Cozy maple roasted butternut squash with cranberries recipe! This cranberry pecan butternut squash bake is the perfect blend of fall flavors and makes a great Thanksgiving or holiday side dish.
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Hello, Rhubarbarians! Comin atcha today with the ultimate side dish for fall: roasted butternut squash with cranberries!
This one makes a wonderful Thanksgiving side dish! Go ahead, scoop it up with some roasted brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Mmmm....
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A cozy fall flavor combo
Warm cinnamon, sweet maple and brown sugar, tart cranberry, and cozy roasted butternut squash with pecans. All baked together to form the ultimate sweet and savory fall flavor combo. Can you imagine how good this makes your house smell when it's baking?
The mix of sweet, tart, and savory is everything you want in a Thanksgiving side dish. It's fabulous.
Check out this list of fresh cranberry recipes to try this season!
A side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas
This cinnamon roasted butternut squash bake makes the perfect holiday side dish!
It's got all the Thanksgiving flavors you crave on your plate. It will absolutely please anyone at your holiday table this year.
If you're attending a Thanksgiving or Christmas potluck this year, this Thanksgiving butternut squash will make a great contribution. It's easy to whip together and is versatile enough for everyone at the table. It's vegan and gluten-free!
Have you tried our roasted butternut squash halves with thyme honey butter?
Prep the ingredients
There aren't many ingredients to prep for this roasted butternut squash dish!
Of all the ingredients to prep, the butternut squash is the most labor intensive. You'll need to peel the squash, slice it in half, scoop out the flesh and seeds, and then cube it.
Do I have to peel the butternut squash? Although the skin is edible, we recommend peeling the squash when roasting it. The skin can be tough, even after roasting it, and we want this Thanksgiving side dish to wow on your holiday table!
Prep ahead for holiday success! The butternut squash can be prepped and cubed up to 3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, cutting down on lots of time. We don't recommend frozen butternut squash as it can turn mushy after roasting. Many grocery stores also carry pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section. You'll need about 7 cups worth.
How to make it
It's easy! (Full instructions listed in the recipe card below)
- Once everything is prepped, preheat your oven and toss the butternut squash with the brown sugar, cinnamon, olive oil, and sea salt.
- Bake the squash, and then add the cranberries, pecans, and maple syrup.
- Bake everything together until the squash is fork tender.
- Stir, serve, and enjoy!
Have you tried our honey butter roasted butternut squash?
How to serve
We like to serve this roasted butternut squash with cranberries hot out of the oven as a fall or holiday side dish. It pairs perfectly with traditional Thanksgiving dishes and Christmas dishes.
Add a protein and make it a meal! Make it a one-pan dinner! Add some tofu, tempeh, veggie sausage, or even chickpeas to the pan when roasting and make it an awesome fall dinner.
Prep ahead, storing, and freezing tips
Prep ahead tips: The butternut squash can be prepped and cubed up to 3 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, cutting down on lots of time. We don't recommend frozen butternut squash as it can turn mushy after roasting. Many grocery stores also carry pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section. You'll need about 7 cups worth.
Storing tips: Store the leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It may get a bit mushy as it sits in the refrigerator, but will still taste amazing after reheating in the oven or microwave.
Freezing tips: We don't recommend freezing this butternut squash bake, as it can turn quite mushy.
FAQs
Sure! We recommend pumpkin, acorn squash, or delicata squash.
Sure! We recommend walnuts or hazelnuts.
Yep! No need to defrost the cranberries either. Just toss them in at the same time.
Yes, but we think this dish is much better with fresh or frozen. Add the dried cranberries in at the same time.
See the section above titled "prep ahead, storing, and freezing tips."
Although the skin is edible, we recommend peeling the squash when roasting it.
Have you tried our soft and fluffy butternut squash rolls?
Recipe
Maple roasted butternut squash with cranberries and pecans
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash. Peeled, seeded, and cubed (About 7 cups)
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup whole pecans
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the butternut squash cubes with the brown sugar, cinnamon, olive oil, and sea salt. Spread evenly in a 2 or 3 quart baking dish.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, stir the butternut squash. Evenly sprinkle on the cranberries and the pecans. Then evenly drizzle on the maple syrup. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until squash is fork tender.
- Stir together before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians
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Loren
Very tasty! I used less sweetener than called for and used honey instead of maple syrup because I ran out of it. It’s a keeper!!! Thank you for the recipe!
Loren K Laughlin
Very tasty! I used honey instead of maple syrup because I ran out of it. It’s a keeper!!!
Sharon Johnson
What are your thoughts on adding apples?
Trish Bozeman
Sounds delicious! Apples do release juices when cooked though, which could make the dish more liquidy. But it would sure be tasty!
Anonymous
I made this tonight, but I skipped the brown sugar altogether and cut the maple syrup by half. This is one of the best butternut squash dishes I have ever eaten and I LOVE butternut squash. Thank you for the starter recipe!