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!
Have you ever bought a butternut squash, excited to enjoy it, but then got overwhelmed with the idea of peeling and cutting it? I’ve been there too, which is why I’m sharing my favorite and easiest way to bake butternut squash, as well as some additional options.
Video: Whole Roasted Veggies
Do I Need To Peel And Chop?
If you want beautifully caramelized and roasted butternut squash cubes, then yes. But depending on how you plan to use it, it may not be necessary.
Butternut 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. I’m not entirely sure what this is, but it might be a common allergic reaction and you might want to wear gloves to prevent it.
Helpful Tip: If you go the peel and chop route, try microwaving the squash first to make it easier. Use a fork to poke holes all over the skin, then microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften. After it cools, it will be easier to manage!
Easiest Method: Cook Butternut Squash Whole
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 squash soup or a puree for anything else. This mashed butternut squash is also delicious with this cooking method. 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!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Line a 13″x 11″ pan with aluminum foil. Put the squash in a baking dish or baking sheet. 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:
Cut it in half lengthwise and you’ll see the beautifully tender cooked flesh.
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.
Once the skin is gone, you can use the butternut squash in a soup or Butternut Squash Pasta.
You can also cook butternut squash whole in the Instant Pot!
Print
How to Cook Butternut Squash Whole Recipe
- 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
DESCRIPTION
Butternut squash is super-easy to cook if you know this simple technique.
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this squash, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Ingredients
- 1 whole butternut squash
Instructions
- 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 be a mottled brown and a bit shriveled on the outside.
- Cut it in half lengthwise.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh surrounding them. Discard.
- Peel off the peel and then use the remaining flesh.
This post originally appeared in March 2018 and was revised and republished in September 2022.
Beverly says
I’m a senior with weak wrists, and this method is a lot easier for me, and with great results.
Thank you for sharing.
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Christine Pittman says
So glad that this method works well for you, Beverly!
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!
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Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Diane! And congrats on growing some giant squash! :)
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!
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Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful! We’ve got plenty of butternut squash recipes for you to try!
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!
Christine Pittman says
I hope this helps you be able to enjoy it more often, Cynthia!
Kimberly says
If anyone is curious about internal temperature, when I pulled mine out, it was 203° F. I think even a bit cooler than that would be fine, maybe 185.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks for sharing with us, Kimberly!
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.
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Kristina! I definitely think this is the most convenient way to cook butternut squash!
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!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Becky! I think you’ll really like this method.
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!
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
That’s great, Larine. We’re all about making things easier!
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!
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Christine Pittman says
Wow, that’s a lot of squash, Teri! Thanks for sharing with us!
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?
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!
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.
Christine Pittman says
Sounds wonderful, Shirley! Soup with the leftovers is a great idea.
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!
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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. :)
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Jo! Sounds wonderful.
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!
Christine Pittman says
Thanks, Rachel!
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 :)
Christine Pittman says
Thanks for your feedback, Dayna! Yum!
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!
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.
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!
Christine Pittman says
You’re welcome, Paula! So happy that it’s helpful for you. We’ve got a butternut squash soup recipe here – https://cookthestory.com/creamy-vegan-butternut-squash-soup/
Sarah L says
I never have one staring at me because I never buy them. Now that I know how easy it is, I will buy them. Thanks.
Christine Pittman says
Awesome, Sarah!