Name: Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and diced (about 6-8 cups); 1 -2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 tablespoons toasted pepitas; Chopped cilantro (optional)

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This Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash is a quick and easy side dish that’s full of Southwest flavors! Perfect to serve with your favorite protein or add it to the top of a salad.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash in a white bowl with spoons. A bowl of pepitas behind it.

Making a side dish to go with dinner isn’t a strength of mine. Most of the time we don’t need a side dish because the meal I make is pretty complete and balanced. But on nights where I just grill some chicken or bake a piece of salmon, we need something to go along with it.

My go-to this winter has been this sweet and spicy roasted butternut squash. I first made this to have with our grilled turkey breast on Christmas. Since the turkey was seasoned with southwest spices, I figured I might as well continue the theme and make southwest spiced butternut squash too.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash in a white bowl with spoons in it.

It’s so flavorful and has the perfect balance of heat from the chili powder and sweetness from the honey. It’s effortless to make and the leftovers hold up really well for the better part of a week.

Ingredients used to make Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash on a baking sheet.

Ingredients Needed to Make Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash

butternut squash
olive oil
chili powder and ground cumin
honey
pepitas
cilantro (optional)

closeup of Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash with pepitas and cilantro.

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash

Making this side dish is so easy it hardly needs a recipe or directions. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Put the peeled and cubed butternut squash on it. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Toss everything together with your hands until all the squash is coated.

Make sure the squash is in a single layer and not overly crowded on the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 400° F. tossing it halfway through the roasting time. Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle on the honey, and toss it around until it’s coated.

Put the squash in a serving bowl and sprinkle on the pepitas and chopped cilantro. That’s all there is to it. Quick and easy!

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash in a white serving bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use A Different Kind of Squash?

Yes. Almost any variety of winter squash will work. Acorn, delicata, buttercup, hubbard and kabocha are all different varieties that will work well as a replacement for the butternut squash in this recipe. You could also use sweet potatoes if you prefer.

Sweet and Spicy Roasted Butternut Squash with pepitas in a white serving bowl.

What are Pepitas?

Pepitas are pumpkin seeds without the hull. Meaning they don’t have the white exterior around them that you see when you carve your Halloween pumpkin. They come from a couple varieties of pumpkin that have hull-less seeds in them. I use pepitas in lot of my salad and side dish recipes, like this Maple Orange Sweet Potato Salad. I love the crunchy, nutty flavor and they’re an inexpensive alternative if you can’t eat nuts.

Serving Suggestions