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How to Cook Butternut Squash Whole

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Butternut squash is super-easy to cook if you know this simple technique. Learn how to cook butternut squash whole and save yourself some hassle!

Back in December I bought a butternut squash and then never cooked it. It sat there on my counter staring at me for months. I couldn’t bring myself to cook it though because it seemed like such a time-consuming and annoying task.

Collage of cooked butternut squash pictures, text reads How To Roast Butternut Squash.

Here’s A Video Showing Multiple Types Of Roasted Veggies:

Less Stress With Whole Roasted

You see, I’ve cooked butternut squash many times before. Each time, I followed the idea in recipes like this. Look at that ingredient list where it says “1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled and seeded and cut in 1-inch chunks.” It’s stated as though this is a simple task that will take a minute or two. In actuality, it can be a huge pain in the butt. The squash is large and round making it hard to hold in place. The skin is tough and can be tricky to get rid of using a vegetable peeler (although a good sharp one like this does the trick pretty well!). Then, as you peel and handle the flesh, your skin gets this weird coating that dries quickly and feels really weird and is hard to wash off (learn how to get this residue off here).

So you can totally see why I didn’t want to cook that squash!

Then I remembered my other vegetable nemesis, the beet. That one I’d go to cook and end up looking like I’d been in a slaughterhouse. The solution was to roast the beets whole, like described here. Life-changing! I love these roasted beets and make them for myself weekly now.

That butternut squash just had to go into the oven whole as well. And so it did. I cranked up the heat, poked a few holes in it and let it go. Amazing. The flesh cooks beautifully and even gets some caramelization at the edges. The skin peels off really easily, or you can scoop out the flesh.

This method for cooking butternut squash is perfect for if you want to make soup (recipe coming soon) or a puree for anything else. Note that if you want squares of browned squash, you will have to go with the standard method from above. But I think that once you try this, you’ll decide that squash is best when it’s so easy that you actually can’t wait to cook it. it’s definitely better than when it goes uneaten on my counter!

How To Cook Butternut Squash Whole

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a 13″x 11″ pan with aluminum foil. Put the squash in the pan. Poke it in 5-6 places with a sharp knife.

Roast until a knife or skewer goes in easily, 60-80 minutes. It will look all brown and a bit shriveled like this:

Roasted Whole Butternut Squash in a glass baking dish.

Cut it in half lengthwise.

Roasted butternut squash cut in half on a wooden cutting board.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh surrounding them. These seeds are edible and you can cook them like pumpkin seeds, but there are so few of them that it isn’t really worth it. I usually throw them out.

Then you can either scoop out the rest of the flesh to use or peel off the outer peel. It doesn’t really matter except that I find you get a bit more caramelized flavor if you peel the skin off rather than scooping the flesh out.

Peeling off the skin from a roasted butternut squash.

Once the skin is gone, you can use the butternut squash in a soup like this one:

Blue bowl of butternut squash soup topped with fresh basil leaves.
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How to Cook Butternut Squash Whole

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

DESCRIPTION

Butternut squash is super-easy to cook if you know this simple technique.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 whole butternut squash

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a 13″x 11″ pan with aluminum foil.
  2. Put the squash in the pan. Poke it in 5-6 places with a sharp knife.
  3. Roast until a knife or skewer goes in easily, 60-80 minutes. It will be a mottled brown and a bit shriveled on the outside.
  4. Cut it in half lengthwise.
  5. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh surrounding them. Discard.
  6. Peel off the peel and then use the remaining flesh.

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How to Cook Butternut Squash Whole

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About Christine

Hi! I’m Christine. My passion is creating recipes that take less time in the kitchen, so that we can all spend more time enjoying life! I’m a busy single mom of two, so I totally get how tough it can be. That’s why I’ve been figuring things out for my own family, and that’s why I want to share this knowledge with others. I now help over 2 million people a month get delicious meals onto their tables. Come along with me and see how much easier it can be!

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72 Responses to How to Cook Butternut Squash Whole

  1. Diane says

    My homegrown butternut squash were monstrous! My 1st attempt with this method involved the squash lying on its side, and it baked for nearly 2 hours before it was thoroughly tender. Today I stood the squash straight up; it took 1 hour and 40 minutes until tender but peeled beautifully, and I believe that I have found the best method for butternut squash baking! Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  2. Essess says

    I had been putting off trying to cook butternut squash because of the fussy steps in the other recipes to peel and chop it first. So I just tried this method tonight and it was fantastic. So sweet, cooked up perfectly at 70 minutes for my slightly small butternut squash. I’d never had one before. I grew up on acorn squash, and this was similar but superior flavor. This will become a weekly side dish!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  3. Cynthia says

    I can’t wait to try this method. I love butternut squash, but you are correct about it being a pain in the butt to chop it up when it is raw. It hurts my hands to the point where I don’t make it very often, which sucks, because it is super tasty!

    Reply

  5. Kristina Fowler says

    I’m going to go put my butternut squash in the oven. Thanks for the idea! I’m a whole foods/ no oil vegan and I am losing weight easily. I skip nuts, nut butter, tahini, avacados and olives. It will probably take another 8 months to reach my weight loss goal. I don’t want to lose faster because I want to stay toned with my daily walks and work related to keeping my farm in good running shape. I’m single woman and enjoy the challenge!! Thanks for your great recipes.

    Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      You’re welcome, Kristina! I definitely think this is the most convenient way to cook butternut squash!

      Reply

  6. Becky Burns says

    I will try cooking my butternut squash whole next. The concern has always been for my fingers!!! I need all 10! Squash soup is on the way…Thanks!

    Reply

  7. Larine K says

    I used to cut them in half and cook but it took up a lot of room in my oven. Tried cooking them whole last year and it’s the only way I’ll do it now. So much easier to peel and the flavor is so much better. I mash and freeze in smaller portions for my husband and I to enjoy later. Delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  8. Teri says

    I fee you! I once grew 66 butternut squash in one year. The good news is they stayed viable almost until the following spring. The bad news, I had to prepare them all. I have a few more tips and tweaks. I baked two for one hour, which made them just a little firmer than yours looks. After cooling I removed skin and cut in half lengthwise just like you but then I cut seed part off and cut the rest into half inch or more pieces. I wiped out my cast iron skillet I had used to roast them in, added some olive oil, set the stove to medium and lightly browned them. Pretty close to roasted cubes, and from there I put mine in the dehydrator, they make nature’s version of caramel! Just dumped the stringy, seedy, little bit of flesh into skillet and turned every three minutes like you would hash untill brown and then threw it into the dehydrator, delicious and crispy! So now you can roast whole AND have pretty close to roasted cubes or nature’s candy! Thanks for the visual and humor, loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Tommy Glynn says

    I have just watched a video of a recipe that
    peeled the squash, cut it into slices, placed on a tray and roasted, seeds and all? 
    Is there a recipe for roasting the squash including the seeds? 

    Reply

  10. Boyd says

    Thank you for your inspired article! Seeing  how you cook the squash whole is such a common sense idea that I wondered about before searching out for someone like you who has done it. Your experience with roasting beets is also very good and timely information for me. Thank you for sharing your experience and learning from cooking!

    Reply

  11. Shirley J says

    Have always baked butternut squash this way!  Am just about to cook one for Thanksgiving dinner and when it is done will add butter, Himalayan sea salt, and freshly ground peppercorns.  Any leftovers will go into a soup.

    Reply

  12. Rosey says

    Can anyone give an approximation of what the internal temp would be on the finished squash? My kid is planning to use this recipe and another for a science project on carryover cooking temp and our Bluetooth thermometer needs a goal temp in order to be programmed. Thanks in advance!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  13. Jo Zimny says

    I made this a few days ago, then turned it into soup. I think roasting it in its skin is definitely the way to go. I used a small offset spatula and slid it between the skin and the flesh and it made peeling the squash easier in some spots. I will definitely do this again! Thanks for the great recipe. :)

    Reply

  14. Rachel says

    This is the best way to cook butternut squash.  Never comes out watery, and is quite beautiful.  I have never tried to peel it.  Tonight I will!

    Reply

  15. Dayna says

    I second the comment about not needing to remove the skin. I never remove it, when roasted it gets caramelised and is SO delicious, I eat squash filled like a jacket potato, they are fun to grow throughout the year and their shelf life is incredible :)

    Reply

  16. Lou says

    I roasted one yesterday and found it very messy to remove the skin-can you elaborate on how you do that? Maybe I should’ve cooked mine a bit longer….the scooping method was a mess and time consuming and maybe because of the olive oil I couldn’t imagine trying to use a vegetable peeler on it b/c it was so squishy and slippery..thanks!

    Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      Lou, I’m honestly not sure. I cook butternut squash like this all the time and I just use my fingers to peel off the skin. It comes off easily. Maybe you’re right and it wasn’t cooked long enough.

      Reply

  17. Paula B. says

    Thank you so much for this easy version. The last WW mtg I went to someone was raving about how satisfying Butternut Squash soup was and I have been dying to try it. Now I’m actually looking forward to it!

    Reply

  19. Angelica says

    I’ve had a butternut squash in my pantry for way longer than I want to admit. I’ve been scared to cook it! They’re intimidating! I’m going to finally give it a go with your easy instructions!

    Reply

  23. Susan P. says

    I’ll have to try this next time. I’ve peeled, cubed and boiled, peeled, sliced and roasted, cubed and roasted but never cooked whole.

    Reply

  26. Tina Woo says

    I’ve always cut my butternut squash in half and roasted them cut-side down. This is easier (and no risk of injury trying to cut through that danged hard skin)

    Reply

  29. cococook says

    We have been microwaving butternut and acorn squash for ages. Really fast and so easy, no worries about removing a finger while trying to cut them. Never been able to peel them while raw. After they’re cooked, we add some spices, butter and maybe some sugar and generally mash them after scooping out of the shell (peel, whatever). Delicious. My next project is to sous vide the acorn that’s been sitting out in the pantry. Going to give the skin a good wash and seal the whole thing in a zipper bag. I haven’t determined the time yet for this project, but shouldn’t be too hard to do since you can’t overcook sous vide. But, I think the flesh is going to be quite moist since there won’t be a way for the steam to escape. Wish me luck. ?

    Reply

  30. Jg Gonsalves says

    You can cook any squash the whole method. No hassle with peeling and deseeding before!
    Yippee! Your instructions taught this 75 yr old man something new.

    Reply

  31. Beth says

    Hi, you dont need to peel the squash at all. After it is roasted whole, the skin dissipates into the soup without detection. Saves much time and no waste.

    Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      Beth, I have never tried eating the skin after it is roasted. I always just use the insides. I’ll give it a try next time. Thanks for the tip!

      Reply

    • Christine Pittman says

      In the oven, put them side by side on a pan and cook for the same amount of time as instructed. The amount of time won’t change just because you’ve put two in the oven at the same time.

      Reply

  33. Renee Rolling says

    I have had a butternut squash sitting for three weeks and I just put it in the oven whole with some sweet potatoes. Happy Autumm cooking for me. THANKS

    Reply

  34. Letitia Berkey says

    Loved it! Sprinkled pumpkin pie spice on it and drizzled with maple syrup! That poor, dejected squash sat on the kitchen table for three weeks while we ate the acorn and spaghetti squashes! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  35. Carolyn Farman says

    Peeled one of my butternut squash and cubed it and then cooked it. As it was cooling I tasted it tasted pretty good but I wanted it a little sweeter so I sprinkled cinnamon on it and stirred it up good and that was delicious.
    This morning I have a smaller one to do and I think I’m going to try it in the microwave and see how that does. Wish me luck

    Reply

  36. Lucy says

    You can cook it even more quickly whole in a microwave. About 20 minutes. The bulbous end cooks before the narrow end as it is hollow.

    Reply

  37. Cambell says

    Thank you so much, your instructions are so clear and easy and straightforward to follow…wish I had stumble onto your website sooner, thank you Christine

    Reply

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