Type
mini butternut hybrid
Winter Squash variety
Honey Nut Winter Squash
A smaller butternut with very sweet flesh and compact fruit size. It is popular for home cooks who want rich flavor in manageable portions.
Days to maturity
100 to 110
Best for
small households, roasting
About Honey Nut
Honey Nut, often spelled honeynut, is a hybrid mini butternut developed at Cornell University, with early selection work done in collaboration with chef Dan Barber. Each fruit is a single-serving size with skin that ripens from green to a deep tan-orange, and the flesh is notably sweeter and more concentrated than a standard butternut. The plants set many small squash on productive vines.
Growing Honey Nut Winter Squash
Grow it like a full-size butternut, allowing a long warm season of roughly 100 to 110 days, but take advantage of the small fruit size by training the vines up a trellis to save space. The color change from green to deep orange-tan is the key ripeness cue, so wait for full color before cutting. Keep an eye out for powdery mildew and vine borer, and cure the harvested fruits before storage.
Full growing guide
For planting dates, care, and harvest that apply to all winter squash, see the complete guide.
How to grow Winter SquashOther winter squash varieties
Variety characteristics are general guidance for US home gardens; performance varies by climate, soil, and season. Seed and plant availability differs by supplier. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.