Simple Roasted Acorn Squash Slices

These delicious roasted acorn squash slices are perfect for the holidays or when acorn squash is in season. This recipe has only 3 ingredients, takes only 10 minutes to prepare, and is so delicious.

Why you will love this recipe

Simple roasted acorn squash is as classic at the holidaysin our house. This is our simple recipe that we use and we jazz it up depending on the meal we are making.

There is not much you need to do to make this delicious roasted acorn squash recipe. Because acorn squash has a natural delicate and sweet flavor, you do not need to add too much seasoning (only 3 ingredients) because the flavor in acorn squash can easily be covered up.

By roasting slices of acorn squash, it caramelizes the squash and brings out this beautiful sweet flavor naturally. That is why I love this easy way of preparing acorn squash.

The other thing I love about this recipe is you can customize it if you decide you want additional seasonings. There are many additions that taste amazing with it. Below are some of my favorite ways to spice up these roasted squash slices.

Ingredients needed

You will only need a few ingredients to make this simple roasted squash recipe. Here is what you will need (full recipe below):

• Acorn squash
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and Pepper

That is it. This is the easiest recipe you can make and it really is so beautiful too. We love roasting up these squash slices during Thanksgiving and laying them out on a platter because they are so beautiful.

Seasoning ideas for roasted acorn squash:

If you would prefer more seasonings for your acorn squash, here are some more ideas. The recipe will remain the same and will still be easy, just add in some more of your favorite flavors.

• Parmesan roasted acorn squash. If you love savory acorn squash, this one is really delicious and all you need to do is follow the recipe below and add about ⅓ cup of grated Parmesan before roasting.
• Brown sugar roasted acorn squash. This is a more classic way of seasoning acorn squash. Just follow the recipe below and sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar then bake. It will have a beautiful caramel color.
• Spiced roasted acorn squash. Squash always tastes great with a little heat. It tastes even better with a little hot and a little sweet. You can achieve this by mixing 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with ½ teaspoon chili powder. Sprinkle this seasoning on before baking and it will be delicious.

Adding even more flavor to these baked acorn squash slices:

Now, I use olive oil as the liquid that I drizzle over top of the acorn squash before roasting. This is more of a healthy acorn squash recipe since it has no butter.

If you want your roasted acorn squash slices to be more decadent, you could add 2 tbsps of melted butter to your olive oil and then drizzle that on before baking.

How to bake acorn squash slices

Making these roasted squash slices is so simple! Here is what you do:

• Clean the squash: This is just scrubbing the outside of the squash to make sure it is nice and clean since we are leaving the skin on.
• Scoop out the seeds (save those seeds for roasting if you want!): The seeds are edible so if you like roasted squash seeds, make sure to save them for later.
• Slice the squash: Make sure to follow my how to slice acorn squash section below for the safest way to prepare this squash.
• Bake! The delicious slices are baked in a 375-degree oven for about 20 minutes. To get them even more caramelized, pop them under the broiler for a couple of minutes after baking.

Do you need to peel the skin before roasting acorn squash?

When working with acorn squash, it only requires you to cut open the squash, remove the seeds then slice the acorn squash into slices. The skin of acorn squash is edible.

You do not need to peel anything before baking it in the oven. You serve this roasted acorn squash slices with the skin on and if someone does not want to eat it they can very easily pull the flesh away from the skin and not have to deal with it.

This is the same method I use when roasting the squash for acorn squash pasta and my carrot and acorn squash soup. After roasting, I just peel the skin away and add it to the soup.

This makes my life so easy. I actually do not eat the skin and I do not mind scooping the roasted acorn squash away from the skin.

Cutting Acorn Squash

The first thing you want to do when cutting acorn squash is to prepare the acorn squash by slicing a small bit off of the bottom to make it stable. This makes it safe to cut the acorn squash in half and not have it slip on you, causing an accident with the knife.

Once you have cut a small flat area off of the bottom of the acorn squash, you cut your acorn squash in half by placing the sharp side of your knife on the squash.

Now while one hand holds the handle of the knife that is in place, place yoour other hand on top of the knife and give it a hard push to cut through the squash.

Make sure one hand is on the knife handle and the other on top of the knife. This will ensure you do not get cut when prepping the squash.

Once this is done, you remove the seeds that are inside the squash.

I like to use a large serving spoon to scoop out the inside of the squash. You can roast these squash seeds or just discard them.

Cutting Slices

Once the acorn squash is cut in half, place the squash cut side down and begin to slice the squash into about ½ inch slices following the same cutting routine mentioned above.

Pro tip:

If after the baking you do not see your acorn squash slices looking as beautifully golden brown as you would like, just go ahead and place them under a broiler for a few minutes or until they are golden and beautiful on the outside.

Another pro-tip to make meal planning for another night really easy is I like to make extra of this roasted acorn squash and then use some to make my carrot and acorn squash soup the next night.

Re-heating and Storing

To store acorn squash, make sure to place it in a container with a lid after it has fully cooled. I do this same thing for my Roasted Cauliflower and Potatoes and Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli

You can technically re-heat these squash slices but it will lose its crispy edges.

I prefer to make it into my acorn squash and carrot soup.

Pairing Ideas

If you are looking for ideas of what to serve with this healthy roasted acorn squash recipe, here are our favorites:

Recipe Faqs