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Honey Roasted Acorn Squash with Pine Nuts

Tender, sweet, delicious Honey Roasted Acorn Squash with Pine Nuts, a dash of cinnamon, and thyme for a hint of savory flavor. This recipe uses olive oil instead of butter for a healthier twist.

a fork digging into honey roasted acorn squash half

Acorn squash recipe

Acorn squash is the PERFECT side dish ingredient. It is hearty, filling, delicious, yet ridiculously healthy. It's packed with nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. Because of this, acorn squash works both as a carb and a vegetable in our house.  

Roasting acorn squash brings out its delicious natural sweetness. But of course, a little honey and cinnamon never made things worse.

This Honey Roasted Acorn Squash takes less than 5 minutes of prep time and is the most delicious and simple acorn squash recipe ever, hands down. I promise. It's simple, but it's so good.

honey roasted acorn squash half

My husband pointed out that the pine nuts look like beans in the picture. I assure you, these are not beans!! That would be weird. They are delicious little pine nuts that get toasted and so fragrant while the squash is roasting.

If I just freaked you out with the bean comment, feel free to use crushed walnuts or pecans instead of pine nuts. Walnuts and pecans are usually much cheaper than pine nuts anyway.

How to Roast Acorn Squash

To make this Honey Roasted Acorn Squash, I brush it with olive oil (you won't be able to taste it much in the end, but it's MUCH healthier than slathering the acorn squash with butter), drizzle it with honey, add some pine nuts, thyme, and a pinch of cinnamon.

brushing acorn squash with olive oil

I pop it in the oven at 375F (it's OK if the oven isn't done preheating, roasting acorn squash is not an exact science like baking), and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. It's OK if you overcook it a little, it just gets softer and even more delicious. It's a truly fool proof recipe. If you want, you can also cook this acorn squash in the air fryer to significantly cut down on cooking time.

While the squash is roasting, I prep and cook the rest of the meal (see below for ideas on how to serve this!).

Of course, you can use brown sugar instead of honey if that's what you have. I made two side by side and they really don't taste all that different when they are done roasting.

acorn squash with honey, pine nuts, and cinnamon

Some variations for this roasted acorn squash recipe:

If you want to switch things up, or if you are simply out of honey or pine nuts, you can try the following ingredient swaps with pretty much the same results. It will taste just as good, I promise:

  • Instead of honey, try brown sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup for a vegan version (honey is technically not vegan because it is made by bees)
  • Instead of pine nuts, try crushed walnuts or pecans
  • Instead of olive oil, try a neutral tasting vegetable oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or thinly sliced butter
  • Instead of thyme, try chopped fresh tarragon
  • Instead of cinnamon, try a pinch of pumpkin spice, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a sweet & spicy flavor combination

honey roasted acorn squash with pine nuts

How to serve acorn squash

For dinner, I serve these acorn squash halves next to some protein, such as grilled chicken or grilled sausage. You can also chop the acorn squash halves into quarters or into slices if you prefer.

For lunch or as a snack, roasted acorn squash can be its own meal or would be great next to a bowl of soup.

Can you eat the skin of Acorn squash?

It depends. When acorn squash is roasted or cooked, the skin softens, though it's still tough compared to the rest of the acorn squash. Most acorn squashes sold in stores are covered with a food-safe wax to make them last longer.

If you get an organic acorn squash from a farm where you know they don't coat it in wax, you can try to eat the skin.  I wouldn't recommend eating the skin on its own because it's simply not as tasty as the rest of the acorn squash, but if you  get a forkful of the acorn squash with a little bit of the skin on, you won't even really feel the skin when you eat it.

a fork digging into honey roasted acorn squash half

Shop for this recipe:

→ I am absolutely in love with my Corningware Baking Dishes. I have this set. They are a classic. They go with everything, and are perfect for taking food from the oven to the table. Just don't forget a trivet and be careful not to touch the baking dishes with your hands while they're hot!

→ There's no need to get fancy honey for this recipe. It will all taste pretty much the same once its baked or cooked in a recipe. I mean, if you have some fancy local or raw honey, go ahead and use it. But if not, I keep this large jar of honey around to use specifically for baking and cooking with it. It's a great price for that much honey. 32 ounces!!

→ Pine nuts are always so dang expensive. If you have no other use for them, you're better off getting a small package (such as this one, it's a half a cup) and using them all up quickly, instead of letting them sit and get rancid over time. I've done that way too many times, saving them for later only to realize they've gone bad! If you do plan on using lots of pine nuts (because they are deeeelicious!), this package from Trader Joe's is a really good value.

→ And of course, cinnamon and a basting / pastry brush to brush on the olive oil. I love using these brushes to brush olive oil onto pans for cooking - I can spread a smaller amount of olive oil around a large pan with a brush and use less oil in my cooking. 

If you made it all the way here, you're probably thinking "this sounds really good!" And you are correct. If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

pinterest image of honey roasted acorn squash half with pine nuts

a fork digging into honey roasted acorn squash half
Print Recipe
4.82 from 11 votes

Roasted Acorn Squash

Tender, sweet, delicious Honey Roasted Acorn Squash with Pine Nuts, a dash of cinnamon, and thyme for a bit of savory flavor. This recipe uses olive oil instead of butter for a healthier twist.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Author: Kate
Cost: $4

Ingredients

  • 1 acorn squash
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Slice the acorn squash in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and any loose strands on the inside of the acorn squash.
  • Brush each acorn squash half with half the olive oil (or see notes for butter). Top with a drizzle of honey, pine nuts, a pinch of cinnamon, and fresh thyme. Roast for 35-45 minutes, or until a fork pierces the acorn squash easily. Serve warn, garnishing with extra honey, pine nuts, or fresh thyme.

Notes

Try using these ingredient swaps too:
  • Instead of honey, try brown sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup.
  • Instead of pine nuts, try crushed walnuts or pecans.
  • Instead of olive oil, try a neutral tasting vegetable oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or thinly sliced butter. If using butter, slice a tablespoon of cold butter into thin slices. Place the slices all over each acorn squash half.
  • Instead of thyme, try chopped fresh tarragon.
  • Instead of cinnamon, try a pinch of pumpkin spice, or add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a sweet & spicy flavor combination.

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal (12%) | Carbohydrates: 30g (10%) | Protein: 3g (6%) | Fat: 14g (22%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (10%) | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 807mg (23%) | Fiber: 4g (16%) | Sugar: 6g (7%) | Vitamin A: 791IU (16%) | Vitamin C: 24mg (29%) | Calcium: 71mg (7%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)

The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.

 

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