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30 Delicata Squash Recipes to Try This Fall (Because Butternut Is Old News)

Butternut? Been there, done that. This winter squash season, we’re expanding our repertoire and embracing a new gourd: delicata. Never tried it? It’s small and cylindrical with a nutty, earthy, sweet-potato-esque flavor and a thin, striped rind that—get this—doesn’t need to be peeled. Oh, and it’s versatile to boot, whether you’re roasting up a simple vegetable side dish or transforming it into a fall-friendly soup. Not sure where to start? Try any of these 30 delicata squash recipes.

But first, a few tips for working with delicata squash

  • Delicata squash doesn’t require peeling because the rind is thin and edible when cooked. But breaking down a winter squash can still be tough. Save your precious fingers by using a super sharp kitchen knife (dull knives cause more injuries) and stabilizing the squash with your nondominant hand—fingertips curled under, please.
  • To slice a delicata squash into rounds, simply trim the ends and slice crosswise into ½-inch rings. Use a spoon to remove the seeds.
  • For half-moon cuts, trim the ends, carefully halve the entire squash and remove the seeds with a spoon, then slice each half into ½-inch half-moons.
  • To cube a delicata, proceed as if you’re slicing half-moons, but cut the squash halves lengthwise into strips instead, then cut the strips into cubes.

80 Winter Squash Recipes to Make from Now Until Spring


delicata squash recipes delicata squash rings garlic lemon sauce recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman

1. Delicata Squash Rings With Garlic-lemon Sauce

We’re calling it: Delicata rings are the new onion rings.

delicata squash recipes roasted delicata squash salad recipe
Let’s Stay In

2. Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

Imagine this in your Thanksgiving spread. The fresh flavor and vibrant color will be *so* welcome among all those creamy, rich classics.

delicata squash recipes cook beautiful delicata squash recipe
Cook Beautiful

3. Delicata Squash Agrodolce

Agrodolce is just Italian for “sweet and sour.” Here, that means honey, lime juice, white wine vinegar and a side dish that will totally bowl over your dinner guests.

delicata squash recipes pumpkin seed pesto pasta with caramelized delicata squash recipe
How Sweet Eats

4. Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta With Caramelized Delicata Squash

Arugula pumpkin seed pesto is to sweaters and scarves as basil pine nut is to bikinis and beach reads. (Or something like that.)

delicata squash recipes roasted delicata squash with miso butter recipe
The Bojon Gourmet

5. Roasted Delicata Squash With Miso Butter

This dish is simple to put together, but the way the sweet squash and savory, salty miso butter complement each other is *chef’s kiss.*

delicata squash recipes brown sugar delicata squash recipe
Dinner at the Zoo

6. Brown Sugar Delicata Squash

This one goes out to fans of that sweet potato marshmallow casserole number.

delicata squash recipes roasted delicata squash with hazelnuts recipe
Feasting at Home

7. Roasted Delicata Squash With Hazelnuts

A back-pocket trick to making any vegetable side feel fancier than it is? Add toasted nuts.

delicata squash recipes roasted delicata squash fries recipe
The Simple Veganista

8. Roasted Delicata Squash Fries

They’re like sweet potato fries, only elevated.

delicata squash recipes harissa roasted cauliflower with delicata squash and chickpeas recipe
Healthy Nibbles and Bits

9. Harissa-roasted Cauliflower With Delicata Squash And Chickpeas

Oh look, it’s our other favorite cool-weather veggie, cauliflower. Pair this dish with a grain for a light-yet-satisfying main.

delicata squash recipes chorizo spiced delicata squash tortas recipe
Esteban Castillo/Chicano Eats

10. Chorizo-spiced Delicata Squash Tortas

This certainly beats a PB&J. (No offense, PB&J.)

delicata squash recipes delicata squash salad recipe
What’s Gaby Cooking

11. Delicata Squash Salad

With cranberries, pistachios, honey balsamic and plenty of feta.

delicata squash recipes stuffed delicata squash with quinoa cranberry and pistachio recipe
The Simple Veganista

12. Stuffed Delicata Squash With Quinoa, Cranberry And Pistachio

If you’re not eating out of a gourd at least once this season, you’re doing it wrong.

delicata squash recipes roasted squash with brown butter and toasted quinoa recipe
How Sweet Eats

13. Roasted Squash With Brown Butter And Toasted Quinoa

Think of the toasted quinoa like crispy, savory, brown-buttery sprinkles.

delicata squash recipes crockpot parmesan white bean chicken soup with roasted delicata squash recipe
Half Baked Harvest

14. Crockpot Parmesan White Bean Chicken Soup With Roasted Delicata Squash

It’s so much more interesting than plain chicken soup, and it basically makes itself in the slow cooker while you re-watch every episode of The Great British Bake-Off (or scroll through TikTok).

delicata squash recipes roasted delicata squash pomegranate and arugula salad recipe
Cookie and Kate

15. Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate And Arugula Salad

Great news: It tastes as good as it looks.

delicata squash recipes crispy sage roasted delicata squash recipe
The Creative Bite

16. Crispy Sage Roasted Delicata Squash

Sage and squash are a natural pair, and the balsamic glaze just boosts those fall flavors even more. (Bonus, it’s vegan.)

delicata squash recipes grilled autumn vegetables with sage brown butter dip recipe
How Sweet Eats

17. Grilled Autumn Vegetables With Sage Brown Butter Dip

If you’re only grilling in the summer months, allow this gorgeous crudité platter to change your mind. You might need a headlamp, but the results are worth it.

delicata squash recipes sticky pomegranate meatball bowls recipe
The Defined Dish

18. Sticky Pomegranate Meatball Bowls

It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but tastes like the opposite of a boring weeknight meal.

delicata squash recipes chipotle glazed delicata squash recipe
Cookie and Kate

19. Chipotle-glazed Delicata Squash

Serve the spicy-sweet squash over rice and beans for a complete meal.

delicata squash recipes delicata squash bake with tahini sauce recipe
Minimalist Baker

20. Delicata Squash Bake With Tahini Sauce

Nine ingredients and 30 minutes are all it takes to add a new staple to your holiday menu.

delicata squash recipes roasted root vegetables with maple vanilla butter recipe
The Endless Meal

21. Roasted Root Vegetables With Maple-vanilla Butter

Maple-vanilla butter on vegetables sounds strange but tastes like magic.

delicata squash recipes roasted delicata squash with brown butter and pomegranate recipe
The Bojon Gourmet

22. Roasted Delicata Squash With Brown Butter And Pomegranate

Pomegranate molasses, a tangy Middle Eastern staple, is the key to this side dish. Serve it on its own or over a bed of risotto or polenta for the ultimate comforting dinner.

delicata squash recipes buttered mushroom fig and bacon galette with roasted squash recipe
Half Baked Harvest

23. Buttered Mushroom, Fig And Bacon Galette With Roasted Squash

Pie for dinner > pie for dessert.

delicata squash recipes kale salad with roasted delicata squash and miso dressing recipe
The Defined Dish

24. Kale Salad With Roasted Delicata Squash And Miso Dressing

If loving kale is wrong, we don’t want to be right. Since it doesn’t get wilty, it’s the ideal pair for hearty toppings like roasted delicata squash.

delicata squash recipes delicata squash salad bowls recipe
Floating Kitchen

25. Delicata Squash Salad Bowls

Or flip the script and put the salad inside the squash.

delicata squash recipes vegetarian tacos with delicata squash and mushrooms recipe
What’s Gaby Cooking

26. Vegetarian Tacos With Delicata Squash And Mushrooms

Everything tastes better in a taco.

delicata squash recipes fall harvest quinoa salad recipe
Half Baked Harvest

27. Fall Harvest Quinoa Salad

Summer might be salad season, but fall salads deserve more love. They’re hearty, cozy and an excellent way to enjoy the season’s produce.

delicata squash recipes twice baked delicata squash with crispy zaatar roasted chickpeas recipe
What’s Cooking Good Looking

28. Twice Baked Delicata Squash With Crispy Za’atar Roasted Chickpeas

The thin skin makes delicata great for twice baking. Think of them as slightly fancier, slightly healthier potatoes.

delicata squash recipes grilled apple cider chicken with grilled spiced delicata and sweet potatoes recipe
Plays Well with Butter

29. Grilled Apple Cider Chicken With Grilled Spiced Delicata And Sweet Potatoes

We’re thinking about replacing our Thanksgiving turkey with this dish—just look at it.

delicata squash recipes wild mushroom roasted squash pizza recipe
What's Gaby Cooking

30. Wild Mushroom Roasted Squash Pizza


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Former Senior Food Editor

  • Headed PureWow’s food vertical
  • Contributed original reporting, recipes and food styling
  • Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education