Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans



Hasselback butternut squash, roasted with sage-honey butter and topped with crunchy candied pecans, will turn into your new favourite vacation aspect dish! Excellent for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it can make a gorgeous veggie centerpiece – savory, candy, and deeply caramelized.

Hasselback Butternut Squash topped with chopped pecans and sage leaves (3 squash halves on a white platter).

Present-Stopping Hasselback Squash: The Final Vacation Aspect Dish

Yearly as Thanksgiving approaches, I get impressed to share a contemporary butternut squash recipe with my readers – it is virtually a practice on my weblog! My fan-favorite roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts aspect dish from again in 2015 nonetheless will get rave opinions, and extra just lately, my sausage stuffed butternut squash and butternut squash pasta salad have turn into absolute hits for vacation entertaining and comforting weeknight dinners. This Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans is my latest creation and it matches seamlessly into my Thanksgiving Menu, providing restaurant-quality presentation and taste that simply wow friends. I’ve at all times had a little bit of an obsession with orange-hued consolation meals – there’s one thing so cozy, vibrant, and festive about them, particularly when fall rolls in and squash season peaks. In case you love colourful aspect dishes for entertaining or simply crave simple, crowd-pleasing autumn recipes, this winter squash will make a visually gorgeous and scrumptious addition to your vacation desk on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Hasselback Butternut Squash topped with chopped pecans and sage leaves (3 squash halves on a white platter).
A slice of Hasselback Butternut Squash (topped with pecans and sage leaves) on a small plate.

Tips on how to Make Hasselback Butternut Squash (Step-By-Step Photographs)

  • Collect all of your substances. This photograph conveniently reveals every thing you want:
This photo shows all the ingredients (labeled) for Hasselback Butternut Squash.
  • Warmth oven to 400ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment.
  • Put together squash: Peel, halve, and seed squash; set cut-side down. Use a picket spoon as a guard and slice thinly with out chopping by means of.
Halved squash on a cutting board; removing seeds from the squash.
  • Let me present you in pictures how one can safely slice the squash: Set the squash cut-side down and place a picket spoon alongside each side (or alongside the “high” aspect) as “guard rails.” Make skinny crosswise cuts all the way down to the rails (however not by means of the bottom) so the squash stays intact and followers superbly.
Peeling squash halves on a cutting board; then slicing the squash with a knife in a
  • Roast: Rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper; cowl tightly with foil and roast 35-45 min till principally tender.
Rubbing the halved butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet.
  • Make the honey butter: Stir collectively melted butter, honey, and chopped sage.
Melting butter in a small saucepan, then adding honey and chopped sage.
  • Brush with honey-butter and roast some extra: Uncover the squash; brush a lot of the honey butter into the cuts and roast 25-30 min extra, basting a couple of times, till golden and tender. Take away from oven.
  • Brush with remaining honey butter; tuck in sage leaves and scatter thyme.
Brushing the halved butternut squash with honey-butter; then topping with fresh herbs.

Tips on how to Make Candied Pecans

  • Coat the pecans with sauce: Simmer sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt till effervescent (about 1 minute) in a medium sauce pan. Add pecans and stir 1-2 minutes to coat.
  • Let the pecans cool: Unfold in a single layer on a parchment lined tray or sheet pan to chill till crisp.
Simmering sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt in a sauce pan, then adding pecans.
  • Serve: High the hasselback butternut squash with candied pecans and serve.
Hasselback Butternut Squash topped with chopped pecans and sage leaves (3 squash halves on a white platter).

Serving Concepts

Overhead view of 3 plates with Hasselback Butternut Squash topped with chopped pecans.

Storage, Reheating, Freezing, Make-Forward

  • Storage: Cool absolutely; refrigerate in an hermetic container as much as 4 days. Hold pecans separate in order that they keep crisp.
  • Reheating: 300°F oven, 10-Quarter-hour, tented with foil till heat; uncover the final 3 minutes to re-crisp edges. Drizzle a teaspoon of melted butter or olive oil if it seems to be dry.
  • Freezing: Not perfect (texture turns watery). In case you should, freeze in slices (not complete) as much as 2 months and reheat from frozen at 325°F; end with contemporary herbs and a contact of honey butter.
  • Make-ahead: Roast lined (first Half-hour of roasting) as much as 1 day forward. Chill (within the fridge). Earlier than serving, brush with honey butter and end the uncovered roast; high with pecans and herbs proper earlier than bringing to the desk.

Extra Butternut Squash Recipes

Hasselback Butternut Squash (2 squash halves on a white platter).
Hasselback Butternut Squash topped with chopped pecans and sage leaves (3 squash halves on a white platter).

Print

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans

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Thinly sliced, roasted butternut squash brushed with honey-sage butter and completed with candied pecans for a savory-sweet, caramelized vacation showpiece. One in all my finest vacation aspect dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Course Aspect Dish
Delicacies American
Key phrase hasselback butternut squash, roasted butternut squash
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook dinner Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Whole Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Energy 549kcal
Creator Julia

Substances

Roasted Butternut Squash

  • 2 medium butternut squash
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly floor pepper
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons chopped contemporary sage plus small leaves for garnish
  • contemporary thyme sprigs for garnish
  • ½ cup home made candied pecans (you too can use store-bought)

Tips on how to Make Candied Pecans:

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon floor cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 ½ cups uncooked pecan halves

Directions

Tips on how to Roast Butternut Squash

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Peel the squash then reduce it in half and scoop out the seeds. Place every squash cut-side down on a chopping board. Place a picket spoon or comparable alongside the size of the squash. Being very cautious to not reduce all over, slice the squash thinly widthways.
  • Drizzle the squash with extra-virgin olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper then use your fingers to rub the oil and seasoning in.
  • Cowl tightly with foil and roast for 35-45 minutes, till principally tender however not collapsing.
  • In the meantime, make the honey butter: In a small bowl, combine collectively the melted butter, honey, and chopped sage.
  • Take away the squash from the oven and brush or spoon a lot of the honey butter evenly excessive, ensuring it seeps into the cuts. Return to the oven and roast uncovered for 25-Half-hour, basting a couple of times, till the squash is tender and beginning to go golden round its edges.
  • Take away from the oven and brush with the remaining honey butter.
  • Poke some sage leaves in-between the cuts on the squash, then scatter over the thyme sprigs and candied pecans.
  • Serve instantly.

Tips on how to Make Candied Pecans

  • Line a tray (or a sheet pan) with parchment.
  • Heat sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt in a skillet till effervescent (about 1 min).
  • Add pecans and stir to coat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Unfold in a single layer on a parchment lined tray / sheet pan to chill and crisp fully.
  • Hold separate till after squash is roasted, then use to complete and garnish.

Notes

  • Do I’ve to peel butternut squash? I positively advocate peeling. A Y-peeler works best-peel till the deep orange flesh is uncovered.
  • Tips on how to slice squash safely: Set a picket spoon alongside each side of the squash as guard rails. Slice all the way down to them; the bottom stays intact. This can forestall you slicing all over. See step-by-step pictures above this recipe card.
  • Salt: Do not maintain again on last flaky sea salt. It makes the dish by balancing the honey.
  • Makey scorching honey: You may add a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes to the honey butter.
  • The foil-covered roast firstly ensures a young inside earlier than the glaze caramelizes.

Storage:

  • Room Temperature: Greatest served instantly after roasting. The squash can relaxation loosely tented for as much as 1 hour earlier than serving – re-glaze earlier than presenting if wanted. Refrigerate after 1 hour.
  • Fridge: Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven till warmed by means of and re-caramelized.
  • Freezer: Not really helpful.

Often Requested Questions

  • How do I make this nut-free? Skip the candied pecans and substitute with toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or simply contemporary herbs for garnish.
  • Is that this recipe gluten-free? It’s! All of the substances are naturally gluten-free-just double-check your candied pecans or substitute home made to be secure.
  • Can I make it dairy-free? Sure-use vegan butter or olive oil. I nonetheless embody honey for shine (use maple for vegan). Taste is totally different however nonetheless glorious.
  • Why roast lined first? Foil traps steam so the inside softens earlier than the sugars caramelize. You then take away the foil to brown and crisp the ridges.
  • My squash is not browning-what now? Crank the oven to 425°F for the final 5-8 minutes or transfer it up a rack. Brush on a skinny movie of honey butter proper earlier than that last blast.

Vitamin

Energy: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 40g | Saturated Fats: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 7g | Monounsaturated Fats: 19g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 1013mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 27056IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 3mg
Hasselback Butternut Squash (2 squash halves on a white platter).
A close-up of Hasselback Butternut Squash (topped with chopped pecans).

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