Maple mustard roasted butternut squash with pecans and goat cheese is a delicious, sweet, slightly tangy fall side dish that's easy enough for weeknight dinners, but pretty enough for a Thanksgiving side. (gluten-free, vegetarian)

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Winter squash season, that is. I could live off of all the gorgeous, delicious varieties of winter squash during the fall. One of the most popular, butternut squash, gets a simple but oh-so-tasty treatment in this maple mustard roasted butternut squash that will take the humble butternut squash from side to star of the show!

Why You'll Love This Maple Mustard Roasted Butternut Squash

I could talk about how nutritious butternut squash is (It's high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, such as vitamin As and C, magnesium and potassium, as well as antioxidants like beta carotene.) But really, all that matters is that it's simply delicious. Sweet maple syrup and tangy whole grain mustard combine to coat tender cubes of butternut squash in a bath of glorious flavor that slightly caramelizes at high temperatures, while crunchy toasted pecans and creamy goat cheese finish the dish off nicely. It's special enough to grace your Thanksgiving table, yet easy enough to make on a weeknight.

And while it may sound fancy, this maple mustard butternut squash is really very simple to make. Just toss the cubes of butternut squash in a simple 4-ingredient sauce, and leave it up to the oven to make magic. Honestly, cutting the squash is the hardest part, so let's talk about that.

How to Cut a Butternut Squash

While butternut squash is one of my favorite winter veggies, it's my least favorite one to cut. The skin is notoriously tough, and the squash itself can be awkward to hold still if you don't do it right, so here's how to cut a butternut squash into cubes without hurting yourself:

Get a big, sharp knife. If you don't already have one, buy one. I promise it's worth it. (I love my Wusthof chef's knife.) No wimpy knives here.
Use the sharp knife (on a large, steady cutting board) to cut the bottom and top off of the butternut squash so you have two flat surfaces. If your squash is on the small side, you can leave it like this to peel. If it's large, I suggest cutting it in half cross-wise (between the round bulbous end and the straight end) so that you have two shorter sections to deal with.
Peel the skin from the squash with either a sturdy Y-shaped vegetable peeler or your knife. I usually use my knife because I don't want to wash another dish.
Cut the squash in half length-wise so that you can see the seeds. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds out. (Save the seeds to roast later!)
Now, you can cut each piece into about half-inch cubes of uniform size.

How to Make Maple Mustard Roasted Butternut Squash

Now that your butternut squash is safely cut into cubes, let's make some delicious maple mustard roasted butternut squash!

Whisk the maple syrup, oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Or just do it in the bottom of the large bowl (used in the next step) to save yourself a dish, if you’d like.
In a large bowl, toss the maple syrup mixture with the butternut squash cubes to evenly coat them.
Spread the cubes evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try not to have them touch so you get a good roast.
Bake at 400°F for 15-10 minutes, then stir, add the pecans, and bake for about 10 minutes more.
Place cooked squash on a serving dish and top with goat cheese just before serving.

Pro Tips For Perfect Roasted Butternut Squash

For the best tasting roasted butternut squash cubes, following a few simple guidelines is key.

Make sure your squash is cut into uniform size pieces so that it roasts evenly. I cut mine into about ½-inch pieces.
Spread out the butternut squash on the baking sheet. You want space between the cubes so that the squash roasts instead of steams. This way you get that nice crisp, caramelized exterior.
While I usually like my silicone baking mats for roasting veggies, this recipe is really much better with parchment paper - and much easier to clean up - because the natural sugars in the maple syrup get very sticky.
Don't skip the stirring step. I use a spatula to flip the squash over halfway through so that all of the sides of the squash get evenly browned.

Ingredient Substitutions

This roasted butternut squash is very forgiving and so delicious, even with some substitutes, so use these substitutes to make it fit your needs.

If you can't find old fashioned whole grain mustard, use another grainy type, such as stone ground spicy mustard or dijon mustard.
You can use honey in place of maple syrup.
To make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, omit the goat cheese.
Toasted walnuts or pepitas are delicious in place of the pecans.
Try adding fresh thyme leaves or fresh chopped rosemary to the sauce before tossing with the butternut squash. It's a delicious addition!

More Delicious Ways To Use Butternut Squash

Whether it's an easy weeknight side dish or stunning Thanksgiving vegetable that you need, this maple mustard roasted butternut squash is just the flavorful, healthy dish you need!

If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!

Maple Mustard Roasted Butternut Squash with Pecans and Goat Cheese

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: about 4 cups 1x
Category: side dish
Method: roasted
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

4 cups butternut squash, cut into half inch cubes (about 1 small squash or half a large)
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp grainy mustard (I used Maille old fashioned mustard)
¼ tsp coarse sea salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup pecan halves
½ oz plain goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss butternut squash with maple syrup mixture to evenly coat. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet so that the cubes don't touch. (This will help them roast better and not steam.)
Roast 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and flip squash with a spatula. Sprinkle pecans onto the baking sheet with the squash and return to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until squash is golden and pecans are toasted.
Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese just before serving.

Notes

Make sure your squash is cut into uniform sized pieces so that it roasts evenly. I cut mine into about ½-inch pieces.
Spread out the butternut squash on the baking sheet. You want space between the cubes so that the squash roasts instead of steams. This way you get that nice crisp, caramelized exterior.
While I usually like my silicone baking mats for roasting veggies, this recipe is really much better with parchment paper - and much easier to clean up - because the natural sugars in the maple syrup get very sticky.
Don't skip the stirring step. I use a spatula to flip the squash over halfway through so that all of the sides of the squash get evenly browned.
To make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, omit the goat cheese.
If you can't find old fashioned whole grain mustard, use another grainy type, such as stone ground spicy mustard or dijon mustard.
You can use honey in place of maple syrup.
Toasted walnuts or pepitas are delicious in place of the pecans.
Try adding fresh thyme leaves or fresh chopped rosemary to the sauce before tossing with the butternut squash.