We gave delicata squash a refresh by pairing it with a punchy sidekick.

Published on December 25, 2025

Credit:

Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling: Annie Probst

There's nothing 'butter' than a refresh on a classic winter dish, especially if it involves a vegetable. Combining the warm savory goodness from the squash with the tangy, zest of the honey-filled butter has us drooling and reaching for seconds. Although winter vegetables such as rutabaga and butternut squash are traditionally peeled, delicata squash's skin is surprisingly edible, not to mention delicious—so no need to peel. Just scrub, dry, and chop.

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. delicata squash (about 1 squash)

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

  • 2 Tbsp. salted butter, melted

  • 1 Tbsp. honey

  • 2 to 3 tsp. cayenne pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)

  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Scrub squash; pat dry. Cut into ½-inch rings. Scoop out seeds from center of each ring. In a bowl toss squash rings with oil; arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Season with salt. Roast, turning once halfway through, until squash is golden brown and fork tender, about 30 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, for hot honey butter, in a small bowl whisk together butter, honey, pepper sauce, and crushed red pepper. Drizzle squash with hot honey butter.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

139 Calories
10g Fat
14g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 139.4
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9.6g 12%
Saturated Fat 4.2g 21%
Cholesterol 15.3mg 5%
Sodium 431.9mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 14.5g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3.2g 12%
Total Sugars 8.1g
Protein 1.1g 2%
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 13.7mg 15%
Calcium 27.6mg 2%
Iron 0.6mg 3%
Potassium 285.2mg 6%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.2g
Vitamin D 0IU
Alanine 0g
Arginine 0.1g
Ash 2g
Aspartic acid 0.1g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 773.6mcg
Choline, total 13.5mg
Copper, Cu 0.1mg
Cystine 0g
Energy 582.3kJ
Fluoride, F 0.6mcg
Folate, total 23.3mcg
Glutamic acid 0.2g
Glycine 0g
Histidine 0g
Isoleucine 0g
Leucine 0.1g
Lysine 0g
Methionine 0g
Magnesium, Mg 15.3mg
Manganese, Mn 0.2mg
Niacin 0.6mg
Phosphorus, P 24.2mg
Pantothenic acid 0.3mg
Phenylalanine 0g
Phytosterols 7.6mg
Proline 0g
Retinol 47.6mcg
Selenium, Se 0.6mcg
Serine 0g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.8mg
Tryptophan 0g
Tyrosine 0g
Valine 0g
Vitamin A, IU 6152.8IU
Vitamin A, RAE 347.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 0mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 7.7mcg
Water 106.4g
Zinc, Zn 0.3mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.