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Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.

EatingWell.com, October 2018; updated September 2022

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Read the full recipe after the video.
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What Is Honeynut Squash

Honeynut squash is a relatively new hybrid version of butternut squash. It has the same shape as butternut squash, but it's much smaller, about the size of a medium potato. Its skin is bright orange as well as the flesh which has a sweet and nutty flavor.

In 2009, Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill challenged vegetable breeder Michael Mazourek to "breed a butternut squash to actually taste good" so that cooks wouldn't have to add so much added sugar (like maple and honey) to get a delicious-tasting butternut. Mazourek's response was this adorable tiny squash: the honeynut squash, which does indeed taste like a sweeter butternut squash.

How to Cook Honeynut Squash

You can cook honeynut squash in much the same way you cook other winter squash varieties, but the honeynut has some advantages. Its small size lends itself well to simply halving it before you cook it and its tender skin is thin and edible so it does not need to be peeled. You can steam, mash and stuff honeynut squash, but simply roasting it as we do here, with minimal embellishments, lets its naturally sweet and nutty flavor shine.

Where to Buy Honeynut Squash

Honeynut squash can be found in large well-stocked grocery stores and farmer's markets from September through December. While some winter squash can withstand long shelf lives, honeynut squash is more delicate and quickly loses its flavor as it sits which makes it hard to find out of season.

How to Prep Honeynut Squash

Each one serves just one to two people (finally a squash we aren't eating for days!) and they're so easy to prepare. Here's how:

Halved Honeynut Squash

Steady the squash as best you can on a cutting board. Insert the tip of a large heavy chef's knife into the center of the squash in a lengthwise direction. Place a folded kitchen towel between your hand and the spine of the knife and apply pressure to work your knife through one half of the squash. Spin the squash 180 degrees and repeat the process on the other side.

scooping out honeynut seeds

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the first shallow layer of flesh for a smoother surface. You can clean the seeds and roast them like you would pumpkin seeds, or discard them.

Seasoning honeynut squash

Our favorite way to flavor honeynut squash is with a simple combination of butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper. But feel free to experiment with any flavor profiles that excite you! We just recommend about 1 teaspoon of butter or oil and a sprinkling of seasoning (about 1/4 teaspoon) per squash half.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer & Devon O'Brien

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

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  • Arrange squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Place 1 teaspoon butter in each cavity. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Roast until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

1/2 squash
114 calories; protein 1.8g; carbohydrates 20.9g; dietary fiber 3.7g; sugars 3.9g; fat 4g; saturated fat 2.4g; cholesterol 10.2mg; vitamin a iu 18954.3IU; vitamin c 37.2mg; folate 48mcg; calcium 88.5mg; iron 1.3mg; magnesium 60.7mg; potassium 627.5mg; sodium 153mg; thiamin 0.2mg.

1 starch, 1 fat

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