Roasted Butternut Squash Seed Oil

In the last few years, seed oils have made headlines for being unhealthy. Is it true? Like most things in life, the story is more complicated.

Most seed oils are made using chemicals.

There are chemicals to dissolve the oil from the solid parts of the seed. Then there are the chemicals to remove other trace components of the oil. The chemicals used aren’t all that appetizing. They include substances like hexane (an explosive byproduct of crude oil refining) and bentonite (the stuff that makes kitty litter absorbent). The chemicals are removed by the end of the process, so you’re not eating hexane beyond possibly a bare trace amount.

But that process also removes good parts of the seeds, like antioxidants. And it removes the flavor too – that’s why supermarket corn oil doesn’t taste like corn on the cob. The result is a bland, pale oil that can be a useful ingredient but doesn’t always have a whole lot of nutrition. It’s not evil, but it’s not brilliant, either.

The process isn’t unique to seed oils. It’s true for many industrially produced fats, including olive oil that’s not graded as “extra virgin” and beef tallow.

But there’s a better way: some seed oils are produced mechanically.

You crush the seeds, then press out the oil; no chemicals involved. (Historically, this is how extra virgin olive oil was made, too. These days, most olive presses have been replaced by centrifuges, but it’s still a fully mechanical – not chemical – process.) In addition to the fat, mechanically pressed oils contain many other good parts of the seed, like color, aroma, flavor, and healthy nutrients. This method is less common than chemical extraction because it costs more. But for small scale producers interested in flavor, like Oliver Farms and Stony Brook, mechanical is the way to go.

Greg Woodruff, together with his wife, Kelly Coughlin, crafts this distinctive squash seed oil at Stony Brook WholeHearted Foods in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Time and again, we’ve found that the best specialty foods come with equally remarkable people behind them. Their story is no exception. You can read more elsewhere, but Greg summed up the origin like this:

“We moved from Boston to the Finger Lakes in 2007 after running a mail-order cookie company. Once we arrived, we became involved in a project helping a local farmer find a use for the thousands of pounds of leftover butternut squash seeds from their processing operation. Every year they grow squash for Wegmans, where it’s peeled, seeded, diced, and packaged for customers. The process generated an enormous amount of seed—between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds annually. There was far too much to compost. Working alongside Cornell University, we discovered those seeds could be pressed into a premium, food-grade oil. With my background in food and hospitality management, it seemed like an opportunity worth pursuing. So that’s exactly what we did.”

The result is one of those ingredients that makes you wonder why it isn’t already a pantry staple. Credit goes to Cornell University, along with Kelly and Greg, for transforming an overlooked byproduct into an exceptional culinary oil.

To appreciate its beauty, pour a little butternut squash seed oil onto a white plate or into a clear glass bowl. The color is a rich, deep gold with the slightest emerald tint just beneath the surface. Mostly golden, it catches the light in a way that feels almost luminous, especially in the sun. Its aroma is equally inviting, bringing to mind the sweet, caramelized scent of roasted squash fresh from the pan. Rich, buttery, and pleasantly nutty with subtle toasted notes, it finishes remarkably clean. There are hints of pine nuts in the flavor, adding another layer of complexity.

If you’re wondering how to use butternut squash seed oil, start with salads, then drizzle it over grilled fish, roasted vegetables, steamed greens, or fresh mozzarella with roasted peppers. It’s equally delicious spooned over ripe avocado with blue cheese and toasted walnuts, where its rich, nutty flavor truly shines.