How to Cook Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is one of my favorite winter squashes! Its flesh is sweet and creamy, and makes a comforting cold weather side dish. Season it simply with olive oil, salt and pepper, or dress it up with herbs, coconut or brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Winter squashes are one of my favorite things to cook with! Also check out How to Cook Spaghetti Squash and How to Cook Acorn Squash.

A Sweet and Creamy Winter Squash

I adore fall cooking, and winter squashes are one of the biggest reasons why!

They are high in fiber, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium, and low in calories. They have a sweet, creamy taste, which satisfies my carb cravings when the temperature dips.

I love adding hot roasted squash to my salads in the winter, so I am getting my dose of greens, but warming up my meals and making them cozy. You’ll want to check out this Delicata Squash Spinach Salad!

Butternut squash is one of my favorites. It’s versatile, and has such a delicious sweet flavor. We eat it roasted plain, as shown here, but also as a part of soups, stews, and chilis. Try this Roasted Butternut Turkey Chili or my Southwest Butternut Quinoa Soup.

If you’ve never cooked butternut squash before, start here with a simple roasted butternut squash recipe!

What You’ll Need

• Butternut Squash
• Olive oil or avocado oil, to brush or spray on
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

Optional, season it with:

• Brown Sugar or coconut sugar
• Cinnamon
• Herbs, like fresh rosemary or thyme
• Chopped Onion (I love red onions chopped and roasted with butternut squash!)

How to Peel & Cut a Butternut Squash

Step 1: If you’re cutting a squash into cubes, use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin from the squash. It’s thick, so you will need to peel 2-3 layers off the squash. Turn it and continue peeling around the whole vegetable.

Step 2: Use a large, sharp knife to cut down the center of the butternut squash lengthwise. Then, use a spoon to scrape out the pith and seeds from the center.

How to Cook Butternut Squash in the Oven

Whole Baked Butternut Squash

Step 1: Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise using a large, sharp knife.

Step 2: Use a spoon to scrape the seeds and pith from the center of the squash.

Step 3: Rub the flesh of the squash with olive oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Additional seasonings, like brown sugar, herbs, and cinnamon, are sometimes used.

Step 4: Add the squash flesh side up in a baking dish. Cover the baking dish with foil.

Step 5: Bake the squash for 45 minutes covered with foil, and then remove the foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes, until the top of the squash has browned. This allows the squash to stay creamy and not dry, but still get flavor from browning the top of the flesh.

Step 6: Serve the squash by scooping the flesh out with a spoon. Smaller butternut squashes can be served in halves.

Cubed Baked Butternut Squash

Step 1: Use a quality vegetable peeler to remove 2-3 layers of the squash skin. Rotate the vegetable, and remove all the skin.

Step 2: Use a sharp knife to cut off both ends of the squash, and then cut the squash in half lengthwise.

Step 3: Remove the squash pith and seeds with a scoop by scraping it out with a spoon.

Step 4: Place the squash cut side down, and cut it in 1-inch slices. Take each slice and cut it in 1-inch cubes.

Step 5: Add the squash to a baking pan, along with olive oil or melted butter, herbs, salt, and pepper.

Step 6: Roast the squash at 425º F for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the squash have begun browning and the flesh is fork tender.

FAQ and Tips

How Long to Roast Butternut Squash?

A butternut squash takes between 40 minutes and 1 hour to bake, depending on its size. Smaller squashes will be done in 40 minutes and large squashes take up to an hour.

Cutting the squash in cubes and baking them is a quicker method. Butternut squash takes about 30 minutes at 425º F when cut in smaller pieces.

How do you cook butternut squash in the microwave?

Using the microwave is my least favorite method for cooking butternut squash. It will soften, but you won’t get any caramelization, or the slow roasted creamy texture.

Once your squash is cut and the seeds are removed, place it flesh side down on a plate, and poke some holes in the top of the skin. Microwave it on high for 5 minutes, check it to see if it’s softened, then add the squash back to the microwave for 1 minute at a time until desired texture is reached.

How do you soften butternut squash before cutting it?

Pierce the skin of the butternut squash in a few places, and then microwave the squash for 3-5 minutes. Allow the squash to cool for 3-5 minutes prior to cutting it.

I prefer to use a really sharp knife and quality vegetable peeler, but this method will work if you do not have a sharp knife or are having trouble cutting into the squash.

Do you need to peel butternut squash?

No, you do not need to peel butternut squash prior to cooking or eating it. The peel is edible. You can skip peeling the squash prior to cutting it in cubes, and eat the squash with the peel in tact.

I find the texture of the skin fine when I am roasting cubed butternut squash, or adding squash to a pan of roasted vegetables. However, if I am using it in soups or stews, where the skin might separate from the flesh, I prefer to peel it.

Whether or not you decide to peel your squash is a matter of preference and presentation!

Other Winter Squash Cooking Tutorials

If you love butternut squash, also try these other winter squashes:

• How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
• Baked Delicata Squash
• How to Cook Acorn Squash

Other Ways to Use Butternut Squash

• Whole30 Chili or Roasted Butternut Turkey Chili
• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Baked Butternut Casserole
• Spinach Salad with Millet and Butternut Squash

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