squash! I love the combination of the maple syrup with the saltiness of the cheese. It’s definitely going to bring out yummy flavors. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  21. Tiffany La Forge-Grau

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (18)
    Wow, I have never thought of something like this. I would really like to make this sometime!

    Reply

  22. HilLesha

    This looks delicious in every sense of the word! I’ll have to give this recipe a try sometime in the near future.

    Reply

  23. Ericka

    Wow! This looks so good! I’m going to making it for the family and see how they like it.

    Reply

  24. Shelley R Zurek

    Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (19)
    My husband loves acorn squash and pecans. What a fantastic recipe for him, acorn squash with maple butter roasted pecans

    Reply

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Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans • Recipe for Perfection (2024)

FAQs

Does acorn squash need to be peeled before cooking? ›

Good news: you don't need to peel acorn squash. Its hard, grooved skin softens significantly as it cooks, and it's edible, too. If you do want to remove the skin, wait until after you cook it, at which point it will peel right off.

Continue Reading ›
How long does it take to bake acorn squash at 350 degrees? ›

1. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in a baking dish. 2. Bake in a 350°F oven 45 to 50 minutes or until tender.

See Details ›
Do you eat the skin of roasted acorn squash? ›

Next time you roast a squash like acorn, butternut or honeynut, try leaving the skins on and give them a nibble. Be sure to scrub the skin well, Joyce recommends, to remove any dirt or debris. The pleasantly chewy texture may just surprise you, plus you can never go wrong with more fiber.

Know More ›
Is it OK to eat raw acorn squash? ›

Skip eating most hard-skinned squash raw. "Hard skinned squash is difficult to eat raw," Marz says. "They are usually much larger in size, have a harder flesh, and are much more fibrous." Examples of hard-skinned squash that should not be eaten raw include: pumpkins, delicate, butternut, Hubbard, and acorn.

Read More ›
Is there a difference between roasting and baking squash? ›

Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.

Read The Full Story ›
What temperature do you cook squash in the oven? ›

Butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes, should be perfectly roasted after about 25 to 35 minutes in an oven heated to 400 degrees F. When it's done, the squash should be lightly browned and easily pierced with a fork.

Learn More ›
Can dogs eat acorn squash? ›

Klein explains that the best types of squash to feed your dog are butternut squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and acorn squash. In particular, zucchini is the squash most easily digested by dogs.

Discover More ›
How to tell if acorn squash is bad? ›

Dull-looking skin that has turned from dark green to pale green or mostly orange can be a sign of spoilage. Other signs that acorn squash is past its prime include soft or mushy spots, slimy flesh and seeds, unpleasant odors, and the presence of mold.

Tell Me More ›
Why is my roasted squash mushy? ›

There could be a few reasons why your roasted butternut squash is turning out soggy: Overcrowding: If you overcrowd the baking sheet with butternut squash pieces, they will release more moisture and steam, making it difficult for them to roast properly.

Discover More ›
Why is my roasted squash dry? ›

Don't skimp on the oil.

Some are super-soft and creamy, sort of like a baked sweet potato, while others are a bit more dry and chalky. To prevent these squash from becoming too dry in the oven, make sure to coat them generously with oil.

Discover More Details ›

Is acorn squash high carb? ›

Acorn squash is a starchy vegetable, meaning it's higher in carbs than non starchy ones, like broccoli and spinach. If you're watching your carbs, limit acorn squash to one cup or about 25% of your plate.

View More ›
Do you leave the skin on squash when you cook it? ›

Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.

Learn More ›
Is it OK not to peel squash? ›

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. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

View More ›
How do you clean and cook acorn squash? ›

Cut squash in half through the stem and scoop out seeds. Cut into large chunks, keeping the skin on. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add squash. Boil, until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.

Find Out More ›
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