Baked Acorn Squash

This easy recipe for brown sugar maple Baked Acorn Squash takes ordinary squash to an entirely different level and makes it special enough for Thanksgiving or other holiday dinners!

I love how acorn squash looks. I love the shape and the color, so I buy some early in the
season, put them in a large wooden bowl and use this as my kitchen table centerpiece until I’m ready to cook the squash.

It makes a natural, beautiful arrangement, but I just have to remember to cook it! So right before Thanksgiving, when I’m planning my Christmas decorations, I’ll take the centerpiece apart and serve it for dinner — fun, huh?!

Acorn squash is super easy to prepare, and really, the hardest part is cutting it in half. So I sometimes cheat and have the Hubs cut it for me, and then I do the rest.

How to make baked acorn squash in the oven

First, cut the squash in half. Then, scoop out the seeds with a fork. If you’ve ever scooped out pumpkin seeds, this part is a breeze!

A lot of recipes recommend baking the squash with the cut side down first, but I skip this step and cook the acorn squash in the microwave for a few minutes. Then, I fill the cavity with maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon and bake the squash until it’s nice and soft.

When the squash is done, it’s filled with a sweet, caramel-like filling that makes it taste like dessert.

I usually cut the squash in half, which makes the sauce spill out, but I scoop it up again and drizzle the sauce over the cut squash, and everyone’s happy, especially the kiddos since this is about the only way they eat squash!

Recipe for Baked Acorn Squash with Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar

Baked Acorn Squash

This easy recipe for brown sugar maple Baked Acorn Squash takes ordinary squash to an entirely different level and makes it special enough for a Thanksgiving side dish! 

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: side

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked acorn squash

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Dee

Ingredients

• 3 in acorn squashes cut half
• pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

• Scoop the seeds out from the center with a large spoon.
• Microwave the squash for 3 minutes or until slightly soft.
• Sprinkle the insides with salt, and add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to each squash half.
• Add some of the cinnamon to each half.
• Rub the top of each half with butter, and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until insides of squash are soft.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal

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This recipe for baked acorn squash is impossible to mess up, and you can play around with the amounts to suit your own tastes. If you don’t have maple syrup, you could use honey or even just butter and brown sugar. It’s completely up to you.

I hope you enjoy this easy baked acorn squash recipe as much as we do!