Easy 30-Minute Roasted Honeynut Squash Recipe - Howe We Live

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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.

a white platter filled with roasted honeynut squash, garnished with goat cheese and pistachios

We’re experts at introducing novel ways to enjoy more fiber and essential vitamins and minerals to our readers, and this easy honeynut squash recipe is a tried and true favorite. Let us show you how easy it is to cook this seasonal and nutrient dense squash in a flavorful way. Our recipes help you meet your nutrition goals with ease and this one is no exception.

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.

Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Honeynut Squash Recipe
  • What is Honeynut Squash?
  • Ingredients for Roasted Honeynut Squash
  • How to Make Roasted Honeynut Squash
  • More honeynut squash cooking tips
  • How to Serve Roasted Honeynut Squash
  • Roasted Honeynut Squash Recipe FAQs
  • Related Recipes
  • More Favorites from Howe We Live
  • Roasted Honeynut Squash Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Honeynut Squash Recipe

  • 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!

What is 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.

raw honeynut squash cut in half and brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with thyme

Ingredients for Roasted 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 Make Roasted 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 1, wash and dry squash, then cut in half. Step 2, scoop out the seeds.

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 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

roasted honeynet squash face down on a parchment lined baking sheet

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

honeynut squash that has been roasted and placed on a white platter and garnished with goat cheese and fresh thyme

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.
white plate with 2 small honeynut squash on top and garnished with cheese and pistachios

How to Serve Roasted Honeynut Squash

Roasted honeynut squash tastes great on its own, but like any type of squash or potato, its flavors are heightened with toppings and garnishes.

  • Sprinkle on chopped nuts and crumbled cheese. We are partial to pistachios and mild goat cheese, but pecans or walnuts are also excellent.
  • Enhance the sweetness by adding a pad of sated butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar to freshly baked honeynut.
  • Chopped bacon or prosciutto are also excellent toppings if you want a nice sweet and savory mix.

Serve honeynut squash as a side dish to your favorite holiday cooked meats including turkey breast, lamb or beef.

Roasted Honeynut Squash Recipe FAQs

What are some other ways to prepare honeynut squash?

Cube up the squash and roast or steam them to add to your salads or stir into a ground breakfast sausage, similar to my stuffed acorn squash, for a unique breakfast.

Do these really taste that much different than butternut squash?

Oh my gosh, yes! They truly are sweeter and don’t have any of that bitterness that butternuts often have.

I’m trying to eat low-carb. Will these fit into a low carb eating plan?

Honeynut squash is low in net carbs (about 8 grams per ¾ cup serving), so if you are following a KETO or general low-carb eating plan, you can easily fit it into your daily menu.

roasted squash on a platter and also served on a white plate next to 2 glasses of white wine
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honeynut squash on a white plate sprinkled with goat cheese and pistachios

Roasted 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 Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 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 Tried this Recipe? Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!

Tag » How To Cook Honey Nut Squash