This Hasselback Butternut Squash with Spicy Maple Cardamom Honey and Coconut Yogurt sauce makes such a festive and impressive holiday side dish. In this dish, winter and autumn flavors combine with chili flakes and cardamom. The result is an aromatic and spicy side that livens up any meal.
The butternut squash is first baked and glazed perfectly, then it’s drizzled with the spicy maple honey and paired with a coconut yogurt sauce that brings everything together! It’s a balance of saltiness and acidity resulting in a perfect combo. This is a different way to prepare your squash this year, making it a little bit more interesting but still as comforting. Don’t miss out on this delicious umami squash.
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Hasselback Butternut Squash Recipe Tips
- A sharp knife makes this recipe much easier! Keep yours in tip-top shape with a quality knife sharpener or by taking it to a professional.
- The coconut yogurt sauce helps strike the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. We highly recommend quickly whipping it up on the side.
- Using a silicone basting brush can help you get the sauce easily into all the little crevices. This is how to really maximize the flavor of the dish.
Hasselback Butternut Squash Recipe
what you'll need
Squash
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
Maple Cardamom Honey
- 6 cardamom pods crushed
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 8 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Coconut Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup coconut yogurt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
let's do it
Butternut Squash
- Preheat the oven to 425 °F and prepare a baking tray covered with parchment paper.
- Cut the butternut squash halfway through, remove the seeds with a spoon and use a large Y peeler to remove the skin and white flesh below.
- Use a basting brush to cover the squash halves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season heavily with salt and freshly ground pepper all the way around. Place on the baking tray, with the cut side facing down and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Then, score rounded sides of squash halves crosswise, going as deep as possible but without cutting all the way through. Drizzle brown sugar over the squash halves and return them to the baking tray.
- Bake for another 45-50 minutes. In the last 10 minutes, brush the squash halves with the maple cardamom honey, return to the oven with the broiler on to finish baking.
Maple Cardamom Honey
- Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium low heat, bloom the crushed cardamom pods and chili flakes in 4 tablespoons of olive oil for about 45 seconds.
- Remove from the stove, add maple syrup, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt; whisk quickly until the mix comes together and return to the stove. Allow the maple cardamom honey to boil for one minute and take off the heat.
Vegan Coconut Yogurt
- Mix the coconut yogurt with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt.
Serve
- Enjoy the hasselback squash right away, drizzle with the maple cardamom honey and serve with a side of vegan coconut yogurt sauce.
One Last Thing
Recipe and photos by Abril Macías.
