Roasted Honeynut Squash with Apple Fennel Slaw and Vegan Ricotta

Halves of roasted honeynut squash are topped with a creamy vegan ricotta and a crunchy and tangy apple fennel slaw. The dish is finished with a drizzle of maple syrup to lend a smoky sweetness that ties all of the elements together. This recipe is vegan and gluten free and perfect for the fall and winter season!

I LOVE winter squashes and pumpkins. They’re by far my favorite thing to photograph, eat, and surround myself with this time of year. I was recently going through my blog archives and realized a shocking thing: my love of winter squashes isn’t represented enough here on the blog! I mean sure, there are plenty of pumpkin recipes scattered throughout the archives over the past decade but not nearly to the density of a self-professed pumpkin lover. So, I have decided to put an end to this travesty this fall and winter.

Get ready for all sorts of winter squash-y recipes from pumpkins to butternuts to these cute little honeynuts! If there’s a winter squash you want to see represented in a recipe, simply drop it for me down in the comments!

What Exactly is a Honeynut Squash?

While you’ve probably heard of a butternut squash it may be less likely that you’re familiar with the very cute honeynut squash. Honeynuts are a cross between a butternut and a buttercup squash. They’re small in stature, usually about the size of your hand, and while they have the same shape as a butternut, the skin is a darker orange or tan color. The flesh is a deeper orange than a butternut and sweeter, hence the name “honeynut”. The great thing about honeynuts is that they have a thin, edible skin so you don’t have to worry about peeling them!

Ingredients You’ll Need for this Vegan and Gluten Free Recipe

Each roasted squash half is topped with a heavy dollop of vegan ricotta, a tangy apple fennel slaw, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Honeynut Squashes! The roasted halves of these squashes are the base of this dish. If you can’t find them, you can easily sub in butternut squash.
• The usual suspects: olive oil for roasting the squash halves and salt and pepper for seasoning and balancing flavors.
• A Bulb of Fennel: it’s anise-y flavor and crunchy texture pair really well with the apples in the slaw.
• Apple: crisp sweet-tart apples make the dish feel like fall. And, they pair really well with the fennel in the slaw component.
• Lemon Juice: it brightens up the slaw and keeps the thinly sliced apples and fennel from oxidizing and turning brown.
• Parsley: lends an herbal flavor to the slaw and adds visual interest.
• Fennel Fronds: this optional add-in gives more herbal and anise-y flavor to the slaw.
• Vegan Ricotta: adds a creamy, savory component and helps to temper the sweetness of the squashes and apples. If you’d like to make your own vegan ricotta, try my macadamia ricotta!
• Maple Syrup: the tiniest drizzle helps to finish the dish and draw all of the flavors together into an autumnal symphony.

Other Recipes for My Fellow Winter Squash & Pumpkin Lovers

Want a cozy soup situation? Try my butternut bisque with homemade rosemary croutons or my velvety acorn squash tomato soup with thyme and rosemary.

Want something sweet with an unexpected kick? Try these pumpkin cookies with a whiskey vanilla glaze.

If you’re a die hard pumpkin bread fan, try this butternut bread with pecan streusel!

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