Maple Butter Roasted Acorn Squash with Pecans

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword autumn, 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

• 2 acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 pinch sea salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• Blue Cheese crumbles to 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

Amount Per Serving

Calories 282 Calories 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.

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