If you’re looking for the ultimate Fall-flavored side dish, Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash checks all the boxes! The roasting process brings out the natural sweetness of the squash, and the combo of maple syrup, cinnamon, sage, and pumpkin seeds takes the flavor over the top. It’s also super easy to make!
Editor’s Note: Originally published on July 8, 2018. Updated with expanded information and all new photos.
When the cool weather hits I find myself craving food that tastes like home, such as pot roast, sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash, and this incredible cinnamon-roasted butternut squash.
It’s loaded with the quintessential Fall flavors that everyone loves and is so easy to make.
I usually make this as a side dish for garlic butter roasted chicken, and you can bet this is on my Thanksgiving table along with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and homemade cranberry sauce!
Cinnamon-roasted butternut squash also makes a great addition to salads. It would be a nice fall-flavored addition to a chicken caesar salad or my spinach salad with warm bacon dressing.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Butternut squash. I used two medium-sized butternuts which equals ~4 pounds. If you have trouble peeling the squash, you can microwave them for 3-5 minutes to soften the skin so it’s easier to peel.
- Maple syrup. Use pure Maple syrup for this recipe. I would not advise using pancake syrup made with corn syrup. Costco usually has great deals on maple syrup. For more on other Costco deals, listen to my Exploring the Best Food Deals at Costco podcast episode.
- Cinnamon. The perfect complement to the roasted butternut squash.
- Sage. Fresh sage leaves lend great Fall flavor!
- Oil and Butter. Extra virgin olive oil coats the squash before roasting, while cubed butter is added at the end for the last few minutes of roasting.
- Pumpkin seeds. Raw pepitas, or pumpkin seeds, are added at the end with the butter for texture and taste.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin from 2 medium-sized (or 4 lbs. worth) butternut squash (Photo #1).
- Remove the seeds and pulp and chop the peeled squash into 2-inch chunks. Mince 1 tablespoon worth of fresh sage (Photo #2).
- Add the squash chunks and sage to a large bowl and toss with 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (Photo #3).
- Spread the squash mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Use two pans if needed to avoid overcrowding. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes flipping the squash pieces halfway through (Photo #4).
- After 35 minutes remove the squash from the oven and distribute 4 tablespoons of cubed butter and 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds onto the squash and return to the oven (Photo #5).
- Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the squash is fork tender (Photo #6). Enjoy!
Top tips
- Shortcuts. If you have difficulty peeling the butternut squash, microwave it for 3-5 minutes to soften the skin. This will also make the squash slightly easier to cut. Many grocery stores will sell squash that’s already peeled and cubed. While you’ll probably spend more money on this, it’s a nice shortcut if you’re short on time.
- Additions. Feel free to add some additional ingredients to your roasted butternut squash with cinnamon, such as dried cranberries, chopped pecans, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Sweetness. The roasting process brings out the natural sweetness of butternut squash to which the maple syrup is a great complement. If you prefer this dish to be a little sweeter, feel free to add a little brown sugar during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
More butternut squash recipes
If you love butternut squash as much as I do, I think you’ll love these other great recipes. Enjoy!
- Roasted butternut squash soup – with apples, sage, and maple syrup.
- Baked butternut squash pasta – penne, mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a butternut-sage sauce baked until bubbly.
- Butternut squash gnocchi – with a sage brown butter sauce topped with grated amaretti cookies and Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Butternut squash parmigiana – with marinara, mozzarella, and Parmigiano Reggiano topped with seasoned breadcrumbs.
- Butternut squash chili – with roasted poblano peppers, cinnamon, and chili powder.
If you’ve enjoyed this Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
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Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium butternut squash ~4 pounds, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 4 tablespoons butter cubed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level.
- Peel and cut butternut squash in half. Remove all the seeds and pulp and cut the squash into 2-inch chunks.
- Toss the squash pieces with the extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and sage.
- Spread the squash out onto a baking sheet. Use two sheets if overcrowded. Place the sheet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, flipping the squash pieces at the halfway point.
- Remove after 35 minutes and distribute the butter and pumpkin seeds onto the squash. Return to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until fork tender. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use 4 pounds of squash. Most small to medium butternut squash weigh around 2 pounds.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published on July 8, 2018. It was completely updated on October 18, 2023.
We aren’t fans of pumpkin seeds, so I left them out. But this was delicious! The whole family really liked this squash.
I made this tonight as a taste test to see if I wanted to make for Thanksgiving. It was very good. My family was mixed about the pumpkin seeds (hence the 4 stars), but I really liked this dish and will definitely make it again! 😋
Hi Mary, thanks for the comment and happy you enjoyed. If you’re not a fan of the pumpkin seeds, you can always leave them out.
Hi Tara. I enjoyed the different textire the pumpkin seeds added, so I think I will keep them in next time I make it. As I said, the rest of the family was mixed about the seeds, but we all enjoyed the dish.
Great ideas for butternut squash meals & Delicious recipes !
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Awesome. My husband and I agree this is better than a baked sweet potato. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks, Nicole! So happy you both enjoyed!
Love butternut squash and this is similar to how I make it minus the seeds which I will now have to try. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Karly! I think the seeds give it a nice twist but both ways are great.