Roasted Honeynut Squash with Lemon Chickpea Whip and Toasted Pine Nuts

If fall was a dinner, this would be it: maple-Dijon roasted Honeynut squash over a creamy, lemony whipped chickpeas and topped with buttery toasted pine nuts. (gluten-free, with soy-free & nut-free options. 12g each protein and fiber per serving)

It has this amazingly delicious roasted honeynut squash with that fantastic glaze of maple, Dijon, Aleppo pepper flakes, and thyme. The glaze is just so mind-blowingly amazing on that squash. 

We pair the roasted squash with this creamy lemony chickpea puree, which gets whipped up in a food processor. You can also use a blender. That tangy, refreshing, herby freshness from the chickpeas pairs amazingly with the squash.

To add some texture, we add some toasted pine nuts and some fresh herbs on top. Use toasted almond slivers, pecans or pumpkin seeds for variation. It comes together fairly quickly and it is delicious.

This roasted squash platter packs 48 grams of protein and fiber! You can add even more protein, by adding some more toppings like hemp seeds. You can serve it over quinoa or farro. Some toasted quinoa would be great with this, or some multigrain bread, garlic bread, or toasted pita bread. Any of these sides will also bump up the protein and fiber.

To cook the squash and get all of that amazing caramelization, we bake it with that glaze, which causes this Maillard reaction with the protein and the sugars. They react under the heat, producing this deeply caramelized flavor.

To make things simple, I’m roasting the entire squash first, because it’s just so hard to cut up squashes. The honeynut squash is a lot easier to slice, so you can slice them in half and bake them, but if you don’t want to do that, just brush them with a little bit of oil and throw them in the oven until they are tender. 

Then, we slice them and glaze them and bake them again. This way, it’s easy to cut them up, and easy to scoop the seeds. Everything just becomes easier with that initial bake.

For the chickpea whip, we combine all the ingredients in the food processor and process, and that’s about it. Toast the pine nuts and then just plate these together however you like.

Why You’ll Love Roasted Honeynut Squash

• perfect holiday or other special occasion main dish
• sweet-and-savory roasted winter squash with maple Dijon glaze
• protein-packed, creamy lemon chickpea whip
• lots of fresh herbs and crunchy nuts or seeds on top
• easy to make! While the squash roasts, make the 1-bowl glaze, food processor chickpea whip, and prepare any other toppings you like
• naturally gluten-free and soy-free with easy nut-free option

Ingredients

• honeynut squash – This is almost like a miniature butternut squash that has a lovely, sweet flavor when you roast it. Find ones that have more orange skin as that skin is thinner and edible. The more green the squash, it was picked too early, and that skin is thicker and more fibrous.
• olive oil – To help the squash roast in the oven and add creaminess to the chickpea whip.
• garlic – To season the squash and the glaze.
• maple syrup – The base for the glaze.
• Dijon mustard – Adds flavor and tang to the glaze for the honeynut squash.
• herbs and spices – For the glaze, you need Aleppo pepper flakes (and/or gochugaru pepper flakes) and fresh thyme. We are seasoning the chickpeas with garlic powder, onion power, and oregano. You can also use fresh herbs and more Aleppo pepper flakes for topping.
• chickpeas – Canned or homemade are both fine to use. You can also use white beans or silken tofu
• white miso and nutritional yeast – Adds umami and a cheesy flavor to the chickpea whip.
• lemon – Lemon juice and zest add flavor and tang to the whipped chickpeas.
• toppings – We are topping the roasted honeynut squash with pine nuts (or seeds for nut-free), fresh herbs, hemp seeds, pepper flakes, and vegan parmesan.

How to Make Roasted Honeynut Squash

Preheat the oven to 425° F (219° C).

Wash the honeynut squashes and dry them. Then, brush them with some olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little salt. Cover loosely with parchment. Bake the honeynut squashes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are tender. Check the middle part of the squash to see if it’s tender enough.

Take them out of the oven, and let them cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, use a knife to slice them open. Scoop out the seeds carefully, so that you don’t take too much of the squash out with the seeds.

Meanwhile make the glaze by adding the maple syrup, Dijon, garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes to a bowl and mixing well. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of oil, if needed.

Brush the glaze all over the squashes. You can slice the squash in half and keep them in halves, or you can slice them into 1” thick half-moons.

If you’re making half-moon slices, place them on the baking sheet and brush both sides with the glaze. For the halved honeynut squash, brush the top and the scooped-out seed box with the glaze really well. For extra caramelization, sprinkle a little bit of salt as well as a little bit of sugar on the squashes.

Increase the heat in the oven to 500° F (260° C), and put the squash back in the oven to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

In a food processor, add all of the puree ingredients and process until the mixture starts to break down. Keep adding water 1 tablespoon at a time, so that the chickpeas can keep moving and keep getting smoother. The mixture should be evenly smooth with no chunks of chickpeas. It won’t be super creamy smooth, but get it as smooth as you can.

Taste and adjust the flavor. Add more herbs or more lemon zest, if you like.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue toasting them until they start to pick up a little bit of color. Switch off the heat, let them sit in the pan for another 30 seconds or so, and then remove them from the skillet. You can add some flavor to the pine nuts, if you like, by throwing in a little bit of oil, Aleppo pepper flakes, and fresh thyme.

Spread the chickpea puree on a plate and then place the glazed squashes on top. Top it with the pine nuts, some fresh herbs, and some more seeds if you like, such as black sesame seeds or toasted pumpkin seeds.

If you have any of the glaze remaining, drizzle some of that over the squash and the chickpea mixture, as well. You can optionally top it with some vegan Parmesan.

What to Serve with Roasted Honeynut Squash

Serve roasted honeynut squash with a side of toasted sourdough, multigrain bread, garlic bread, toasted pita, cooked quinoa, farro, or toasted quinoa. All of these work amazingly with it. It’s just so fabulously delicious!