We all need some easy, low calorie side dish recipes to have on hand, right? This recipe for vegan Baked Sriracha Butternut Squash Fries fits the bill!
Food Blogs and Calories
I am perpetually counting calories. Which is a whole lot of fun! Perhaps this is just my perception, but it sure seems like the food blogging world is full of the “Oh goshβI just eat whatever I want, and I never workout!” types who weigh 110 pounds and post six dessert recipes a week, usually involving Rolos and/or several heaping cups full of Nutella and I resent them and their amazing metabolism.
I am not one of those bloggers. Nope. I have to watch every single thing I eat. So butternut squash fries make a frequent appearance on our dinner table. If I’m making veggie burgers or grilled cheese or something else that’s a little bit high in calories, butternut squash fries are a good low calorie counterbalance to that. And they’re filling! And delicious! And healthy! Butternut squash is high in fiber, beta carotene, potassium, and Vitamins C & B6. So in addition to having fewer calories than potato fries, they’re more nutritious too.
Lower calories! More nutrition! Really, you can’t go wrong with butternut squash fries.
Disclaimer
Okay, there’s one slight downside. Butternut squash fries are not as crispy as regular fries. They’re just as versatile, though. I used to alternate between sprinkling them with chipotle powder and sprinkling them with cinnamon, but my new thing is sriracha. Baked Sriracha Butternut Squash Fries are now my favorite butternut squash fries! To me, they’re just spicy enough, but you can always drizzle some extra sriracha onto the fries after they’re done baking.

Ingredients
- 1 tbsp peanut vegetable, canola or any other neutral-flavored oil
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into evenly-sized steak fries
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425Β°F.
- Whisk together oil and sriracha in a large bowl. Transfer butternut squash fries to bowl and toss to coat. (Itβs messy, but use your handsβit works best!) Pour fries onto a rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then carefully flip fries over using tongs or a spatula. Sprinkle with additional salt and bake for 20 minutes more or until tender and browned on edges.
66 Comments
mjskit
December 21, 2012 at 5:42 pmOh you know how I love spicy and these spicy squash fries sound like a perfect treat for me!!! Great idea!
Natalie
December 22, 2012 at 3:21 amI am so with you on this! I mostly blog about cakes and other sweet baked goods, but I only get to eat them (in tiny portions) because I religiously calorie count everything I eat and make my main meals as healthy as possible!
I’m a big fan of using butternut squash in place of sweet potato to cut calories, and will definitely give this recipe a go.
So pleased to have discovered your blog, look forward to browsing more of your recipes!
Kiersten
December 22, 2012 at 12:34 pmYeah, when I do a sweet recipe, I usually take a small portion for myself and my husband gets the rest. Which works well for him because he can eat insane amounts of food and never gain an ounce! So jealous. π
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving
December 23, 2012 at 1:58 amThis looks amazing and I’m going to try this tomorrow with extra rooster sauce.
Kiersten
December 25, 2012 at 11:10 amYeah, my husband puts extra sriracha on his too. π
Genevieve
December 23, 2012 at 10:27 amI love sweet potato fries but I can’t remember if I’ve ever tried baking butternut squash as fries…I know I would love these though! Like you, I usually go for either hot spices like chili powder or the sweet variation like cinnamon, so it would be nice to change things up and try baking my fries with sriracha next time!
Kiersten
December 25, 2012 at 11:09 amThese are pretty similar to sweet potato fries, just a little bit softer and less starchy. Squashier, I guess. π
debra pearlstein
December 23, 2012 at 10:39 pmYou just have no idea how much I love this idea! And yours look like perfection. I am going to try this!
Kiersten
December 25, 2012 at 11:00 amI hope you like them! I am totally burnt out on butternut squash at the moment, but I still love the fries. π
Heidi @ Food Doodles
December 26, 2012 at 6:46 pmHaha, I got a kick out of your perception of other food bloggers. I feel the same way. But I can guarantee you I am totally not that way. I’ve had an awful cold for a week so I’ve been planning my return to working out. After cookie week on the blog, I need it! Haha. I LOVE squash fries. Sure, they’re soft, but they’re yummy. And being in fry form they are way easier to feed to the kids, hah!
Kiersten
December 27, 2012 at 11:27 amI have an awful cold too. π I hope you feel better soon! I’m not working out this week, but I think my lack of appetite will help make up for it…
Brandi
February 15, 2013 at 11:49 amYou should really try Jojo’s Sriracha (bought here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/loveofjojo, but more on her and the sriracha here: http://foodcurated.com/2012/11/jojos-sriracha-bringing-more-hot-pepper-flavor-to-the-party/). Pure, clean ingredients and AMAZING product. Every one really does taste slightly different. No preservatives like the other stuff. And, super fun to support a small business/craft food maker. Plus, guessing it’d taste amazing on these π
Kiersten
February 15, 2013 at 3:12 pmThanks for the recommendation! It must be popular–it looks like she’s sold out!
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete}
February 27, 2013 at 11:21 amMy husband is a hot sauce addict! He would absolutely die for these fries. Thanks for a great recipe idea.
Heather
July 22, 2013 at 12:38 pmSounds yummy! How many fries are in a serving and how many calories?
Thanks! π
Kiersten
July 24, 2013 at 9:20 pmThe number of fries depends on the exact size and shape of the squash–I get about 36. I’m not sure how many calories are in a serving.
She Rocks Fitness
October 10, 2013 at 10:40 amCannot wait to make this, because I have all the ingredients! YES! I also love the simplicity of this. Glad I stumbled upon your blog! π
Kiersten
October 13, 2013 at 6:05 pmI hope you enjoy the recipe! π
Jordan
November 12, 2013 at 2:20 pmThis looks awesome! Just wanted to let you know I included you in my sriracha recipes roundup. Have a great day π http://smilesandwich.com/2013/11/07/healthy-recipes-with-sriracha-sauce/
Kiersten
November 12, 2013 at 8:00 pmThanks for the feature! π
Sierra
November 13, 2013 at 11:54 pmI am munching on my test batch right now and I have to say..OH my gosh are these good!! I don’t really like squash but these are amazing. the sweet and salty with a bit of heat is just perfect. The only thing I did different was to add a little peanut butter to give it a bit of a szechuan flavor. Yum!
Kiersten
November 14, 2013 at 8:34 pmOoh, I like the idea of adding peanut butter! I am intrigued. π
Laura @ FitMamaLove
January 28, 2014 at 11:33 pmJust made this tonight. So yummy! My one- and three-year-olds liked it too!
Kiersten Frase
January 29, 2014 at 8:32 pmThanks for your comment–I’m glad they were a hit!
Lynn Meadows
January 1, 2020 at 9:25 pmI love Sriracha and never considered adding it to fries. This Butternut Squash fries recipe is perfect! The instructions were very easy to follow thank you for sharing =)