Delicata Squash (Yellow with Green Stripes) + Easy Oven Fries Recipe

Wondering what that yellow squash with green stripes at the farm stand or grocery store is? That's a Delicata squash one of the best-tasting squashes you can buy (and our family's favorite). In this post, I'll show you what makes it special and the easiest way to enjoy it this fall.

📋 What's New In This Post (9/5/25) - Added tips on selecting them and link to freezing instructions.

✍🏻 Featured Comment - Denise says "Great dipped in catsup like fries. If you have the space, they are easy to grow. But I warn you, the vine will take over your garden!!😳"

Jump to:

• What is the Yellow Squash with the Green Stripes?
• ❓ What Is a Delicata Squash
• ⏲️ How Long Do They Keep
• 🍯 Darker Squash
• 🍴 What to Do with Them
• 🍽️ More Recipes
• ❔ Is the Skin Edible?
• 📧 Email List
• 🔥 How to Roast
• 📋 Other Types of Squash to Try
• Delicata Squash Oven Fries

❓ What Is a Delicata Squash

Here is the lowdown on this squash:

Category	Description
Appearance	Long yellow squash with green stripes and green spots throughout
Other names	Sweet potato squash, peanut squash, Bohemian squash
Flavor Profile	Tastes like a cross between a sweet potato and squash. It's sweet and nutty.
Average weight	1 to 2 pounds

Let me give you just a bit more info on this variety. It has been around for quite a while, but had the disadvantage of not shipping as well as other hard squashes.

However, in recent years I have seen it more and more. They use to be only at the farmers markets, but now most stores carry them in the fall season. They are not available year round like acorn or butternut squash.

RELATED - What's the Difference Between Butternut and Acorn Squash?

⏲️ How Long Do They Keep

Another interesting tidbit is that the Delicata belongs to the same family as the zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. So really it's a summer squash with the longevity and harvest time for like a winter squash. Although they don't store as well as a butternut or an acorn, you can still get a few weeks out of them.

Make sure when you are buying them that they don't already have any soft spots. If they do they are already going bad and you need to find another one. If you find a soft spot after buying, you can still cut that part out and use the rest of the squash as long as it's not moldy.

If you are worried about them going bad you can always freeze them. Check out my instructions on how to freeze raw Delicata squash.

🍯 Darker Squash

You might find Delicata squash that looks darker with more of a mustard brown color instead of yellow. These are still Delicata squash and can be used the same. This is a strain that was developed in Oregon called Honey Boat Delicata.

Does it taste any different? I did a side by side comparison.

The flavor of the darker Delicata was sweeter than the original one. I feel when roasted it had notes of roasted corn. The texture was the same and the cook time was the same. Maybe a tad moister but not that noticeable to make a difference.

I say if you find it, go right ahead and get it. If you have the choice between the two which is rare to have, go with the darker skin. I was lucky to find a farmer at a farmer's market selling both types at once.

🍴 What to Do with Them

The first time we used one we just roasted it in the oven. Then we pureed it and used it as any ingredient for a Sili Squeeze treat when my daughters were young. Would also work well for baby food purees. They are sweet like a sweet potato, so that may be attractive to kids.

The next time I used one I roasted them again but changed up the technique. I made them into "delicata squash fries" I sliced them into half moon slices and then made them like I would oven fries by tossing them onto a baking sheet with olive oil and seasonings.

And we have a winner! The oven fries turned out fantastic and it's a real easy recipe. Find the recipe at the bottom of the post.

💡 Tip - When roasting in the oven make sure to put the squash in a single layer. This is what will help them to cook evenly. You can also rotate the pan half way through.

🍽️ More Recipes

Here are some other recipes you'll want to check out:

• Roasted Delicata Squash with Hatch Chile Butter
• Purple Sweet Potato & Delicata Squash Hash
• Air Fryer Delicata Squash
• Roasted Delicata Squash Seeds

❔ Is the Skin Edible?

Later on I learned that you can actually get away without peeling the squash for this recipe. The skin is actually edible when you cook it.  You can still peel it if you want, but I love saving the time.

📧 Email List

Join our community of squash enthusiasts!

Simply enter your email below to start receiving our tasty recipes and cooking and buying tips. Get seasonal updates on the best squash varieties.

🔥 How to Roast

The key to roasting them is to slice them into half moon shape squash pieces. Do this by slicing the half, removing the seeds, and then slicing each half into the moon shapes. Since it has a thinner skin than most winter squash, this is a lot easier to do. Remember this squash has an edible skin, so skip the peeling.

Here are some more tips for roasting the oven fries. Full instructions in recipe card below.

• You can spice them up by adding plenty of fresh cracked black pepper and/or cayenne pepper.
• Don't forget the kosher salt (I like Alton Brown's favorite), it's the best salt choice as it draws out moisture for crispier squash.
• I add a little olive oil to help the squash brown nicely.
• Place the squash into a hot oven - 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Then rotate the pan and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown and soft in the middle.
• Save the seeds. Delicata squash seeds can be roasted just like pumpkin seeds. Any type of squash seeds can be roasted really.

You can also cook them in the air fryer. Check out this post for the instructions.

📋 Other Types of Squash to Try

Want to keep trying different types of squash? Here are a couple others I recommend:

• Honeynut Squash (like a mini butternut)
• Spaghetti Squash (try putting a meat sauce on them)
• Tiger Stripe (a pumpkin variety found at Trader Joe's)