Food & Cooking Recipes Healthy Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes Baked Acorn Squash With Brown Sugar 3.7 (115) 4 Reviews It's the ultimate easy fall side dish. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 21, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 1 hr Servings: 4 A favorite fall side dish, acorn squash with brown sugar is easy and delicious. It only requires a few minutes of prep: preheat the oven, halve the squash and scoop out the seeds, then place the squash halves cut side down on a buttered baking sheet. The squash bakes until soft and caramelized (you need to flip it once and add the sugar), leaving you time to focus on the rest of dinner. Acorn squash has a mild, sweet, almost honeyed flavor that is enhanced by roasting with butter and brown sugar. This simple side pairs well with any protein and with stews or casseroles. It's sure to be a go-to recipe you make on repeat until spring. 18 Acorn Squash Recipes for Fall Dinners and Holiday Feasts Grant Webster Buying Acorn Squash When shopping for acorn squash, choose ones that feel heavy for their size, are blemish- and mold-free and have their stem attached—the stem helps prevent the squash from drying out. The squash should be firm and not have any soft spots. Its skin should dark green and may have a patch of yellow or orange where they were on the ground before picking. Storing Before Cooking Like other winter squash, whole acorn squash store very well. Keep them cool and dry and they will last a month or more. How to Cut Acorn Squash Acorn squash are ridged and rounded, and one end tapers to a point, making them challenging to cut or peel. All you need to do to prep squash for this recipe is wash and pat dry, then halve them crosswise. Set the squash on a cutting board and position it on its side, rolling it around to find the most stable position so it won't move when you cut it.Use a sharp chef's knife and hold it with a firm grip when halving the squash, cutting crosswise through the middle of the squash. Keep your fingers out of the way in case the squash rolls away from you.Scoop out the squash seeds and fibers using a large sturdy spoon.Slice a small piece off the bottom of each squash half so it sits level. Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for surface 2 medium acorn squash, (about 1 ½ pounds each) 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar Coarse salt and ground pepper Directions Grant Webster Preheat oven and prep baking sheet: Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously butter a rimmed baking sheet. Halve squash crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Slice a small piece off bottom of each squash half just enough to level. Grant Webster Transfer squash halves to sheet; bake: Set squash halves, scooped sides down, on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Grant Webster Turn squash, add butter and sugar: Turn squash; prick insides all over with a fork. Divide 2 tablespoons butter and sugar among halves; season with salt and pepper. Grant Webster Bake Bake squash until flesh is easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm. Grant Webster Frequently Asked Questions Do you remove the skin from an acorn squash before cooking? No, there's no need to peel an acorn squash before you bake or roast it. Even better, the skin separates easily from the flesh once the squash is cooked—and when you eat a baked acorn squash half, you can simply scoop the flesh out as you eat, the skin is like a bowl. Or you can eat the cooked skin, it's edible. Why cook squash cut side down? Most baked acorn squash recipes start by placing the halves cut side down on the baking dish. This puts the cut side of the squash in contact with the hot baking sheet and promotes caramelization on the cut side of the squash which both looks and tastes good. Other Baked or Roasted Acorn Squash Recipes to Try: Creamy Baked Acorn Squash Honey Roasted Acorn Squash Roasted Acorn Squash With Cinnamon Butter Roasted Acorn Squash With Pomegranate Glaze Roasted Spiced Acorn Squash Originally appeared: Everyday Food, October 2003 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.