Baked Butternut Squash Fries

You’ve had french fries and sweet potato fries and now it’s time to try Butternut Squash Fries!

Butternut squash ~ Use raw butternut squash. Peel the squash and remove the seeds. Then cut into long thin strips that resemble french fry shape.

If you love butternut squash, you don’t want to miss these delicious vegan butternut squash recipes!

You could also use acorn squash, delicata squash, or kabocha squash.

Cornstarch ~ A light coating of cornstarch will help the butternut squash fries to crisp up. Arrowroot powder may be used instead.

Oil ~ A drizzle of oil will help them get crispy, too. Use a neutral flavored oil, like olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil.

For an oil-free option, simply skip the oil. They may not bake up quite as crispy, but will still be delicious!

Spices and herbs ~ I use a combo of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Other tasty choices would be chili powder, cumin, oregano, and even a kick of spicy heat from cayenne.

Extras ~ Add some nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese for a savory, cheesy flavor. Or go the sweet route by adding some cinnamon.

Cut the squash. Peel the squash using a sharp chef’s knife or vegetable peeler. Then cut the squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the bulbous end.

Cut the bulbous ends from the straight neck. Slice the straight neck into long, thin, even pieces in the shape of fries.

You can do this for the bulbous end, too, however they won’t be perfectly straight. You can either save this part of the squash for other recipes, like butternut squash apple soup, butternut squash risotto, or butternut squash mac and cheese, or do your best to cut them into even pieces similar to the straight end.

Using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel, pat the squash fries gently to remove any excess moisture. Then place them into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch and toss well. Shake off any excess cornstarch and wipe it out of the bowl.

Drizzle with oil and add the spices, herbs, salt and pepper. Toss well until evenly coated.

Place the butternut squash fries spaced out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, flipping half way through, until the fries are lightly browned and caramelized on the outside and tender on the insides. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired, as soon as they come out of the oven.

Serve warm with chopped fresh parsley sprinkled over the top and next to your favorite dipping sauce.

Anything you would serve with regular potato french fries would work well with butternut squash fries, too.

Try them next to my Spicy Bean Burgers, BBQ Chickpeas Sandwiches, Vegan Chicken Cutlets, or Baked Tofu.

And don’t forget the dipping sauce. Serve them with ketchup, vegan mayonnaise, pumpkin seed pesto, roasted red pepper cashew dip, southwest vegan ranch dressing, or homemade vegan queso.

Fridge: Leftover butternut squash fries will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Freezer: You can freeze them, too. Lay them out in one single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once the fries are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe zip top plastic bag. The should keep well up to 3 months.

Reheat: If frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge. Reheat in an oven until warmed through and crisp again.

~ Cut the butternut squash into same size, thin, even pieces so they cook uniformly.

~ Gently pat off any moisture from the cut squash before adding the rest of the ingredients.

~ Place the cut squash on a baking sheet in a single, even layer. Do not overlap and do not overcrowd the pan.

~ Make sure your oven is properly preheated!

~ Serve with your favorite dipping sauce, if desired.

More vegan side dishes

• Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Easy Garlic Green Beans
• Kale Apple Slaw
• Vegan Garlic Bread
• Oven Roasted Radishes and Brussels Sprouts
• Dairy Free Cornbread
• Veggie Potato Fritters