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Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

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Sweet, buttery, and bursting with fall flavor, this vitamin- and mineral-rich honey roasted butternut squash is a kid friendly side dish you’ll come back to all season.

For another kid-friendly squash recipe, check out our Sweet and Salty Butternut Squash Fries recipe!

white bowl of beautifully caramelized butternut squash cubes with a sprinkle of parsley

Orange veggies are full of goodness for kids. And during the fall months, orange veggies are in the peak of their season! Here’s a simple recipe for honey roasted butternut squash highlights the natural flavor of this healthy fall veggie, and features a caramelized edge on every roasted cube.

Squash is a perfect “starter veggie” for picky kids because it’s sweet, easy to chew, and a pretty color, too. Roast some sweet cubes of squash tonight.

baking sheet with raw butternut squash cubes ready to go in the oven

How to Make Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

Making this nutritious side dish is super easy, and it can be prepped ahead! The first step is to peel and cube your squash. If you find the flesh of the squash to hard to cut through comfortable, you can soften it in the oven for a half hour before peeling and cubing. This step is optional, but we like to do it if we can spare the time.

Make your cubes about 3/4 inch. Remember that they’ll shrink a little in the oven.

Note: once your squash is peeled and cubed, it’ll stay fresh in an airtight container for several days. Once you’ve completed this step, roasting your squash is ultra fast and easy!

Toss your squash cubes with a mixture of melted butter, olive oil, and honey. Make sure it’s all well-coated before spreading it on a lightly greased baking sheet. (You can use parchment paper or a silicone mat if you like.)

Lastly, bake your squash for about 30 minutes, tossing once or twice along the way for even browning.

baking sheet full of roasted butternut squash cubes

Why Squash is Super Healthy for Kids

Tasty butternut squash is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and B6. It has a high fiber content, too!

Squash also provides minerals like magnesium, calcium, manganese, and potassium that are vital for kids’ healthy growth and development.

If you introduce squash to kids when they’re babies and toddlers, they’ll have the opportunity to develop a taste for this orange super food early. But even if your kids are older, it’s never too late to get them on board with a new veggie.

If you have picky eaters, try butternut squash!

whole butternut squash cut in half with spoon scooping out seeds

Tips for Serving Squash to Picky Eaters

Here’s how you can introduce squash to kids that have never had it before:

  • Make it fun. Let them pick out the squash at the farmer’s market or store. They come in all different shapes and sizes! Make a game of guessing what color the squash will be on the inside.
  • Let them help you prep it. Some kids love to get their hands in the gooey middle to scoop out the seeds! They might like to toss the honey butter mixture too. Let them spread out the squash on the baking sheet.
  • Add a bit of sweetness. Many kids will try just about anything if there is a promise of a little honey. A small drizzle isn’t going to create a big sugar rush in your kids, and quality honey has nutritional benefits anyway!

More Fall Favorite Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Alfredo with Broccoli
Sweet Coconut Butternut Crockpot Soup
Kid-Friendly Butternut Squash Soup

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3.8 from 90 votes

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

Sweet & buttery, this vitamin and mineral rich honey roasted butternut squash is the perfect kid friendly side dish for any meal!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 184kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place a whole butternut squash in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes to soften it slightly. (This step is optional, but makes the squash easier to cut.)
  • When the squash is cool enough to handle, use a peeler to skin the whole squash and cut it into cubes.
  • Put the cubed squash onto a baking sheet, drizzle melted butter, olive oil, honey, and sea salt, and then stir to combine (Or let the kids get in there to mix it up with their hands!)
  • Roast at 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, turning the cubes halfway through for even browning.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 301mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 14g
Keyword : Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

www.superhealthykids.com

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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Recipe Rating




8 Comments

5 stars
I’ve been making this for a few years and love it! However, I just checked the recipe to make sure my measurements were correct and then double checked it against my recipe book. I have 425° for 50-60 minutes? That’s how I’ve always made it and turns out perfect. I don’t think 30 minutes at 400° will yield the same result.

Hi Kristin! We recently updated this recipe because the recipe card was super confusing before. There were instructions for roasting it halved AND cubed mixed together in the same recipe. So now the recipe is just for the cubed version… My guess is that you’re used to roasting it halved? I’d go with your recipe notes on this if you’re roasting your squash cut into just two pieces. I hope this clears up any confusion!

Hi Debbie, yes! You can pop it back in the oven to warm it back up. It’s also great room temperature, though. 🙂

5 stars
The kids asked for seconds and thirds and fourths….
I have the hardest time getting them to eat their veggies but they loved the “honey squash” I also loved your tip for roasting it first. It made the peeling and cutting so much easier!