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Butternut Squash Cajun Fries

See how to make spicy, salty, slightly sweet baked squash fries. See more

READY IN 35 mins

Butternut Squash Cajun Fries

Read Reviews (38)

"You'll love this yummy, salty, spicy, slightly sweet alternative to deep-fried French fries. Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce." — Occasional Cooker

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Freshly Ground vs. Pre-Ground Pepper

Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

cooking spray
1 pound butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into thick French fries
1 pinch salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste

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Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Blot any moisture from the butternut squash fries with paper towels, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning.
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and tender, 15 to 20 minutes, turning once.

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PREP 20 mins
COOK 15 mins
READY IN 35 mins

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I've made 'fries' from sweet potatoes, but I'm glad to try it using butternut squash, especially since it's so inexpensive this time of year. After many, many trials (but mostly errors) resulting in soggy, limp 'fries', here are my little hints: Cut the squash thin and narrow, kinda like 'fair fries'. If a mandoline is available, by all means, now is the time to break it out. If possible, let the squash strips air dry for a bit... just let them hang out on the kitchen counter on some paper towels while doing other things. Unlike potatoes, cut squash doesn't need to soak in water to prevent discoloration. Lastly (and this is my 'ah-ha' moment), bake the seasoned 'fries' on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. By doing this, the need for oil or cooking spray is eliminated, allowing moisture in the squash to evaporate while baking rendering the 'fries' crisp and not soggy. This method of preparing butternut squash has quickly become the most requested among my crew ... and I'm pleased to give them good food that's good for them.

—Nicolette

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 25, 2011

These "fries" came out very mushy and not at all crunchy. My oven temp may be to blame. The addition of the cajun spice was very tasty and I will use this combo in the future but won't make "fries".

—marybethptc

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48 Ratings

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Oct 25, 2011

Hi. I am the recipe submitter. If you like butternut squash these fries are excellent and are ZERO Weight Watcher PPTS! Butternut squash has more moisture than potatoes. So here are a few tips for handling that. First, it is important to blot out as much moisture as possible before cooking. Also, if you are looking for crispier fries, try cutting them thinner. As another reviewer mentioned, spray not only the baking sheet but the fries with cooking spray. If the fries are large enough, you can place them on a baking rack on top of the baking pan so the air can circulate beneath them and that will also help crisp the fries. Lastly, if they are not crisp enough you can bake them a little longer. With regard to the seasoning I use a homemade cajun seasoning without salt. Then I can control how much salt is added. Different brands of cajun seasoning have different amounts of salt and therefore you may prefer to either adjust the amount of salt or leave it out altogether. I hope these tips are helpful; and I hope you enjoy the recipe.

—Occasional Cooker

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Sep 17, 2011

Great new way to serve butternut! I did lightly spray the "fries" with cooking spray to make the seasoning adhere.

—Jamie

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Sep 20, 2011

Spicy from the Cajun seasoning and sweet from the squash---great combination! These are much easier to make than the normal kind of shake and bake roasted vegetables! Thanks for the recipe!

—sueb

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Oct 12, 2011

DELICIOUS!! A great word to sum up this recipe. I made this as written (making my cajun seasoning from this site "Cajun Spice Mix") and baked for about 25 minutes. The house smelled wonderful when these were baking. I really enjoyed the taste of the s/p & cajun with the sweetness of the squash. It reminds me of sweet potato fries. This is the first time I've fixed a butternut squash and it most definitely will not be the last. Thanks OC for sharing this delicious recipe - I've already sent it to my mom and SIL.

—Molly

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Oct 15, 2011

I mostly followed the cooking instructions, and cut thinner slices as I wanted a 'crispier' fry. I used PAM on a cookie sheet and laid the thin 'strips' out in rows. Sprinkled a no salt seasoning mix over the squash, and a light amount of sea salt. Baked for about 20 minutes as they were thinner pieces. Flipped once about halfway through. Have cooked these a couple times now and this is a keeper. They are delectable!

—dmphax

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Jan 17, 2012

These were fabulous! So easy (once you cut up that squash!) and so tasty. My entire family ate gobbled them up - and I have a husband and daughter that swear they don't like squash! Thanks for the great recipe!

—MayberryGal

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Nutrition

Calories
52 kcal
3%

Carbohydrates
13.5 g
4%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
0.1 g
< 1%

Fiber
2.3 g
9%

Protein
1.2 g
2%

Sodium
162 mg
6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Butternut Squash Cajun Fries

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 52
Calories from Fat: 1

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0.1g < 1 %
Saturated Fat 0g < 1 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 162mg 6 %
** Potassium 405mg 11 %
Total Carbohydrates 13.5g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 2.3g 9 %
Protein 1.2g 2 %
** Sugars 2.5g
** Vitamin A 241 %
** Vitamin C 40 %
** Calcium 7 %
** Iron 8 %
** Thiamin 11 %
** Niacin 13 %
** Vitamin B6 11 %
** Magnesium 14 %
** Folate 17 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.