Roasted Butternut Squash is a delicious and simple side dish for both a Holiday meal or a weeknight dinner. This honey roasted butternut squash recipe is paired with tart cranberries, sweet honey, cinnamon, and tangy goat cheese for a flavorful, warm side dish all made on one sheet pan!
This weekend, a friend of mine asked me what I do when I run out of recipe inspiration and find myself in a food rut.
Umm…I don’t know.
That literally never happens to me.
I have the opposite problem, actually. My mind is always filled with recipe ideas. I dream about food, and sometimes I can’t sleep because I saw something on Pinterest I just NEED to try.
And throw Thanksgiving into the mix, and I am seriously haunted by side dishes and pumpkin desserts.
Like this festive and fun side dish recipe which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy butternut squash and a reader favorite since I first posted back in the baby blog days. It’s the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table, for you next dinner party, or for a random weeknight when you want something warm and comforting with minimal effort.
Enjoy it with my Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Hot Honey, Easy Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy, and my Gluten Free Stuffing with Sausage + Apple for a delicious and special dinner.
Want more Thanksgiving inspiration? Check out this post of 60 + Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes.
Why you will love this Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
- It’s made entirely on one pan, so yay for no dishes.
- Uses simple, inexpensive ingredients that you likely have on hand.
- It’s unique – if you need a side dish a holiday that nobody else will be bringing, it’s this one! It takes simple roast butternut squash and elevates it with roasted cranberries, honey, and goat cheese!
- Tastes great warm, cold, or room temperature, so no pressure to serve this piping hot on Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for this flavorful dish:
- fresh butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes – you can sib frozen, if needed
- olive oil cooking spray
- olive oil – you can sub coconut oil or avocado oil
- kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder – just a sprinkle to taste
- fresh cranberries – readers have reported that blueberries are an amazing sub if you are trying to make this out of season
- honey – gives this a nice sweetness, you can always sub maple syrup if that is all you have
- crumbled goat cheese – any will work, but I used honey flavored from Aldi and it was sooo tasty
- cinnamon – cinnamon roasted butternut squash is my favorite
- fresh or dried parsley to garnish – totally optional, but it looks so festive with fresh herbs sprinkled over top
Variations
- This recipe would work well with another winter squash like delicata squash, acorn squash, or sweet potatoes.
- You could add quartered Brussels sprouts or red onions to the mix for more veggies.
- Swap goat cheese for feta cheese or add in candied pecans or walnuts for a yummy crunch.
- No honey? Use pure maple syrup or brown sugar to sweeten your dish.
Instructions
Step 1: Spray a sheet pan with olive oil cooking spray. For less mess, you can line your sheet pan with parchment paper first. Add cubed squash to the sheet pan in a single layer.
Step 2: Drizzle squash with olive oil, the sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack.
Step 3: At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and stir squash. Add fresh cranberries to the roasting pan.
Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is fork tender with caramelized edges and the cranberries have started to soften and burst open.
Step 4: Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon and honey.
Step 5: Allow squash mixture to cool for a few minutes, then gently mix in goat cheese.
Step 6: Garnish with parsley for some beautiful color and serve warm.
Butternut Squash Tips
- Want to save time? Buy pre-cut squash cubes at the market – most grocery stores offer this now.
- Have a whole butternut squash? The best way to cut squash is to soften it a bit first. I have a whole post detailing how I use my Instant Pot to make cutting butternut squash a million times easier.
- After you soften the squash, you will need to peel it with a sharp vegetable peeler and cut into 1-inch cubes. Depending on the size of the squash, you should get about 4-6 cups of cubed squash from one whole squash.
- Be sure you are using a sharp chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board when dicing squash.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I love freezing butternut squash! You can freeze it after it is roasted or blanched, or even just dice it and freeze it raw. I love adding it to my shakes and baked oatmeal dishes or for Butternut Squash Soup.
Roasted butternut squash is a great side dish for any kind of protein – Roasted Turkey, Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Butter, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs. It’s also delicious with some greens and your favorite protein – I love it with leftover Pan Seared Salmon.
Yes! Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees, then roast the squash for 16-18 minutes or until fork tender, shaking your basket halfway. For this recipe, add in cranberries for the last 5-7 minutes.
Fun fact! You can eat the peel of most winter squash! This is true especially for acorn squash and delicata squash. Spaghetti squash is a different story, though – only the inside strands are edible.
In the case of butternut squash, if your squash is smaller, you can opt to leave the peel on, but the bigger the squash, the tougher the peel. For this recipe, I always opt to peel my squash.
More Great Butternut Squash Side Dish Recipes
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Butternut Squash
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Warm Honey Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups butternut squash peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- olive oil cooking spray
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste
- 1 cup fresh cranberries Out of season? Readers have reported that blueberries are an amazing sub!
- 2 Tbsp honey
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese I used honey flavored from Aldi
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cinnamon
- Fresh or dried parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.
- Add cubed squash to the sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with a light layer of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, based on taste preference.
- Roast at 400 F for 25 minutes on the center rack.
- At the 25 minute mark, pull out the oven rack, and add your fresh cranberries to the roasting pan.
- Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries have started to soften and burst a bit, resembling really juicy craisins vs fresh firm cranberries.
- Remove from oven and add a sprinkle of cinnamon and honey. Then gently mix in goat cheese.
- Garnish with parsley for some beautiful color and serve warm.
Notes
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- This recipe would work well with another winter squash like delicata squash, acorn squash, or sweet potatoes.
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- You could add quartered Brussels sprouts or red onions to the mix for more veggies.
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- Swap goat cheese for feta cheese or add in candied pecans or walnuts for a yummy crunch. For vegan, omit cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Kara Markley says
Mmmm this was delicious! I took this to a Friendsgiving and it was a big hit. I found a yummy honey bourbon goat cheese that was perfect. My only issue is that I mixed the goat cheese in when it was still pretty hot and it melted and got a little slimy-looking (not nice and fluffy like in your picture). Good thing my friends do not expect much from me when it comes to presentation LOL!
Nancylynn says
Lol! This is so funny!! And honey bourbon goat cheese sounds sooo yummy! Thanks for trusting Confessions for Friendsgiving!
Chelsea says
Pretty good! I used feta instead of goat cheese and added pecans to the pan when I added the cranberries. Don’t skip the nuts, it adds great flavor and crunch. The second serving I had I added extra honey on top and a little sriracha to make a hot honey situation and it was even better like that! Great side dish!
Lurdes says
Delicious! had some frozen cranberries leftover from Thanksgiving. paired. with pulled pork and green beans. OMG this recipe is a keeper!
Nancylynn says
You made my night ❤️
Codie Malone says
Made this with the pulled pork tonight, we didn’t have cranberry but I used pomegranate…… and it was interesting. The squash was good! Thank you
Nancylynn says
Lol! Other readers have loved using blueberries in place of cranberries- maybe try those next time! Glad you liked the squash!
Marissa Crescenzi says
Delicious! Made this as a side with salmon tonight. Curious how it would be subbing out butternut squash for sweet potatoes. Too sweet?
Nancylynn says
I think that would work out just fine! It would change the container count if you are following the 21 Day Fix though – yellow container instead of green. Let us know if you try it!
Laci says
Hi there! I was so excited to try this recipe but of course it’s too far away from Thanksgiving I guess and I cannot find fresh cranberries… is there something you would recommend subbing with? Thanks!
Nancylynn says
Frozen will work. Some readers lately have shared that blueberries worked great too!
nancy estherson says
would love to try your recipes. i’m a terrible cook because I have no vision. trying to get my family to eat healthier. we are a convenient family…..that means, packaged foods especially for lunch. dinners are always cooked…….not always good but cooked.
Nancylynn says
I totally understand convenience! My advice is to pick one new recipe each week to try…use my recipe index to help you find something you and your family will enjoy!
Carol says
I have a bag of frozen butternut squash…the kind you toss in the microwave and steam. Can I use this for your recipe?
Allison says
Do you have a recommendation for reheating? I’m making this for Thanksgiving and will be bringing it to a dinner. How should I go about reheating it?
Thanks! Looks great. I can’t wait to try it!
Nancylynn says
I would just warm it in the oven on a low setting (no more than 325) for a few minutes to take the chill out…it doesn’t need to be super hot and actually tastes better just warm. Wait until just before serving for the goat cheese! I’ll be doing the same thing!
Julie Lease says
How many butternut squash did you cut up to get 6 cups? Thanks!
Nancylynn says
I used two large ones to get the 6 cups.
Candice says
This was so good, I always have feta in the fridge so I used that. I found myself wanting chopped pecans for some crunch, then I saw your other squash recipe 🙂
Nancylynn says
Delicious, right? I love the addition of pecans to this one! Thanks for your comment :).