Name: Mashed Acorn Squash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 acorn squash; 6 large cloves garlic (skins on); 2 Tablespoons olive oil; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon sea salt; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

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Roasted and mashed acorn squash with garlic is super easy to make, creamy and delicious. This simple acorn squash recipe uses just 7 ingredients and takes 5 minutes to prep and get into the oven. Vibrant and colorful, packed with nutrition, naturally vegan and gluten-free…this healthy side dish with no added sugar will quickly become a favorite.

Bowl of mashed acorn squash, garnished with black pepper and scallions.

This post was updated from the original posted October 2, 2017.

Why you will love this recipe

Bowl of yellow mashed acorn squash, garnished with sliced green onions.

Kid friendly…your whole family will adore this.
Easy, healthy side dish that will go with whatever you’re making.
No peeling required! Roast and then just scoop out the tender flesh.
Packed with nutrition.
Savory acorn squash is a wonderful fall dish that balances out all the sweet stuff so prevalent this time of year.
No sugar added. No sweetener of any kind needed. It’s naturally sweet and tasty.
Meal prep friendly. Reheats beautifully in the oven on 350 for 15-20 minutes, covered.
The perfect Thanksgiving Side Dish….it’s delicious, healthy, easy and you can make it the day before.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Acorn Squash: It has a beautiful orangy-yellow color and and a nutty flavor when roasted. It’s easy to use and nutrient dense. Substitute any hard winter squash like butternut, pumpkin, kabocha or hubbard in this recipe. Delicata squash will take only 20 minutes to become tender. Spaghetti squash won’t become smooth and creamy, so save that as a vessel for vegan bolognese sauce.
Olive oil: Just a bit adds to the flavor and texture. If you’re oil free, just rub a bit of water over the cut side and then season before roasting. Omit the oil when mashing and if it’s too dry, add a Tablespoon of plant milk to help make your mash creamy.
Garlic: This is the ingredient that makes this recipe so tasty, in my opinion. The garlic will soften in both texture and taste as it roasts, making it perfect to mash right into the squash.
Cinnamon: The illusion of sweet goes hand in hand with cinnamon…and I think the illusion is just the right amount of sweetness for this savory recipe. Substitute with a pinch of nutmeg.
Cumin: Possibly my favorite spice. Cumin increases antioxidant intake, promotes digestion and provides some iron. All that and it tastes great too.

Prep Acorn Squash

Close up of two acorn squash. One is dark green, with the stem showing. THe other is laying on its side and shows an orange patch along with the res being dark green.

For this recipe, you don’t need to peel the acorn squash. Yay!! You will need to cut it in half though and that is most safely done when the squash can be stable on a cutting board.

Acorn squash with a sliver of the bottom cut off. THere is a knife inserted through the center stem on top of a cutting board.

Before attempting to cut the squash in half, cut a thin sliver off the non-stem end so it will sit flat on the cutting board, without moving around. Then, use a sharp knife to cut through the stem all the way to the bottom.

Bamboo cutting board with halved acorn squash. A grapefruit spoon is used to scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half.

Once the squash is halved, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. A grapefruit spoon with serrated edges makes this easy to do…and also will help remove any stringy bits.

Roast

Now that your squash is halved and the seeds removed, it’s ready to roast. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2 acorn squash halved, sprinkled with oil, salt and pepper and placed on a parchment lined baking tray. THere are also 6 large cloves of garlic on the tray, skins still on.

Drizzle the insides and cut parts of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place cut side up on the prepared pan. Add the garlic cloves STILL IN THEIR PAPER SKINS to the baking tray.

Halved and seeded acorn squash on a parchment lined baking tray with some cloves of garlic, whole and unpeeled.

An acorn squash that is about 2 pounds will take about 45 minutes to roast until tender. If you can easily stick a fork into the squash, you know it’s done.

Roasted acorn squash is scooped out of its skin and into a large glass bowl. Whole cloves of garlic also on the tray.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh out and into a large mixing bowl. This should be easy to do with a large spoon.

Cooked acorn squash pulp and roasted cloves of garlic in a bowl.

Scoop roasted acorn squash pulp into a bowl. Add roasted garlic to the roasted squash. Gently squeeze the end of the garlic clove and the pulp will come right out of the papery skin.

Potato masher working on acorn squash, garalic and spices.

Use a potato masher to incorporate garlic and squash together into a smooth and uniform puree. Sprinkle the cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and salt to squash mixture. Continue to mash/mix until spices have been evenly dispersed.

White bowl filled with acorn squash puree that's garnished with sliced scallions.

BAM….just like that you have a healthy side dish recipe that took no time to make. Taste for seasoning and add more of what you desire. I like to garnish with a bit more freshly ground black pepper and then sprinkle with some sliced scallions, or fresh herbs like parsley, sage or oregano.

Debra’s Pro Tips

Mashed yellow squash, garnished with cracked black pepper and thinly sliced scallions.

Not all acorn squash are the same size. Taste for seasoning and add more if your squash was particularly large.
Don’t skimp on the garlic. Keep the garlic from burning by using large cloves, leave the skin on, and don’t toss in the oil. No fresh garlic? I’m sorry, but it happens….use a teaspoon of garlic powder (not garlic salt) to season the mash.
Make this recipe YOURS. I gravitate towards the svory, but if sweet is your thing, swap out the cumin for a pinch of nutmeg and the cayenne for some allspice. Then add a swirl of maple syrup instead.
If you don’t have/can’t find acorn squash, make this recipe with kabocha, butternut, hubbard, or whatever hard winter squash you do have.
Make it into an acorn squash puree for a bold plating statement. It will look fabulous underneath any roasted vegetable. (I’m thinking oven roasted broccoli). Instead of mashing the roasted acorn squash by hand, put it all in a blender or food processor and add 2 Tablespoons veggie broth or plant milk.

Use mashed squash in other recipes

Burrito bowl: cooked rice, shredded cabbage and carrots, chopped greens and mashed acorn squash.

Use it to top this vegan shepherd’s pie.
Make some veggie spring rolls and place a spoonful on the wrapper before placing the veggies in.
Put a large scoop (or whatever you have left) into a pot of leek soup before you puree.
Make waffles. Use this recipe for leftover mashed potato waffles and insert the mashed squash instead of the mashed potatoes.
Make it a bowl. Include a variety of raw veggies (greens, chopped cabbage, radicchio), cooked veggies, grains and some leftover mashed squash. Drizzle on the apple/walnut dressing from my fall harvest salad recipe…and you’re in for a real treat.

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📖 Recipe

Mashed Acorn Squash

Author: Debra Klein

Easy mashed acorn squash recipe that's savory, smooth and delicious. You'll love this easy healthy side dish perfect for a simple weeknight dinner or for a tasty Thanksgiving side dish.

4.94 from 61 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Additional Time 5

Total Time 55

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings Servings

Calories 84 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Line large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
PREPARE ACORN SQUASH FOR ROASTING: Cut off thin sliver from bottom (opposite stem side) of squash so it will lay flat on cutting board. Cut through the stem all the way down so squash is cut into two equal halves. Use a grapefruit spoon to scoop out seeds.
Place squash halves on baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add garlic cloves (with the skins still intact) to tray and roast in preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.
When squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scoop out flesh into a large bowl. Squish the ends of garlic cloves to push out the pulp into the bowl. Use a potato masher to mix the garlic into the squash and mash into a uniform puree. Then add the cinnamon, cumin, cayenne and salt. Mash again until everything is well incorporated.
Garnish with fresh herbs or scallions, as desired.
Store mashed squash in the fridge in a glass container with tight fitting lid for up to 5 days.
Mashed squash can be gently reheated in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Notes

OPTIONAL GARNISH: Sprinkle with thinly sliced scallions, fresh thyme, oregano, parsley or sage.

Meal Prep and Storage

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Vegan mashed squash will stay good in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for 6 months.
Reheat: Mix well and reheat in baking dish in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with fresh sliced green onions or fresh herbs.
Freeze: Cool completely and transfer to freezer safe zip top bag that has been labeled and dated. Push out any air and seal completely. Lay flat in the freezer. Thaw in fridge, transfer to baking dish and mix well before reheating. If squash is a bit watery when it defrosts, stir in 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 84kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 180mgFiber: 3g

Note

The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag me @dkhealthcoach or use hashtag #dkhealtcoach on Instagram so I can see it!!

Categories

Gluten Free Grain Free Kosher for Passover Rosh Hashanah Shabbat Side Dish Thanksgiving Vegan

Comments

4.94 from 61 votes (52 ratings without comment)