Tender slices of spiced maple roasted acorn squash sprinkled with ruby pomegranate seeds and toasted pumpkin seeds. It's both a beautiful and delicious addition to your fall and Thanksgiving table. While many recipes for acorn squash take an hour, this one is ready in about 20 minutes, making it easy to serve anytime.
With golden-orange flesh and a blackish-green ridged exterior, acorn squash looks like a giant acorn. When roasted, acorn squash is tender with an earthy, savory, lightly sweet taste. For the glaze, mix olive oil, maple syrup, and spices. Slip slices into the oven brushed with the glaze and in just a few minutes you have a terrific side dish.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- A perfect side dish for fall and Thanksgiving menus.
- Its delicious and healthy.
Recipe Ingredients
- Acorn Squash: Choose a smaller squash, about 2 ½ pounds, they are easier to handle than bigger ones.
- Maple syrup: Use real maple syrup, not the fake colored stuff, or use this keto maple sytrup made with monk fruit. It's terrific.
- Pomegranate seeds:To save time, buy the packaged pomegranate seeds (but they are easy to cut up, read here how to cut up a pomegranate).
- Spices: Use cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, a little clove.
- Pumpkin seeds: For how to toast pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas), see this post on roast pumpkin seeds. It's easy! Make them ahead and try not to eat them all (make extra).
Substitutions and Variations
- Chinese Five Spice is a nice variation for this recipe. Not familiar with it? Chinese Five Spice is a wonderful blend of cinnamon, star anise, fennel seed, cloves, ginger and sometimes black pepper. Use it like cinnamon for a nice twist on spiced flavors.
Recipes Instructions
How to Cut Acorn Squash
Hard winter squashes are little intimidating to cut up, but with a sharp heavy chefs knife, you can do it. Here are a few tips.
- Use a knife with some heft to it, a 9" - 10" chefs knife is good. The sharper, the better.
- Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of the squash. This provides a flat, stable base on which to work.
- Stand the squash up and cut through the center, top to bottom.
- Next, scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
- Lay the halves flat and slice into approximately 1" pieces.
Roasting Acorn Squash
To roast acorn squash, lay slices flat on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet, brush with the maple-oil-spice blend, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 425°F for 16-18 minutes. Timing will depend on your oven. Squash should be tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
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Tools for Best Results
- Rimmed baking sheets, half sheet size.
- For a set of circular cuttings rings that work for lots of kitchen jobs see this link (optional).
- A sharp heavy chef's knife.
- Spoon to scoop seeds out.
- Parchment paper or foil.
Serving Suggestions
Lay slices on a platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds to serve.
Serve with roast meats such as chicken and turkey.
Recipe FAQs
Acorn squash are almost fully ripe adn redy to go at the store. They will continue to ripen when you get them home. The color should be mostly green with a little orange. If they are all orange, they are probaly over-ripe. IIt ill still be good to eat unless it shows signs of rotting, such as softening of the rind and a off smell.
No, you do not need to peel acorn squash before roasting. Roast acorn squash rind on, peel on, skin on. It's very tough and hard to peel (and not needed).
As acorn squash are hard and a challenging shape to handle, the best way to cut it is with a heavy sharp chef's knife. Cut a thin slice off the top and bottom of the squash. This provides a flat, stable base on which to work. Stand the squash up and cut through the center, top to bottom. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Lay the halves flat and slice crosswise into approximately 1" pieces.
More Recipe Ideas
For another fall squash recipe try this butternut squash apple soup.
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Glaze.
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Baking parchment paper or foil
- Pastry brush for brushing on the glaze
- Sharp chef's knife. 9" or 10"
- large circular cookie cutter or cutting rings optional, but a handy kitchen addition.
Ingredients
- 2 1 ½ pound acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or monk fruit maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons warm spice blend, see below or Chinese five spice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Optional garnishes
- 2-3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
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Instructions
Set-up and make the glaze
- Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Make the glaze by combining the maple syrup, oil, and spices.
Slice acorn squash
- Place a damp kitchen towel or board mat under a cutting board for stability. With a large, sharp, heavy knife, such as a 9"-10" chefs knife, lay the acorn squash on its side and slice a small piece off the top and bottom. Stand the squash flat on end and cut through the center, splitting it in half. With a spoon, scoop seeds and fibers out and discard.
Roast the squash
- Lay the squash halves flat and cut the halves into ¾" slices. To clean up the inner edges, use a paring knife or circular cookie cutters. Lay slices flat on prepared baking sheet. Brush with the glaze, then sprinkle with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 16-18 minutes or until the squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Plate slices on a platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds to serve.
Madonna says
I have made Delicata squash, but not Acorn. I will be putting this on my market list. I am trying to cut down on sugar, and I dislike the artificial sweeteners so maybe the maple syrup will be a good alternative. Also, want to try out the 5-spice.
Sally Cameron says
Bet you will love the Five Spice Madonna. Is both familiar and different at the same time, because its a warm aromatic blend. Artificial sweeteners are terrible for you, really unhealthy. A little natural sweetener is good, and I love maple. But its still sugar, so we all have to watch amounts. Good thing is real dark maple has such big flavor, you don't need much. Thanks for commenting and Happy Thanksgiving!
Madonna says
Just bought some maple syrup. You are correct, not much needed. I hope this works, sometimes after eating something for a few times problem arise. Fingers crossed. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving.