Butternut Squash Fries
These crispy baked butternut squash fries are a delicious way to enjoy butternut squash this Fall. They’re a healthier take on French fries that are baked in the oven instead of fried. Enjoy them plain as a side dish or appetizer or pair them with a dipping sauce.
Last year around this time, I was all about spaghetti squash. This year, I am completely in love with butternut squash. I love the flavor – it reminds me a little of sweet potato but with a nuttier flavor. It’s also dense like a potato so I thought it would be fun to make butternut squash fries.
These baked fries are easy to cook. The hardest part is just breaking down the squash if you don’t have a special cutter. Or you can also buy pre-cut spears as well.
I coat the fries lightly in corn starch before baking them. This helps crisp them up so they’re not too soft once cooked. I also flavored them with dried herbs for extra flavor.
Ingredients
- Butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, and cut into French fry shapes
- Cornstarch
- Olive oil
- Dried herbs – I use parsley, thyme, and rosemary
- Salt
How to Make Them
Preheat oven to 425°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dry the butternut squash sticks with a paper towel and then place some in a Ziplock bag. Add some cornstarch, seal the bag, and shake to coat them evenly.
Transfer the coated fries to a dry colander and shake it several times to remove any excess cornstarch from the fries.
Repeat this process with the rest of the squash and then place all of the coated sticks in a large bowl.
Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle the herbs over the top. Toss to coat them evenly and then place them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the butternut squash fries for 20 minutes and then flip them over and cook them until the edges have darkened and they are crispy.
Let them cool at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes and then season them with salt before serving them.
Dipping Sauces
Just like regular French fries, you can pair your butternut squash fries with a lot of different dipping sauces.
- Ketchup
- Mayo
- BBQ sauce
- Ranch dressing
Recipe Tips
You will need a very sharp knife to peel and cut the squash into fries. Also, you should cut the pieces into even sizes otherwise they won’t bake evenly.
To keep the cornstarch from clumping up, be sure your squash pieces are completely dry. You only need a light coating.
You can season the fries with other pantry spices like garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, or other seasoning mixes that you like.
Be sure to let them cool before serving them – they will get even crispier as they sit.
These were so fun to snack on! The texture was very similar to fries and I plan on making them a lot more this season. Now I just need to get Mr. K to help me break down the squash.
More Recipes
- Roasted Delicata Squash Recipe
- Crispy Oven Baked Fries
- Sweet Potato Tots
- Air Fryer Keto Avocado Fries
- Eggplant Fries
Butternut Squash Fries
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, skin and seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch sticks
- 2-3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried herbs of your choice, I used thyme and rosemary
- finely chopped parsley, thyme, rosemary for garnish
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Pat dry your squash sticks with a paper towel. Add 1 lb of sticks to a large plastic or ziploc bag. Add 1 tbsp of cornstarch. Seal bag and shake several times until squash sticks are evenly coated in cornstarch.
- Remove squash from bag and place into a large strainer or colander. Shake squash several times to remove any excess cornstarch so that the squash sticks are left with only a very thin coating of cornstarch.
- Repeat with remaining squash, adding 1 tbsp of cornstarch for each 1 lb of squash sticks.
- Place squash sticks into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil for every 1 lb of squash. Sprinkle 2 tsp of dried herbs. Toss until squash is evenly coated with herbs and oil.
- Place squash sticks in a single layer onto baking sheets, making sure not to overlap any.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. Flip fries and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until edges darken and the surface of the squash fries crisp up.
- Remove from oven and allow fries to cool until they are cool enough to touch (about 15-20 minutes), which will further crisp them. Season with salt and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
- For best results, keep the size of sticks uniform so that they cook evenly. Also, watch them carefully when baking so that they don't burn. You may need to reduce or increase cooking time depending on the size of your fries.
I am about to make them, i don’t have any doubts they will be perfect. I just wanted to know what sauce do you usually make with them/what suits them best?
We like ketchup or ranch
I just cooked it this midday for lunch, and… it is de-li-cious!!! I had a butternut squash, and habitually, I always cook mashed butternut… But this time, I saw you recipe, and I wanted to test it. It is very simple!!! I didn’t pat dry the squash sticks with a paper towel: I thought it wasn’t necessary, because the squash wasn’t wet. I just have to say that, even passing this step of drying, it’s quite time-consuming to cut all the fries and dispose them 4 times on the oven racks, with a minimum of 20-30 minutes for each double-grid. But that’s not a very big problem, because we ate the fries as things progess, at each cooking. We are 4, so we need so much fries ^^ To finish, thanks from France, for this recipe!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
What did you do to coat them in cornstarch? When I tried, it just clumped instead of coating evenly.
Sorry to hear that. I did exactly what is stated in step 2 of the directions. The squash needs to be patted dry first. Then you put the cornstarch and fries in ziploc bag and shake until they are evenly coated. If the cornstarch got clumpy, it sounds like your fries were not patted dry first. The moisture from the fries would cause the cornstarch to clump and then it won’t spread out.
I bought the crinkle cut squash fries and used your recipe except cooked i oven at 400 degrees and they were perfect. Absolutely delicious and so very close to potatoes oven fried. My fussy husband and elderly mother both loved them too! Your idea with the cornstarch is awesome, the fries cooked up crisp and yummy. I will make these often and being summer I want to try them grilled on a tin pan.
yay! So happy you enjoyed these!
Wow, what a great idea! I’ve never even thought to try butternut squash fries, but these look incredible. Saving this recipe now!
I never thought to until this year! they are delicious!
These look/sound delicious. I’ve tried making these in the past and mine tend to get burnt. The uniform size/shape of your fries is probably the key… yum!
yes uniform size is key! otherwise, some will cook faster than others