This is one of my favorite acorn squash recipes! Brown sugar roasted acorn squash wedges are topped with a mixture of brown butter, cranberries, and walnuts. They’re the perfect fall or holiday side dish!
This acorn squash recipe with brown butter is one of my favorite fall recipes. It’s ridiculously simple to make and looks stunning on the table! The brown butter is absolutely delicious with the sweet cranberries, nutty walnuts, and the sweet and savory acorn squash.
Our readers have been making it for years, and many have even saved it as one of their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. For more delicious winter squash recipes, try our cinnamon roasted butternut squash or parmesan roasted delicata squash.
Key Ingredients
- Acorn Squash: When I’m shopping for acorn squash, I look for one with smooth, firm skin that’s free from cracks, soft spots, or blemishes. Just like other winter squashes, it should feel heavy for its size. And if you’re wondering, you can eat the skin after roasting! It gets nice and tender.
- Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup: I like adding brown sugar to the squash before roasting it so it cooks and caramelizes in the oven. If you prefer, you can substitute maple syrup.
- Butter: I usually use salted butter, but unsalted works, too (you might just want to add a pinch of salt to the finished dish).
- Walnuts and Cranberries: I love the texture of chopped walnuts and dried cranberries in this recipe. Feel free to get creative and substitute other nuts and dried fruits if you like!
How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash
I love roasting my acorn squash in wedges, but you can also slice them (like we do for roasted delicata squash). Rub the squash with olive oil, salt, and brown sugar, and then roast it in the oven until tender (it takes about an hour).
When you are ready to serve, you’ll cook butter, walnuts, and dried cranberries in a skillet on the stove until the butter bubbles and starts to smell toasty (like brown butter). Then, spoon it all over the roasted squash. So good!
Easy Roasted Acorn Squash
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This recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook acorn squash. We roast acorn squash wedges in the oven with brown sugar and then spoon over brown butter, cranberries, and walnuts for serving. This is a perfect fall side dish and is stunning on a holiday table!
You Will Need
2 medium acorn squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Set aside a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet.
2Cut the squashes in half. Then, use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds from the middle. Carefully cut each half into 2 wedges.
3Place the wedges in a large baking dish and brush all sides with olive oil.
4Scatter the brown sugar evenly on top and season with salt and pepper.
5Bake until the acorn squash wedges are soft and caramelized around the edges, about 1 hour.
6When the squash has roasted, add the butter, walnuts, and cranberries to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter bubbles and takes on a toasty aroma, then spoon the browned butter, cranberries, and walnuts over the squash.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Acorn squash skin: You can eat the skin after roasting! It gets nice and tender.
- Roast the seeds: You can roast acorn squash seeds the same way you would pumpkin seeds. Use our roasted pumpkin seeds recipe for guidance.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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Wow, this was delicious! What a great flavor combination. Thank you for the recipe!
Delicious,healthy and so easy! Made w pecans for Thanksgiving, and roasted squashes in halves (took 30 min). We didn’t eat the skin – just scooped out the tasty and pretty insides. Added maple syrup to the butter mixture rather than when roasting. Will definitely make again!
I loved this recipe! I got an acorn squash in my farm box and didn’t know where to start. I added a little syrup to the butter/nut topping to sweeten it up a bit more, and roasted the seeds, too!
Silly question…..do I place the squash with the cut side facing up or down. Thank you as this sound delicious!
Both will work, but in our photos, we have cut-side facing up.
Greetings! I purchased acorn squash in November for Thanksgiving but, they didn’t reach the dinner table. Christmas was upon us, I made Acorn Squash Bread, and saved the seeds. In April I put the seeds in the yard for the birds. In return I got several squash plants. In June the plants began produce. This Roasted Acorn Squash w/walnuts and cranberries made it to dinner table four times in four weeks.
Delicious and so easy. We all loved it. Five Big Stars.
I have all ingredients, except Walnuts! Would you make it with only cranberries, or roast with butter and the brown sugar only?
The squash will be great with the cranberries, butter and brown sugar.
Hello. This looks perfect for my vegetarian Thanksgiving. Dumb question… & I pray you can answer quickly, because it is Thanksgiving Eve!… is the “shell” of the squash edible?? I’ve always assumed it’s not! The photo appears to include the rind. Please reply! Thank you.
Hi Lynn, the skin is definitely edible but depending on who is eating it they may prefer to leave the rind on the plate.
Is there anyway to make ahead?
Hi Rebekah, Yes, this can be made ahead of time then reheated before serving. You might want to roast the squash ahead of time then make the butter-walnut mixture just before serving.
Any suggestions on a substitute for the butter on the topping for allergy/intollerence for milk?
Coconut oil, walnut oil or an olive oil would be nice.
Earth Balance vegan ‘butter’, for the butter flavor, might work also.
I baked the squash in my convection oven and the halves were tender in 35 mins. Added a little fresh parmesan on top which gave a nice salted contrast to the sweetness. Great recipe.
It’s hard to find vegetarian dishes for one. This recipe was perfect for me and I got two meals out of it! It was more delicious than I had expected it to be. Thank you so much!
Just made this for dinner! Eating is as I’m typing! SOOO good.
I’ll have to double or triple this recipe for thanksgiving. what would that do to the cooking time?
Hi there! As long as you keep the squash in one layer, the cooking time should be about the same. If you are using two baking sheets/two oven racks, you might want to rotate halfway through cooking to make sure they cook evenly.
Thanks!