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This Air Fryer Acorn Squash Recipe is an easy and delicious cold-weather side dish. Discover your favorite flavor with any of the 4 savory and sweet seasoning options! Vegan and Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option.
Cook acorn squash the fast and easy way with this Air Fryer Acorn Squash Recipe. Seasoned with your choice of spices, sweeteners, and herbs, then cooked quickly in the air fryer, you get a flavor-packed side dish everyone at the table will love! This recipe includes a simple base plus four different flavor variations, so you can enjoy this healthy side dish with pretty much any meal.
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The Easiest Way to Roast Acorn Squash
I’m always looking for ways to add more vegetables to my diet – the easier the better. I love roasted acorn squash, but don’t love the time it takes to bake in the oven. Once I discovered how easy it is to make in the air fryer I’ve never looked back! This handy little kitchen gadget makes cooking this deliciously sweet, savory, and nutty squash as quick and easy as possible.
In this recipe for Air Fryer Acorn Squash, you’ll not only learn how to cook perfectly tender acorn squash in the air fryer, but also how to season it just the way you like. Choose from any of these delicious flavor options:
- Simple Roasted Squash
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Squash
- Rosemary Garlic Squash
- Sweet & Smoky Squash
The air fryer cooks the squash a lot more quickly than the oven, but you’re still left with a sweet and fork-tender squash with golden edges – and in about half the oven cook time, too!
This air fryer squash recipe is also a great way to save oven space when baking for the holidays. Make some roasted acorn squash in your air fryer this Thanksgiving and Christmas and you’ll still have plenty of oven space for my Classic Vegan Stuffing and Dijon Garlic Roasted Potatoes.
What You Need for Air Fryer Acorn Squash
In addition to the acorn squash, you’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients to bring some serious flavor to every bite. Pick and choose from the 4 flavor varieties to find your favorite! They’re each made up of ingredients that are likely in your pantry already:
- Acorn Squash: this delicious winter squash (that literally looks like an acorn) has dark green or yellow skin and a naturally creamy, nutty-tasting flesh. You only need one medium to large squash for this recipe, or even more if you plan on serving a crowd.
- Olive Oil: we need some sort of fat to tenderize and brown the air fryer squash, no matter which seasoning option you go with. Olive oil is a great choice, but melted vegan butter will also do the trick.
- Maple Syrup: the warm and cozy squash flavors are perfectly complemented by maple syrup. Make sure you use real, Grade A maple syrup for the best flavors.
- Brown Sugar: a pinch of brown sugar is combined with cinnamon to make Brown Sugar Cinnamon Squash. Coconut sugar should work well as a substitute.
- Herbs and Spices: depending on the flavor variety you choose, you may need cinnamon, fresh or dried rosemary, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and/or salt and pepper.
How to Make the Best Acorn Squash
- Slice the acorn squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Save the seeds for roasting or discard them.
- Stir the oil and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Add the additional seasonings of your choice (except for the brown sugar or salt). Brush both sides of the squash with the oil mixture, then sprinkle the salt and brown sugar over top (if using).
- Air fry the squash, cut side up, until it’s fork tender and has browned edges.
- Serve the acorn squash while it’s still warm with your favorite main dishes. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer. Most air fryer baskets are big enough to fit one acorn squash sliced in half. If you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, cook the additional squashes in batches to ensure each half cooks evenly. Or, use the oven roasting instructions to cook more at once.
- Roast the squash in the oven instead. You can roast a whole lot of squash at once in the oven instead. Lay each halved and seasoned squash cut side up on a baking sheet and roast on the top rack of a preheated 400ºF oven for 40 to 50 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
No matter which way you season it, air fryer acorn squash is a comforting cold-weather side dish. I personally love serving it with cozy main dishes, like a bowl of my Vegan Potato Leek Soup or these Braised White Beans & Greens.
During the holiday season, I’ll quadruple the recipe and serve each flavor variety with all of my vegan Thanksgiving favorites. It’s a fun way for my dinner guests to pick and choose which flavor they like the most. It doesn’t hurt that each one pairs well with my Vegan Holiday Roast, too.
If you’re looking for more vegan squash recipes, you’ll also love this Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Soup, this Roasted Honeynut Squash, and this Kabocha Squash Soup!
How to Store Leftover Squash
The leftover air fried squash will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer. Wait for the squash to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container.
The leftover squash will reheat well in the microwave, air fryer, or oven until warmed through. Either thaw the frozen squash ahead of time or reheat it from frozen.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil-Free Option: You can brush the squash with a mixture of vegetable broth and maple syrup instead of using oil/butter, but it won’t be as flavorful or golden.
- Acorn Squash Substitute: This recipe should work well with another mild and nutty winter squash, like butternut squash, honeynut squash, or kabocha squash. Keep in mind that you may need to air fry the squash in batches, depending on how large the variety is.
- Rosemary Substitute: The fresh or dried rosemary can be substituted for thyme, oregano, or sage.
Recipe FAQs
A handy trick that makes squash easier to slice through is to pierce it a few times with a knife before microwaving it for 3 to 5 minutes. This should soften it right up!
No, leave the skin on. Acorn squash skin is thin, tender, and delicious when cooked.
You can! Save and clean the seeds, toss them in a little oil or melted vegan butter (plus any of the seasoning ideas listed in this recipe), and roast on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Air Fryer Acorn Squash (4 Ways!)
Ingredients
Simple Roasted Squash:
- 1 medium-to-large acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste (optional)
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Squash:
- *Use melted butter instead of oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
Rosemary Garlic Squash:
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or sub dried
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or sub 1/4 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sweet & Smoky Squash:
- 1 additional teaspoon grade A maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Cut the Squash: Use a sharp knife to cut the acorn squash lengthwise, from the stem to the tip. Use a metal spoon to scoop out the inner seed portion; save the seeds for roasting, or discard.
- Season: Combine the oil or melted butter and maple syrup in a small bowl. If you are adding additional seasonings besides sugar or salt, mix them in with the oil as well. Use a pastry brush to brush both sides of the squash with the oil mixture. Then, sprinkle with salt and brown sugar (if using).
- Air Fry: Place the squash in the basket of the air fryer, cut-side-up. Air fry at 320F for 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 380F and air fry for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. The squash is done when it is fork-tender with browned edges.
- Serve & Store: Serve immediately while warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Oven Instructions: Pre-heat the oven to 400F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash cut-side-up on the sheet, then roast on the top rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. If the squash is not as browned as you’d like by the end of the cook time, broil for 1 to 2 minutes until golden.
