Hasselback Butternut with Sweet Piquanté Pepper (Vegan) Recipe
This easy vegan recipe for Hasselback Butternut takes only 20 min to prepare. A great vegetarian main or dish and a guaranteed showstopper for your dinner table.

Ingredients
2 small butternut squash
Cooking oil, for brushing
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ jar PEPPADEW® Sweet Piquanté Peppers Hot Slices or Mild Chopped
2 Tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
3 sprigs Fresh thyme
8 bay leaves
2 Tbsp pecans finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Flaky finishing salt
Additional Info
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C & spray a baking tin with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, trying to keep the two halves as even in size as possible (for even cooking). Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the squash and discard. Place on prepared baking sheet, cut side down.
- Brush squash with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove squash halves to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut slits 1.5cm apart in the squash, cutting almost but not all the way through. *Tip: Place the handle of a wooden spoon alongside the squash to act as a guard to prevent cutting too far down.
- Return cut squash to the same baking sheet. Heat the ¼ cup maple syrup and 2 Tbsp. Place coconut oil in the microwave or a small saucepan until the oil is melted. Stir well to combine. Pour the maple/oil mixture over the butternut and season with salt and pepper, sprinkle dried thyme leaves over squash, trying to get in the slits a bit, if possible, and place 2 bay leaves into the slits of each butternut half. Pour ¼ cup water in to bottom of pan, then re-turn to oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, baste with more maple mixture from the bottom of the pan, add another ¼ of water to the pan, sprinkle the pecan nuts and PEPPADEW® Sweet Piquanté Peppers Hot Slices over the butternut and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven. To serve, drizzle a bit of maple syrup over each half and add fresh bay leaves.