Roasted Honeynut Squash Recipe

Roasting honeynut squash is so easy and simple! With mild and sweet flesh, this seasonal squash roasts up quickly and makes for an excellent Fall side dish.

Honeynut squash is in season during Fall and Winter. It looks like baby butternut squash, but about half the size and twice the sweetness.

Because of their petite size, they cook up quickly and taste wonderful on their own or roasted and topped with a tangy cheese and crunchy nuts. Today I’ll share how to cook honeynut squash and you’ll learn how simple it is!

Make sure to also check out my recipe for oven baked honeynut squash with pancetta and herby butter.

Why this recipe works

• Quick & easy prep and roasting time! Due to the squash being so small, they require little prep work and time to roast. A simple brush of olive oil and salt & pepper is all you need to get them ready for roasting.
• Healthy and nutritious. One squash contains 40% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C as well as 100% of Vitamin A. It also contains magnesium, potassium and is a great source of fiber.
• Uses simple but tasty ingredients. The subtle tang of the goat cheese mixed with the crunch of the pistachios really makes this dish delicious and interesting!

Ingredients for roasting honeynut squash

• Honeynut squash – easily found at the local farmer’s market and regular grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s. Harvest season starts in September so and availability typically lasts through Christmas. And the flesh and exterior are so sweet & tender, no need to peel!
• Thyme – either fresh or dried works great! Feel free to try sage or rosemary as well.
• Olive oil, salt and pepper for brushing and sprinkling on the squash.
• Goat Cheese – this garnish is optional, but I promise you’ll love the tang and how it complements the sweetness of the squash. Ricotta, feta or even gorgonzola would be fun alternatives.
• Pistachios – again, an optional garnish but they add the perfect crunch. Don’t love pistachios? Try pecan, walnut or pine nuts instead.

How to cook honeynut squash

Step 1 – Wash and dry your squash, then cut in half lengthwise. The flesh should be easy enough to cut into on its own, but if it is resistant, just pop in the microwave for a minute or two.

Step 2 – Scoop out the seeds. You can try giving them a roast; they should taste just as good as roasted pumpkin seeds.

Step 3 – Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper

Step 4 – Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until flesh is fork tender

After roasting, garnish with your favorite toppings. I recommend goat cheese and pistachios, but see above for optional garnishes.

History of honeynut squash

Come to find out, these miniature squashes are the result of plant breeders from Cornell, and the famous chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

While giving one plant breeder at Cornell a kitchen tour, he grabbed a butternut and accusingly asked, “If you’re such a good breeder, why don’t you make this thing taste good? Why don’t you shrink the thing?!”

Turns out they are bred to not only be smaller than butternut squash, but are also bred specifically to be much sweeter and more tender. In fact they are so mild, you can actually eat the flesh and the skin.

Recipe FAQ’s

More honeynut squash cooking tips

• You can make these in advance. Just follow the recipe and roast the squash as normal. Then you can transfer the squash to a plate or dish and refrigerate it.
• You can reheat the squash again in a 400F for 10-15 minutes cut side up and top with the goat cheese and pistachios.
• They are amazingly sweet and don’t need much fussing with at all, and the skin cooks up crazy soft so there’s no need to peel or limit eating to just the flesh; I cut into mine here and ate the whole thing flesh and skin together.

Related Recipes

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Easy Honeynut Squash Recipe

Learn the easy and tasty way to cook the super sweet honeynut squash, which looks just like a smaller version of a butternut, but packed with more nutrients and flavor.

5 from 11 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author:Andrea

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 honeynut squash cut in half
• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ▢ salt & pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoon goat cheese crumbled, for garnish
• ▢ 2 tablespoon pistachios roughly chopped, for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then cut each honeynut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and liberally brush olive oil on each cut side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lay the thyme sprigs across each cut side. Bake for 20 minutes until fork tender.
• To serve, plate each squash and sprinkle with goat cheese and chopped pistachios.

Video

Notes

If your honeynut squash is too difficult to slice open, microwave for 1-2 minutes and you should be able to easily slice through.

These cute mini squashes are still relatively new, however you can often find them at farmer’s markets, and local specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Markets. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 1358mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 39950IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 3mg

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