Bacon-Wrapped Butternut Bites with Cinnamon and Sage

Holidays and gatherings are easier with something to bring and something to reach for, festive finger food that fits fully on a personalized Paleo plate. Tender butternut squash gets a smoky wrap of bacon and a whisper of cinnamon and sage, and the whole tray disappears fast.

The squash does real work here. Butternut is a source of beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A in support of immune tissue and skin, and it carries vitamin C and potassium as well. Cinnamon is an aromatic spice with a long kitchen history, and the bacon brings savory protein and fat that make the bites satisfying rather than slight.

Assemble them with a little care, seam side down so they hold, and they roast into crisp, glossy bites. There is a gentle pleasure in setting out something beautiful that you can actually eat among others, fully present at the table.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pack bacon, 340 g (about 11 slices), halved crosswise
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp fresh or dried sage, for garnish

All ingredients are AIP Core compliant as written. No swaps needed. Choose a clean-label bacon with no added nightshade spices or sugar.

Method

• Toss the squash cubes with the olive oil, salt, and cinnamon, then refrigerate for 1 hour to marinate.
• Halve the bacon slices crosswise and wrap one piece snugly around each squash cube.
• Set the wrapped cubes seam side down on an unoiled baking sheet so they stay closed, and scatter the sage over the top.
• Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, until the bacon is browned and crisp and the squash is tender.

Seam down is what keeps the rolls wrapped as they roast. You can assemble these ahead, but bake them the day you serve them, since reheated bacon turns hard. Pre-cut butternut squash saves the hardest step of the prep.

Air fryer variation

Arrange the wrapped bites seam side down in the air fryer basket in a single layer, not touching, and cook at 350F until the bacon is crisp and the squash is tender. Work in batches so the air can circulate. The bacon crisps faster in an air fryer than in the oven, so check early.

*Adapted from a-squirrel-in-the-kitchen*