Easy baked acorn squash recipe, perfect for the fall. Squash is cut in half, insides scooped out, then baked with a little butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup.

Photography Credit: Elise Bauer

How To Cook Acorn Squash

Always a favorite at our Thanksgiving table is baked acorn squash. They’re so easy! The hardest part is cutting the squash in half—you need a sharp sturdy knife and a strong, steady hand.

But then all you have to do is scoop out the seeds, score the inside, dot with butter and brown sugar or maple syrup and bake. To eat you can cut them in wedges, or keep them in halves and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

Acorn squash are winter squash. When shopping for them, choose squash that feel heavy and have a blemish-free and mold-free skin. They should also not have any soft spots, but should be quite firm. They should be dark green and may have a patch of yellow or orange where they were on the ground before picking.

Like other winter squash, the whole acorn squash store very well in the cold months, just keep them cool and dry; they’ll last a month or more.

They’re a great source of iron, Vitamin A (from all that beta-carotene filled orange flesh!), Vitamin C, and riboflavin.

How to cut acorn squash

Like most winter squashes, acorn squashes are dense and can be challenging to cut. Here are some tips to help:

Stabilize the squash: Knife skills 101, right? Make sure what you are cutting is stable on the table. If the stem is short, the most stable position for the squash is likely to prop it up with the stem end down. If the stem is too long, and you can’t easily remove it, lay the squash on its side and roll it until you find the most stable position for it.

Knife skills 101, right? Make sure what you are cutting is stable on the table. If the stem is short, the most stable position for the squash is likely to prop it up with the stem end down. If the stem is too long, and you can’t easily remove it, lay the squash on its side and roll it until you find the most stable position for it. Use a sharp, heavy chef’s knife: A sharp knife will really help getting through the squash, a dull one is at risk of slipping while you cut. A heavy chef’s knife has the heft and length you need to cut through the squash.

A sharp knife will really help getting through the squash, a dull one is at risk of slipping while you cut. A heavy chef’s knife has the heft and length you need to cut through the squash. Rubber mallet: Have a rubber mallet? Using one to tap on the knife can help it go through if it gets stuck.

Have a rubber mallet? Using one to tap on the knife can help it go through if it gets stuck. Microwave: If you have a microwave, zap the squash for a minute (each) before cutting into it. That will soften the peel and flesh just enough to make it easier to cut through.

Try these other great squash recipes

Video: How To Bake Acorn Squash