Honey Walnut Acorn Squash
2013 – Gluten Free Living
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash is a delightfully crunchy way to enjoy acorn squash. I love finding new and tasty ways to eat healthy. So when I was making up Baked Acorn Squash last week I came up with this recipe at the same time. Golden acorn squash is baked, the seeds and pulp hollowed out, and in their place I added butter, honey, cinnamon and finely diced walnuts. What wonderful flavors.
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You know, sometimes I’m really adventurous in the kitchen and other times I get stuck in ruts! For example, this is the FIRST time I have ever deviated from my Mom’s Baked Acorn Squash recipe in all these years. Not that there’s anything sacred about her recipe or anything. I’ve just never fiddled around with it before.
But that is going to change. I loved the taste of the acorn squash with cinnamon. And the addition of finely diced walnuts that toasted while they were baking was really special. I really enjoyed eating acorn squash this way. I’m going to try new ways with this vegetable more often in the future!
This healthy, low calorie, gluten free side dish is a great accompaniment to any meal (including turkey.) 🙂 As I stated in my post earlier this week, one of my sister’s makes Baked Acorn Squash every year for Thanksgiving. But this is a slightly healthier take without the sugar and substituting a drizzle of honey instead.
For those of you who grow your own garden, this is a great way to use up an abundance of acorn squash. Maple syrup or molasses could also be substituted for the honey if you preferred either of those flavors.
If you’re looking for a healthy side dish (walnuts are high in essential oils), this is it! Consider making up Honey Walnut Acorn Squash this way in the near future. Acorn squash is on the mealy side so adding the nuts provided a great texture to counteract that. I loved the crunch of the nuts along with the seasoning of the cinnamon. Yum! Take a splurge and, like me, try something different this year. Don’t get stuck in your cooking ruts!
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash is a healthy, low calorie, gluten free side dish that’s also tasty and satisfying.
The walnuts roast as they bake adding a delicious deep and nutty flavor to the squash. Cinnamon and honey als0 enhance the flavor of this delicious squash dish.
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash is marvelous as a side dish for the holidays. We love the nutty, crunchy taste.
Here’s what I did.
Bake acorn squash about an hour at 350. Remove from oven.
Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove pulp and seeds.
Score the flesh of the cooked squash with a knife in a criss-cross pattern. This allows the butter, cinnamon, honey, and nuts to absorb into the flesh of the squash and saturate the flavors a little more.
Now that is done and I’m ready to stuff the hollowed out areas of the squash.
Add a couple of tablespoons of butter to each squash half.
Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. You can see I used a lot–probably at least a half teaspoon on each one. Use more if you like.
Add a couple of heaping tablespoonfuls of honey and a tablespoon or two of finely diced walnuts.
Place the squash in a baking dish and return to oven to bake about 5-10 minutes more to melt the butter and roast the nuts.
To serve: Remove squash with hot pads and place each half in a large cereal or salad bowl.
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash is a great side for holiday cooking for sure….and a little healthier than some recipes. This recipe is also gluten free for anyone with gluten intolerance.
Here’s the recipe.
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash
(My own concoction)
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
- 1 sharp knife to cut squash
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squashes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon or, as desired
- 8 tbsp. honey
- 8 tbsp. walnuts finely diced
Instructions
- Place squash in oven at 350° for about an hour.
- Remove from oven.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove pulp and seeds.
- Score inside of squash with a knife in criss-cross direction, so butter and honey will absorb deeply into the flesh of the squash.
- Put 1-2 tbsp. butter in center of each squash.
- Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon.
- Top with a couple of heaping tablespoonfuls of honey.
- Sprinkle each half with a tablespoon or more of finely diced walnuts.
- Return to oven. Bake about 5-10 minutes longer until butter melts and nuts are roasted.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 2 acorn squashes
- 1 stick butter
- cinnamon
- 8 tbsp. honey
- 8 tbsp. finely diced walnuts
- Place squash in oven at 350° for about an hour.
- Remove from oven.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove pulp and seeds.
- Score inside of squash with a knife in criss-cross direction so butter and honey will absorb deeply into the flesh of the squash.
- Put 1-2 tbsp. butter in center of each squash.
- Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon.
- Top with a couple of heaping tablespoonfuls of honey.
- Sprinkle each half with a tablespoon or more of finely diced walnuts.
- Return to oven. Bake about 5-10 minutes longer until butter melts and nuts are roasted.
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash is so delectable you will want to eat this for family dinners all the time.
This is a great way to get your kids to eat squash too!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Acorn and Butternut Squash Soup
Curried Apple and Acorn Squash Soup
Honey Walnut Acorn Squash
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
- 1 sharp knife to cut squash
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squashes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon or, as desired
- 8 tbsp. honey
- 8 tbsp. walnuts finely diced
Instructions
- Place squash in oven at 350° for about an hour.
- Remove from oven.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove pulp and seeds.
- Score inside of squash with a knife in criss-cross direction, so butter and honey will absorb deeply into the flesh of the squash.
- Put 1-2 tbsp. butter in center of each squash.
- Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon.
- Top with a couple of heaping tablespoonfuls of honey.
- Sprinkle each half with a tablespoon or more of finely diced walnuts.
- Return to oven. Bake about 5-10 minutes longer until butter melts and nuts are roasted.
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