Name: Butternut Squash Fries Are Our New Favorite Healthy Side
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into sticks (use only long neck part); 3 tablespoons corn starch; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; .5 teaspoon paprika; .5 teaspoon dried thyme; sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste; mayo and herbs for dipping (optional)

BTW, these vegan fries only take 10 minutes of prep time.

Betty Gold

Updated on November 11, 2022

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Servings:

butternut-squash-fries-recipe — Yumna Jawad

It's time to upgrade your fries, folks. These baked butternut squash fries from Yumna Jawad, the genius recipe developer behind Feel Good Foodie, are a great healthy side dish for fish, burgers, or grilled chicken—and they're super easy to make. And while our love for sweet potatoes (and russets, Yukon golds, and every other option known to man) has no bounds, butternut squash is packed with fiber, and is a great source of vitamins A an C as well as magnesium.

A few smart tips to keep in mind: First, remove all excess moisture from the butternut squash fries before coating them with cornstarch. "This will help them to get more crisp in the oven," Jawad says. Also, make sure to cut the fries as evenly and thinly as you can to help them get more browned and ensure that they cook through evenly. And lastly, avoid over-crowding your pan with the cut fries.

"That's the biggest reason fries come out soggy when you bake them, as they steam rather than roast. So, spread out the fries and allow them to get nice and crispy." The resulting fries taste like a deliciously crisp cross between zucchini and sweet potato fries. "You can eat these alone, dip them in ketchup, garlic aioli, or whatever you'd like! I had some rosemary garlic vegan mayo that I paired with it," Jawad says.

Butternut-Squash-Fries-Steps2 — Yumna Jawad

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into sticks (use only long neck part)
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
mayo and herbs for dipping (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F degrees and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the butternut squash sticks into a large bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add the corn starch on top and use your hands to coat the butternut squash completely. Transfer the butternut squash to a colander and shake to remove excess cornstarch.
Return the butternut squash fries to the bowl, add olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, and thyme. Toss to combine evenly.
Transfer the fries in a single layer to the prepared baking sheets, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and crisp. Allow 5-10 minutes to cool. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

These fries are best served straight out of the oven so that they don't lose their crispiness. You can prep the butternut squash a few hours before you need to bake them though; just keep them covered in the fridge.