Perfect Roasted Acorn Squash
Learn how to roast acorn squash with this simple recipe! You'll find acorn squash preparation tips and topping suggestions, too. So easy!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 2, 2024
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Roasted acorn squash deserves a place on your table this season. It’s easy to make, warming and hearty, and almost nutty in flavor.
Acorn squash is often overlooked when surrounded by its brighter squash cousins. Unlike butternut squash, it’s satisfyingly but not overtly sweet. Like pumpkin, it plays nicely with autumnal spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
If you’ve already had your fill of the other squash varieties this fall, give acorn squash a try!
Halved and roasted acorn squash makes a beautifully simple side dish. It’s worthy of your Thanksgiving table, but easy enough for a regular weeknight dinner.
Today, I’m showing you how to prepare perfectly roasted acorn squash, with caramelized edges and tender insides. The method is very similar to roasted spaghetti squash. Let’s get to it.
How to Prepare Acorn Squash
Step one is to slice your acorn squash in half (safely!). Given its tough exterior and round shape, acorn squash can be a bit slippery. You’ll need a sharp chef’s knife and a non-slip cutting board, like this one (affiliate links), or you can place a lightly damp tea towel under your cutting board to keep it in place.
Start by piercing the squash in the center along a depression line. Then, cut through the tip. Finish by slicing through the top portion just next to the stem.
Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside, and discard those pieces. Or, you can roast the seeds as you would pumpkin seeds. You’ll find the rest of the recipe below!
Watch How to Roast Acorn Squash
Suggested Toppings for Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash doesn’t need a lot of toppings to be delicious. A pat or two of butter offers some welcome richness. As you’ll see in these photos, I love topping roasted squash with a light drizzle of maple syrup, and a pinch of cinnamon and salt. For a less expected option, top your acorn squash with pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) toasted with a pinch of chili powder and salt, plus crumbled fried sage leaves.
Choose just a couple of complementary flavors for a simple side dish, or several for more impact. You can serve acorn squash as a main dish if you incorporate cheese and whole grains, as you’ll see in my recipe for Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash.
Here are some topping suggestions:
- Apples
- Butter
- Cheese: Goat cheese or Parmesan
- Cranberries
- Garlic or ginger
- Honey or maple syrup
- Herbs: Cilantro, fried sage, parsley
- Nuts and seeds: Pecans, pepitas, walnuts
- Spices: Black pepper, cinnamon, chili powder
- Whole grains: Quinoa, wild rice
More Hearty Squash Recipes to Enjoy
Here are a few more recipes featuring acorn squash, butternut squash and spaghetti squash:
- Adrianna’s Spicy Squash Soup
- How to Cook Spaghetti Squash (The Best Way!)
- Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
- Spaghetti Squash “Pizza” Bowls
- Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash
Please let me know how your squash turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Perfect Roasted Acorn Squash
Learn how to roast acorn squash with this simple recipe! When prepared properly, acorn squash can be so delicious. Recipe yields 4 side servings.
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- To prepare the squash, use a sharp chef’s knife to slice through it from the tip to the stem. I find it easiest to pierce the squash in the center along a depression line, then cut through the tip, and finish by slicing through the top portion just next to the stem. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside, and discard those pieces.
- Place the squash halves cut side up on the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the squash, and sprinkle with the salt. Rub the oil into the cut sides of the squash, then turn them over so the cut sides are against the pan.
- Bake until the squash flesh is very easily pierced through by a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your squash. Add any desired toppings, and serve warm.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Turned out great. I baked acorn, butternut, and another type of squash all at once. One of the acorn squash was really dry and the outer skin didn’t puncture easily like the others at about 38 minutes. I sprinkled roasted garlic powder and paprika when the squash were done.
Thank you for sharing, Kent!
Hi-
Made this recipe this afternoon. Appropriate side dish on a chilly, rainy, blustery fall day .
Followed the recipe as written- turned out perfectly roasted.
I carefully turned the squash cut side up topped with chopped pecans and real maple syrup lightly drizzled over the flesh- then popped them back in the over for another 5 minutes of roasting time. Soooo good!
One tip I’d like to share with everyone- I have found that with cutting acorn, butternut, spaghetti, or really any squash, using one of those little serrated knives that come in a pumpkin carving kit makes cutting squash so easy and smooth!!
Yummy & love that I don’t have to try & balance them in water for cooking like I always have! I added brown sugar, butter, & Pink Himalayan salt(tastes just like coarse salt). They were tasty & I will make again! Thanks!!
Same. Softens it right up!
Great way to bake acorn squash. Squash was tender and delicious. this recipe will replace the one I have used for many years. thank you
Great to hear, Penny!
I love your recipes and your style…. Your website is my inspiration goto! You have been in my thoughts since Cookie died and I’m hoping that it is getting easier. Thank you
I am going to make this for tonight!
I forgot to take pictures, but my little acorn from the local pumpkin patch was AMAZING! Finally, a recipe that I was able to follow with reliable results. LOL
Best and easiest baked squash ever! And I’ve been cooking and baking for over 50 years!
Wonderful
I always toast the squash’s own seeds with salt oil and lemon. They are delicious served with the squash and a bit of Gruyère.
Sounds delicious, Sarah! Thank you for sharing.
Is it supposed to be really stringy all the flesh?
Not an acorn squash. That sounds more like spaghetti squash.
My mom always made roasted acorn squash when I was growing up, I never knew anyone else that did. It’s delicious and has more carotenoids than any other food! She would rub a little olive oil on the inside, put some diced sweet onion in the bowl-shaped middle, salt and pepper. Simple but wonderful warm memories.
Thank you for sharing, Lottie!
Delicious.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
I buy 2 hot Italian sausages and while the squash is roasting, remove the skin and fry them. When cooked I drain off the fat, add corn niblets and shredded cheddar to bind everything together. When the squash is done I drizzle maple syrup on the halves and stuff them with the sausage mixture, top them with a slice of marbled cheese and place them under the broiler until the cheese is melted. It’s one of my favourite meals.
I perforate the squash inner part with a fork dozens of times to help the melted butter soak in more. Just don’t stab the hand holding the squash!
Great recipe and easily made. TY!
You’re welcome, James!
Great recipe! I love roasted squash. This time, after partially cooking, I made a stuffing of king crab flesh, panko bread crumbs, parmesan, and shallots. Added a couple of tablespoons of liquid onto the stuffing. Baked for 15 minutes longer. Sprinkled more parm on top and broiled til the cheese was melted. Yum.
Thanks for the basic recipe!
Thank you, Douglas! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Hear me out: for savory acorn squash.. ricotta and goat cheese and fried basil/sage whatever mix mmmmm
So easy and delicious. I added a half-teaspoon of maple syrup to each serving after it was baked.
This is a 5 star recipe. I microwaved the squash 3 minutes and it was super easy to cut. Very good!
Ordinarily I really like your recipes. I usually make roasted acorn squash with only butter, but decided to try this recipe with olive oil. My family didn’t like this as much. Sorry. Back to butter next time.
I’m sorry to hear this one wasn’t a hit. I appreciate your review, Roxanne!
Hello and thank you so much for this recipe! Now I have to admit, I did not follow it for the second half of my acorn squash, I went rogue.
The first half I cooked yesterday, savory with olive oil, sprinkled with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and a bit of cayenne. Of course, it came out fantastic!
I wanted to share that sweet half that I cook this evening. This time I did cook cut side up, and I use softened butter instead of olive oil to “grease” the squash with, then sprinkled with the standard cinnamon and sugar, I also used some Chinese five-spice and a pinch of salt. Then I diced up some apple (peeled), fairly small, about quarter inch cubes. I mixed those with more cinnamon and sugar and five spice mix. And dumped it into the hollowed out squash.
To the pan with the parchment paper lining, I put in the squash, again, cut side up so all the apple didn’t fall out, and then topped it with a couple generous pats of butter. Baked in the oven at 375° for a total of 40 minutes. The last 7 to 10 minutes, I loosely covered it in aluminum foil, because it looked like the apples were getting a little darker than I cared for.
Once I removed it from the oven, and stirred the apples though, it looks great and smells terrific!
Wish I could post a photo, but I don’t see an option to.
Try putting brown sugar,butter, and heavy cream in the hollow. It’s just the best!
Great to hear, Rustie!
Easy slicing and cleaning prep for baking squash – for years I avoided buying acorn squash so that the knife wouldn’t slip trying to half it.
Now I microwave it on medium setting for 3-4 mins – and remove with oven mitts although I usually don’t need them – it is warm but not hot
easily slices in half.
Using a metal cookie scoop means no more than 3 scoops to leave a clean interior ready for seasonings and roasting.
Hope this helps others to enjoy more squash
Wonderful Acorn squash from Michigan is a real treat in Florida
Followed your directions, added a pat of butter and savored every bite
Thank you for your review!
This is my second time making this recipe, and it’s amazing. I usually stuff my squash with rice and the seeds, which I sauté on the stove with a generous amount of butter. This time I added since mushrooms that were going to go bad soon, and it was the perfect fall recipe