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Roasted delicata squash with cinnamon vanilla brown butter is the perfect side dish when you want to embrace the flavors of fall. It features thick slices of warm, tender roasted delicata squash with edible skin that practically melts away in your mouth. Every bite has a sweet flavor infused with warm vanilla and cinnamon flavors and caramelized with rich brown butter.
Do you love squash and brown butter? Try this acorn squash casserole or brown butter sage butternut squash ravioli sauce next.
Table of Contents
Why this Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe Works
- Health benefits: Delicata squash is a rich source of vitamins A and C, is low in calories, and is a good source of dietary fiber.
- Seasonal: Early fall is the perfect time for harvesting and cooking with winter squashes like delicata squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and pumpkin.
- Easy last-minute side dish: If this is your first time cooking with delicata squash, you’ll be happy to learn that because of its delicate skin and small size, cutting and cooking delicata squash is very easy. Bonus: It’s a vegetarian side dish for your guests who eat vegetarian.
- Versatile: You can enjoy roasted delicata squash in so many different ways. Our favorite way to have it is on this roasted delicata squash salad with maple vinaigrette. It has a medley of complementary ingredients like pomegranate seeds, pecans, red onions, and goat cheese.
Grab These Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients for this easy roasted delicata squash recipe. Most are pantry staples and easy (and affordable) to find in grocery stores. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Delicata squash: Sweet delicata squash slices are cut into 1/2-inch half moons.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Use avocado oil as a substitute.
- Maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness. Substitute with coconut sugar or brown sugar.
- Kosher salt: A pinch of salt enhances the natural sugars.
- Unsalted butter: Use vegan butter to make it vegan and dairy-free.
- Vanilla bean: Remove the seeds. Or use 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warm spice.
- Crispy sage and ricotta: Optional for serving.
How to Make Roasted Delicata Squash
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the steps with some photos and a video so you have a clear idea of what to expect. This roasted delicata squash is really easy and these step-by-step instructions will make sure they turn out every time
Cut and roast the squash. Place the entire squash on a large cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut in half longways, from the stem end to the bottom. Then cut the squash halves into 1/2 inch half moons.
Toss together the delicata squash, olive oil, maple syrup, and kosher salt on a sheet pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes?, flipping halfway through.
Make the vanilla brown butter. Stir the butter constantly in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. As it turns golden brown and bubbles, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla bean seeds and ground cinnamon.
Finish and serve. Remove the squash from the oven, spoon the vanilla cinnamon brown butter on top, and serve. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese or ricotta cheese before serving!
Do You Have to Peel Delicata Squash?
The skin of delicata squash is very delicate and is also edible, therefore, you don’t have to peel it before eating.
3 Ways to Prevent Mushy Squash
If you’ve ever wondered why is my roasted squash mushy? There are a few common reasons it might be overly soft and tips to help prevent it:
- Overcooking: If the squash is roasted for too long or at too high a temperature, it can become mushy.
- High Moisture Content: Squash naturally contains moisture. Arrange the pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet to avoid overcrowding.
- Cut Size: Larger chunks generally retain a bit more firmness compared to smaller pieces.
What to Serve with Roasted Delicata Squash
This roasted delicata squash would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table, or just a fall dinner. Have it with flavors that complement it well like this Thanksgiving salad or dairy-free green beans casserole.
You can’t have a proper Thanksgiving meal without turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie! Follow our recipes for cheesecloth turkey with herb butter, cheesy scalloped potatoes, and pumpkin pie bars with gingersnap crust.
Freezing and Storing Tips
Allow the squash to come down to room temperature before storing. Place it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re freezing it, scoop the flesh away from the skin and freeze just the flesh in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Favorite Squash Recipes
Looking for a creamy soup recipe? Our copycat Panera autumn squash soup tastes just like what you’d get at Panera.
If you want to try an acorn squash dish, start with sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash.
Looking for a main dish? Try butternut squash and spinach lasagna or spaghetti squash chicken alfredo.
Need a quick, easy one-pan meal? One pan sausage, butternut squash and apples made with chicken sausage is an easy, healthy weeknight meal perfect for fall.
Roasted Delicata Squash
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Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash halved, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch half-moons
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 Tablespoon unsalted butter cubed
- 1 vanilla bean seeds removed (1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Crispy sage and ricotta for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- On a large baking sheet, toss together the delicata squash, olive oil, maple syrup, and kosher salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While it’s roasting for the first 15 minutes, make the vanilla brown butter. Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the butter around to melt it and continue to stir constantly for 5 minutes. The butter will begin to bubble and foam and the butter will turn golden brown. Some of the bubbles will subside around the 5-minute mark and you’ll start to see the milk solids start to toast and turn a golden brown color. It should smell buttery and nutty. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla bean seeds and ground cinnamon.
- When it’s time to flip the squash, remove it from the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the vanilla brown butter on each piece. Flip and brush the other side then return it to the oven finish roasting all the way through.
- Serve warm with a another drizzle of vanilla brown butter. You can also serve it with ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese, or crispy sage.
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Saucepan
