This simple roasted cinnamon butternut squash with fresh herbs is as easy and straightforward as possible! The butternut squash is crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned with warm cinnamon spice and fresh herbs. It’s the perfect winter side dish!
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Butternut squash is my all-time favorite squash! Sure, I love acorn, zucchini, and yellow squash. But the natural sweetness of butternut squash wins out every time!
I have already posted numerous recipes, including my vegan stuffed butternut squash, vegan butternut squash soup, and vegan butternut squash mac and cheese. However, sometimes you want something easy and quick.
Roasted butternut squash is a true classic and about the easiest way to enjoy it!
This recipe works well as a Thanksgiving or holiday side dish, accompaniment to your weeknight meal, or even a salad topper, sandwich filling, or snack!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This roasted butternut squash recipe is super simple to follow.
- You only need a few ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- Prep time is short! The only real task is cubing the butternut squash.
- It’s crisp on the outside and warm and soft on the inside.
- Warm spices meld together nicely to create even more depth of flavor!
- It’s vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free!
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
One Medium Butternut Squash: You will need one medium butternut squash cubed. A medium-sized butternut squash is about two pounds and will yield about 3 cups cubed. If you’d rather skip the hassle of cutting your butternut squash, you can use the pre-cut squash you find in stores to save you time.
Olive Oil: Only a touch of olive oil is needed to coat the butternut squash. Olive oil helps to create a crispy outer layer. Reduce the overall calories and fat. It’s not necessary to go overboard with the oil! If you’d like to skip the oil, you can lightly coat the butternut squash in vegetable broth or water.
Spices: A combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. If you don’t have nutmeg or cloves, use allspice or ginger, or leave those out and add more cinnamon.
Fresh Herbs: Sprinkle with fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
No oil version: Use vegetable stock or water to help the spices stick to the squash.
Different Spices: Try using other warm spices you have in your pantry, such as ginger or allspice. You can also season with salt and pepper.
Extra Hint of Sweetness: Add a tablespoon of maple syrup.
🛠 Tools and Equipment
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Cinnamon Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Peel and cut, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Add squash cubes to a large bowl. Add olive oil, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Toss until oil and spices are evenly distributed.
- Add the butternut squash to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Spread the squash evenly over the baking sheet. You may need two baking sheets to prevent overcrowding.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. At 10 minutes, toss the butternut squash. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before transferring to a serving dish. Sprinkle with herbs, and enjoy!
📝 Expert Tips
- Cut the squash into even-sized cubes. This helps ensure that all the pieces cook evenly.
- Be sure to remove the tough outer skin of the butternut squash. This part is not edible.
- Don’t overcrowd the squash on the baking sheet. Make sure it is spread out and not in layers. They will steam instead of roast if they are too close together in the oven. You may need to use two baking sheets to avoid overcrowding.
- Roasting is done at a high temperature. I recommend somewhere between 400° F and 425° F. I prefer a high temperature of 425° F. This gives you that crisp brown caramelization.
❓ FAQS
For some, roasted vegetables taste better than raw because the oven’s heat caramelizes the natural sugars in the vegetables and brings out a greater depth of flavor that is slightly sweet and nutty. That’s why roasted butternut squash is such a favorite when it comes to roasting!
Cinnamon has a sweet and woody flavor with natural citrus tones. It makes for an excellent spice to use when roasting butternut squash because the warmth from the cinnamon and sweetness from the butternut squash meld together to create a savory side dish!
Yes, roasted butternut squash has many health benefits. The challenge with roasted vegetables is when too much oil is added. This increases the fat and calories. Using a small amount of oil, vegetable broth, or water reduces fat and calories. This a healthy, low-calorie, low-fat side dish. It’s also high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, C, E, and B vitamins, as well as minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
🍽 How to Serve
This dish makes for an excellent side dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas. You could even make it as an appetizer with a dipping sauce!
Need more appetizer ideas? Try these 28 easy vegan appetizers.
Serve this recipe as a topper for a salad such as this kale salad with cranberries.
You can also serve it alongside a main dish. I suggest my meatless meatloaf.
🫙 How to Store and Keep
Refrigerate: Allow the butternut squash to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: When ready to reheat, transfer to a microwave-safe plate and warm for 45 seconds. You may need more or less time depending on the portion size you are reheating. Another option is to crisp the squash again by throwing it in your air fryer. Heat at 350 F for 5 minutes. Or you can transfer the squash to a baking sheet and use an oven or toaster oven at 350 F to bring back the crispiness.
😋 More Vegan Butternut Squash Recipe!
Recipe
Cinnamon Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash cubed (3 cups)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Chop the butternut squash into equal-sized cubes. Add the squash to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Toss until the oil and spices are evenly distributed.
- Add the butternut squash to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the squash evenly over the baking sheet. You may need two baking sheets to prevent overcrowding.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. At 10 minutes, toss the butternut squash so that it cooks evenly on all sides. Remove from the oven, and allow it to cool for a few minutes before transferring it to a serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Cut the squash into evenly sized cubes. This helps ensure that all the pieces cook evenly.
- Be sure to remove the tough outer skin of the butternut squash. This part is not edible.
- Don’t overcrowd the squash on the baking sheet. Make sure it is spread out and not in layers. They will steam instead of roast if they are too close together in the oven. You may need to use two baking sheets to avoid overcrowding.
- Roasting is done at a high temperature. I recommend somewhere between 400 and 425 F. I prefer a high temperature of 425 F. This gives you that crisp brown caramelization.
- Allow the butternut squash to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Michelle
I’ve been missing sweet potatoes while doing keto and this is the PERFECT fix! I added a little bit of the whole earth brown sweetener for a lil extra sweetness and makes the perfect side dish for any meal. Will be making this again!
Krystle
Could you use frozen butternut squash?
Alison Corey
Yes, you could use frozen butternut squash.
Ellen Copello
Can this be made ahead and reheated next day
Alison Corey
You could certainly make it ahead. However, it won’t have as crispy of a finish after it’s reheated.
Julia
I am loving butternut squash, so this one is definitely going into my saved recipes. Love the addition of cinnamon!
Beth
This looks so delicious and tasty! My husband is going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Kylie
Yummy! Its the perfect winter dinner side!
Wanda
Butternut squash is one of my favourites! This dish has so many flavours I’m definitely going to try it!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
The flavours of this sound absolutely incredible! What a tasty side dish.