How to Make Butternut Squash in Oven

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Butternut Squash is a delicious and popular Winter vegetable, that has a subtle sweetness and rich, nutty flavor when roasted. Roasted butternut squash is a nourishing and flavorsome addition to many dishes. Read on to see how to make roasted butternut squash in the oven three seperate ways; cubed, halved and whole, each being perfectly tender, slightly caramelised and crispy on the outside. 

Contents:

Each variation can be used in a variety of ways. I love using roasted squash cubes in salads like my Roasted Butternut Squash Salad or my Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad. Use whole baked butternut squash to make the most flavorsome and rich 3-Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup. Or serve roasted squash halves as the perfect side dish. If you have an air fryer and not much time then you can also make butternut squash in the air fryer. 

And for more delicious ways to use butternut squash, see my post for 31 Delicious Butternut Squash Appetizers, perfect for the holiday season!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Learn how to make butternut squash in the oven, 3 different ways, with ease! 
• Use roasted whole butternut squash to make a rich soup.
• Serve roasted butternut squash halves as a delicious and healthy side dish.
• Roasted butternut cubes make for a tasty and wholesome addition to salads.
• Roasted butternut squash is the perfect winter squash for the holiday table. 

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions 

You will only need four simple ingredients to make this simple roasted butternut squash. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples that you probably already have on hand. All ingredients are available from the grocery store, butternut squash dependant on the season of course! The ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

• fresh butternut squash – this of course is a roasted butternut squash recipe, however, the same instructions can be followed to make roasted sweet potatoes. 
• extra virgin olive oil – I prefer to use olive oil as it is minimally processed and highly nutritious. Another highly nutritious, mild flavored oil that you can use is avocado oil. You can also use macadamia oil, though this does have a slight macadamia taste. Likewise with coconut oil. 
• sea salt flakes – I love using flakey sea salt however you can also use pink Himalayan salt or finely ground sea salt. 
• cracked black pepper – cracked pepper is optional but is always great for adding extra flavor to a dish. 

Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

You might be surprised that you can actually roast a whole butternut squash! The baking time will depend on the size of the squash, but it will take around 1 to 1 and a half hours to roast. While it may take a little longer to roast, it is extremely quick to prepare, meaning less hands on cooking time. I really would only do a whole roasted butternut squash if I was intending to use it to make Butternut Squash Soup or puree. 

To make roast a whole squash, first preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 F). Grease a large baking dish with some olive oil and add the squash to the dish. Place into the oven and roast for around 1 and a half hours, or until the squash is fork tender. Meaning you can easily pierce the centre of the squash with a fork. 

Once roasted, it is really easy to slice the oven-roasted butternut squash in half with a sharp knife, scoop out the pumpkin seeds with a large spoon. Then peel the skin of the squash off with your hands and use the flesh of the squash in your desired dish, like my 3-Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup, below.

Roasted Butternut Squash Halves

Roasted butternut squash halves make for a simple side dish that tastes delicious! The easiest way to slice the squash in half is by first removing the ends of the squash with a sharp chef’s knife. This makes a more stable base when stood up. Stand the butternut squash up on the cutting board and carefully slice right down the middle. 

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and then place the squash halves, skin side down, in a greased baking dish or onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, using scrunched up parchment paper or a pastry brush to spread the oil across the surface of the squash. 

Season with salt and pepper and place into the preheated oven. Bake for one hour – one hour and fifteen minutes, dependant on the size of the squash. You will want to roast the squash until it is golden brown and can be pierced easily with a fork. 

I personally roast butternut squash halves with the skin on, however you can remove the skin if desired by carefully slicing it off, when the squash is stood up on a chopping board. Or use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. The best way is whatever is easiest for you – however the safest way is to use the vegetable peeler. 

Cubed Roasted Butternut Squash 

Last but not least is cubed roasted butternut squash! This is probably the most versatile way to use butternut squash as you can use it in salads, to add to curries, risotto, butternut squash chili, you are only limited by your imagination. 

To prepare the butternut squash, slice each end off the squash using a sharp knife and cut the squash in half across the middle. Remove the squash skin either by using a vegetable peeler or by standing up on the chopping board and very carefully slicing off the skin. 

Once peeled, slice the squash in half and remove the seeds using a spoon. 

Cut the squash into cubes of your desired size. Place the butternut squash cubes onto a parchment paper lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat the squash evenly. Spread the squash out across the tray in a single layer, and so the pieces of squash aren’t touching each other. 

Place the tray into the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This depends on your desired end result. Roasting for 45 minutes will result in soft, tender squash, but roasting to 1 hour will give more caramelisation and a slight golden crispiness to the outsides, while being soft on the inside. 

Variations 

This easy butternut squash recipe can be used as a base for different flavor variations. Here are some ideas:

• cinnamon roasted butternut squash – make a cinnamon brown sugar glaze by adding 2 tablespoons olive oil to a bowl first along with a half teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir to combine and then drizzle over the halved butternut squash or cubed butternut squash. If cubed, toss to combine. If halved, use a pastry brush to brush over the surface of the squash. Roast as per the instructions in this post. 
• cheesey squash – when the butternut squash halves are halfway through roasting, remove from the oven and top with a liberal amount of grated parmesan cheese. Place back into the oven and once completely roasting, remove from the oven and serve topped with finely chopped fresh herbs. 
• spicy – add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the squash before tossing in olive oil.