Baked Acorn Squash Recipe

Whenever October hits and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, we start to think about our Baked Acorn Squash Recipe.  The acorn squash is considered a fall vegetable and is at its peak freshness from October through December. The good news, it is available all year long in most supermarkets. So if the mood strikes for a good squash recipe, you do not have to wait for your holiday meal to enjoy it. Out of all of the acorn squash recipes we make, this is our go-to. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Can this Recipe be Made Vegan?

As you all know, we mainly focus on vegetarian recipes. But, whenever we can, we will add vegan recipes to our blog; mainly since we eat vegan more often than we even realized. Or in the case of this recipe, we will give a vegan alternative. To make this recipe vegan is super easy. Start by replacing the butter with a Vegan Substitute such as the ones made by Earth Balance. Their site reads “Our Original Buttery Spread changed the game for vegan and dairy-free products, putting buttery goodness back on the table for people who thought they’d never taste it again.” Here is a direct link to their Vegan Spreads.

Also, make sure to use Bone Char Free Brown Sugar, whether you are making the vegetarian or vegan recipe. Wholesome has bone char free products available, and it’s exactly what we use in this recipe. A quote from Wholesome’s website reads – “ No chemicals, bone char, or animal by-products are used to make or de-colorize this sugar making it ideal for vegans.”  If you want to view more from this company, visit Wholesome’s website.

Baked Acorn Squash Recipe Ingredients

• Acorn Squash – 2
• Water – ½ Cup
• Light Brown Sugar – 4 Tablespoons (or Vegan Light Brown Sugar)
• Butter – 4 Tablespoons – (or Vegan Butter)
• Ground Black Pepper –  ½ Teaspoon
• Dried Basil – ½ Teaspoon
• Salt – 4 Pinches

How to Cook Acorn Squash

• Let’s start with preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
• Now, wash the outside of the acorn squash. Then, dry the vegetable thoroughly.
• Cut the squash in half, longways.
• Next, using a tablespoon, scoop out and discard the seeds.

Remove Seeds From Acorn Squash

• In a baking dish, add half a cup of water.
• Take the squash and place face down into the water.
• When the oven is heated, add the squash.
• Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until the vegetable is tender throughout. To check the tender, use a fork to pierce through the bottom of the squash.
• Once the squash is nice and tender, remove from the oven.
• Now, turn the squash over so the cut side is now facing upwards.
• Add one tablespoon of butter, or vegan alternative, into each half.
• Next, add one tablespoon of the bone char free light brown sugar into each squash half.
• Sprinkle a one-eighth teaspoon of the dried basil into each piece.
• Add a pinch of salt into each cut half.
• At this time, to each half of squash, add a one-eighth teaspoon of black ground pepper.
• Return the squash to the oven. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes to melt the butter and slightly brown the squash.

To Prepare Sharon’s Way

The female half of the Vegetarian Cooking Couple, Sharon, loves to scrape the sides and mix the ingredients. When the squashed is cooked, take a fork to the inside of each half and begin scraping the flesh from the sides keeping the squash flesh inside the halved shell. As you scrape the sides, the squash will mix with the ingredients. 

Baked Acorn Squash – They way Sharon likes it.

To Prepare Bill’s Way 

Or eat it like I do, Bill, without mixing. I enjoy scraping the sides and dipping into the tasty liquid.

Baked Acorn Squash – They way Bill likes it.

This recipe feeds four.  You can serve the side dish in the acorn shell. Or, you can take the insides and plate them sans the shell.  Eat Bill’s way. Or eat it Sharon’s way. How you serve it is entirely up to you. Enjoy!

Happy Eatin’

Here is Another Side Dish Recipe From Our Site – Mint Peas