Oven baked Butternut Squash Fries are here for you! To curb a fast food craving, to try and get your kids to eat their veggies, and let’s be honest – to help yourself to eat more veggies too. They’re a fun and nutrient-dense alternative to traditional or sweet potato fries, and naturally vegan, Whole30, and dairy free. The maple aioli dipping sauce makes them extra special.
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When you want fries, but your make-good-choices-angel is sitting on your shoulder whispering “eat those veggies”, you reach for Butternut Squash Fries.
Golden, crispy, and totally delish, these babies deliver – on flavor, on texture, and on nutrition. You might even be able to convince your kids to eat them? (My attempt was a terrific failure, but I totally have faith in you!).
Do you LOVE butternut squash? Us too! Click the link to view our complete guide to butternut squash – how to select and store ripe squash, how to cook butternut squash, our favorite seasoning combinations, storage tips, and more!
How to Make Butternut Squash Fries
Low carb but high on flavor, butternut squash fries are a super fun alternative to baked sweet potato fries. If you love oven roasted butternut squash, this twist will be a hit. Serve these “fries” immediately with maple aioli dipping sauce. They don’t keep well, but are utterly addictive, so prepare your appetite accordingly.
Fair Waning: there’s a ton of photos in this section, so if you feel super confident about how to cut butternut squash fries, skip on ahead.
- Slice the butternut squash into thirds. Trim the top and bottoms from the squash. Cut off the round, bulbous end, then divide the neck in half.
- Stand the neck (upper half pieces) upright, cut side down. Slice off the skin from top to bottom. Butternut squash skin is pretty thick, so you’ll need to cut about a ¼″ in from the outside.
- Slice the trimmed squash into rectangles.
- Then slices those rectangles into “french fry” shapes.
- The end portion is trickier (but only slightly so) due to the seeds.
- Again, trim the skin from the squash. You’ll probably need to do some clean-up trimming since this part has more curves.
- Slice the squash in half, then scoop out the seeds. I like to use a melon baller – it makes the process much easier.
- Slice the flat bottom portion from the trimmed quash.
- Slice the upper (curved) portion into fry shapes, then slice the bottom, flat portion into fry shapes (they won’t be perfect – that’s okay!)
- You’re done!
Based on the number of photos this might seem like an intimidating process, but it’s not all that different, and certainly no more time consuming, than dividing a whole butternut squash into cubes.
- Toss the butternut squash fries with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
- Spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer, leaving room between each squash fry.
- Bake in 425°F oven for 40-45 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
- If you prefer a firmer fry, bake for 30 minutes – they’ll be less caramelized, and therefore slightly less sweet, but still delicious.
Tips for Making Perfect Butternut Squash Fries
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the butternut squash from sticking.
- Make sure there is plenty of room between each “fry” – this will ensure they crisp and not steam.
- For softer but more caramelized fries, bake about 40 minutes. For firmer fries that are less golden (and slightly less sweet) bake 30 minutes.
- Make it Vegan: use vegan mayo. This version is nut free, made using aquafaba; and this one is made using cashews.
- Make it Paleo: use paleo mayo. I like this recipe for homemade or this brand for store-bought.
More Healthy Side Dishes
- Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Brown Butter
- Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Maple Roasted Root Vegetables
- Honey Roasted Carrots
Did you make these Butternut Squash Fries with Maple Aioli? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Butternut Squash Fries with Maple Aioli
Description
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Fries
- 1 large butternut squash, sliced into 3” x ½” "fry" shapes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Maple Aioli
- ½ c mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the butternut squash into fry shapes. To do so, divide the squash into 3 sections. Slice the skin from each section. Divide the upper ("neck") section into squares, then slices into fries. Divide the bottom section in half, then scoop out the seeds (a melon baller works great!). Slice the flat bottom away, then divide the remaining squash pieces into fry shapes.
- Toss butternut fries with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and thyme.
- Spread the fries onto a prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Leave room between each fry and ensure they are not touching.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast 40-45 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Make the maple aioli. Combine the mayonnaise, maple syrup and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Serve the butternut squash fries fresh from the oven with maple aioli dipping sauce on the side. These do not keep well in the fridge, so we suggest consuming immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Line the baking sheet with parchment to prevent the squash from sticking.
- Leave space between each “fry” to ensure they crisp, not steam.
- For softer but more caramelized fries, bake 40-45 minutes. For firmer fries that are slightly less sweet, bake 30-35 minutes.
Jackie
SOOOO delish!! My family enjoyed this so much! What a good combo with the aoli. thank you for sharing this!
Tracey Gallagher
Delicious! My family loved this so much. It will definitely become a regular side dish in our house. Thank you for sharing.