Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans

Hasselback butternut squash, roasted with sage-honey butter and topped with crunchy candied pecans, will become your new favorite holiday side dish! Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it will make a beautiful veggie centerpiece - savory, sweet, and deeply caramelized.

Ingredients · Servings 6

2 medium butternut squash
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (plus small leaves for garnish)
fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish)
1/2 cup homemade candied pecans ((you can also use store-bought))
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups raw pecan halves

Method · 1 h 30 min

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Peel the squash then cut it in half and scoop out the seeds. Place each squash cut-side down on a chopping board. Place a wooden spoon or similar along the length of the squash. Being very careful not to cut all the way through, slice the squash thinly widthways.
Drizzle the squash with extra-virgin olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper then use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning in.
Cover tightly with foil and roast for 35-45 minutes, until mostly tender but not collapsing.
Meanwhile, make the honey butter: In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, honey, and chopped sage.
Remove the squash from the oven and brush or spoon most of the honey butter evenly over the top, making sure it seeps into the cuts. Return to the oven and roast uncovered for 25-30 minutes, basting once or twice, until the squash is tender and starting to go golden around its edges.
Remove 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 immediately.
Line a tray (or a sheet pan) with parchment.
Warm sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt in a skillet until bubbling (about 1 min).
Add pecans and stir to coat for another 1–2 mins.
Spread in a single layer on a parchment lined tray / sheet pan to cool and crisp completely.
Keep separate until after squash is roasted, then use to finish and garnish.

Show-Stopping Hasselback Squash: The Ultimate Holiday Side Dish

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, I get inspired to share a fresh butternut squash recipe with my readers - it's practically a tradition on my blog! My fan-favorite roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts side dish from back in 2015 still gets rave reviews, and more recently, my sausage stuffed butternut squash and butternut squash pasta salad have become absolute hits for holiday entertaining and comforting weeknight dinners. This Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans is my newest creation and it fits seamlessly into my Thanksgiving Menu, offering restaurant-quality presentation and flavor that easily wow guests. I've always had a bit of an obsession with orange-hued comfort foods - there's something so cozy, vibrant, and festive about them, especially when fall rolls in and squash season peaks. If you love colorful side dishes for entertaining or just crave easy, crowd-pleasing autumn recipes, this winter squash will make a visually stunning and delicious addition to your holiday table on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

How to Make Hasselback Butternut Squash (Step-By-Step Photos)

Gather all your ingredients. This photo conveniently shows everything you need:
Heat oven to 400ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment.
Prepare squash: Peel, halve, and seed squash; set cut-side down. Use a wooden spoon as a guard and slice thinly without cutting through.
Let me show you in photos how to safely slice the squash: Set the squash cut-side down and place a wooden spoon along both sides (or along the "top" side) as "guard rails." Make thin crosswise cuts down to the rails (but not through the base) so the squash stays intact and fans beautifully.
Roast: Rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper; cover tightly with foil and roast 35-45 min until mostly tender.
Make the honey butter: Stir together melted butter, honey, and chopped sage.
Brush with honey-butter and roast some more: Uncover the squash; brush most of the honey butter into the cuts and roast 25-30 min more, basting once or twice, until golden and tender. Remove from oven.
Brush with remaining honey butter; tuck in sage leaves and scatter thyme.

How to Make Candied Pecans

Coat the pecans with sauce: Simmer sugar, water, cinnamon, and salt until bubbling (about 1 minute) in a medium sauce pan. Add pecans and stir 1-2 minutes to coat.
Let the pecans cool: Spread in a single layer on a parchment lined tray or sheet pan to cool until crisp.
Serve: Top the hasselback butternut squash with candied pecans and serve.
Classic Thanksgiving Pairings: Serve alongside turkey or roast duck, gravy, Italian sausage stuffing, and my healthier green beans for a complete feast.

Storage, Reheating, Freezing, Make-Ahead

Storage: Cool fully; refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Keep pecans separate so they stay crisp.
Reheating: 300°F oven, 10-15 minutes, tented with foil until warm; uncover the last 3 minutes to re-crisp edges. Drizzle a teaspoon of melted butter or olive oil if it looks dry.
Freezing: Not ideal (texture turns watery). If you must, freeze in slices (not whole) up to 2 months and reheat from frozen at 325°F; finish with fresh herbs and a touch of honey butter.
Make-ahead: Roast covered (first 30 minutes of roasting) up to 1 day ahead. Chill (in the fridge). Before serving, brush with honey butter and finish the uncovered roast; top with pecans and herbs right before bringing to the table.

Hasselback Butternut Squash with Candied Pecans

roasted butternut squash brushed with honey-sage butter and finished with candied pecans for a savory-sweet, caramelized holiday showpiece. One of my best