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Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

Have you ever baked a butternut squash whole? I haven’t until recently, and let me tell you – you are in for a treat! Whole Roasted Butternut Squash is totally the way to go.

Only 5 ingredients (butternut squash included, of course), requires minimal prep time (only 10 whole minutes!) and so incredibly delicious.

Whole butternut squash cut into half and roasted

About Butternut Squash

Sitting on my kitchen counter right now are three whole butternut squash. Along with pumpkins, apples, pears etc.

Guilty as always for my obsession with Fall.

The reason for three whole butternut squash is quite simple – I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF IT.

And since it is seasonal, I’ll make sure I eat my share of it while they are still around.

Such an underrated fruit, butternut squash (also known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gamma, thank you Wikipedia), it is a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber. Its flash has a sweet nutty taste – kinda similar to pumpkin.

Its texture is hard uncooked but once roasted it is nice and soft.

Whole butternut squash cut into half

Baking Butternut Squash Whole

There are so many ways to cook butternut squash.

You can cut it into pieces and bake it, puree it, add it to salads, make soups out of it (speaking of soups, this delicious Curry Butternut Squash Soup is a butternut squash lovers’ dream!) etc. The list goes on.

Today, being the first butternut squash recipe on the blog (more will be coming, trust me…), I wanted to share a simple and basic way to cook butternut squash. One that requires minimal ingredients and prep time.

And one where you get to enjoy butternut squash close to its purest form – whole.

How to cut butternut squash

Before we start cooking, let’s talk about how to cut a whole butternut squash.

I don’t know about you, but when I first made Whole Roasted Butternut Squash, this is the most intimidating part for me.

How do I break apart this giant of a fruit?

If you are also asking that question, let’s dive straight in!

First, start by cutting off both ends (top and bottom) of the butternut squash.

Cutting off the top of a butternut squash
Cutting of the top of a butternut squash
Cutting of the bottom of a butternut squash
Cutting of the bottom of a butternut squash

Stand butternut squash up on a firm flat surface (bottoms down), then slice it into half lengthwise.

Slicing butternut squash lengthwise

Next, dig out all the seeds using a spoon.

Digging out seeds from whole butternut squash

How to roast butternut squash

Now that we have cut up the butternut squash, it’s time to prepare it for roasting.

Place both halves of butternut squash face side up (skin side down) on a baking dish or baking sheet.

Using a brush, brush olive oil onto the non-skin surfaces of both halves of butternut squash, including the hole where the seeds were dug out.

brushing olive oil on the surface of butternut squash

Then sprinkle it generously with:

  • sea salt
  • black pepper – this is optional if you are not a fan of a slight kick in your foods. I personally like it but it will also taste delicious without this.
  • brown sugar
Halved whole butternut squash topped with salt, pepper, brown sugar and olive oil

Bake in the oven at 400℉ for 45-60 minutes. Check at the 40-45 minute mark, especially if you are baking a small butternut squash. If not, you will most likely need close to an hour.

When done, butternut squash should be very soft on the inside, and you should be able to scoop it out easily with a spoon.

Scooping out a spoonful of Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

And there you go – Whole Butternut Squash in all its glory.

Super simple. Super tasty. Super satisfying.

Variation and substitution

There are so many ways to season the butternut squash. I like to have a savory and a sweet component because having both really brings out the flavors of the butternut squash. But other than that, have fun with it! Feel free to add additional flavors to make this recipe your own!

Here are some other options:

  • maple syrup instead of brown sugar
  • seasonings such as garlic or onion powder
  • herbs such as thyme, sage or parsley
  • adding some Fall flavors such as cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg
Top down view of two halves of a whole oven baked butternut squash

How to serve this butternut squash

This makes a wonderful side dish to many protein dishes such as:

In addition to sides, they are make the best salad toppings. After roasting the whole butter squash, remove the skin and cut it into cubes. Serve cubed butternut squash on top of your favorite salads!

Lastly, this is also a great way to get a butternut squash ready to be mashed up. Remove the skin and use a potato masher or electric mixer to smash butternut squash until smooth. With the seasonings added prior to baking, butternut squash should be flavorful but you can always add more seasonings to mashed butternut squash if you like.

A oval bowl of two Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

Ready. Set. Feast! 🧡

More delicious Fall Recipes

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍

Two halves of Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

Whole Roasted Butternut Squash

Lightly seasoned butternut squash oven baked whole. The perfect Fall side dish that is easy to make, yummy and healthy!
4.98 from 40 votes
Print Pin
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 64kcal
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper optional
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven at 400℉
  • Cut butternut squash lengthwise and remove seeds. (See pictures in post for directions on how to cut a whole butternut squash)
  • Place butternut squash skin side down, face side up on a baking dish or baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of butternut squash with olive oil.
  • Sprinkle with salt, black pepper (optional) and brown sugar.
  • Bake for 45 – 60 minute. If butternut squash is small, check at the 40 minute mark. Butternut squash is ready when it is soft can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9966IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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Recipe Rating




30 Comments

  1. 2pots2cook says:

    5 stars
    Yummy ! So with you all the way !

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Glad you like it! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    We had this for dinner and loved it! Had not made butternut squash before and this popped up on my feed just as I bought some to try, so perfect timing! We were impatient so we microwaved the squash (after slicing into two and removing the seeds) for a few mins before seasoning and popping into the oven based on your instructions, which helped cut down on overall oven time. Thanks!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Love the microwave trick!!!

  3. carmen villalobos says:

    Try it with stuffing, meat,or nuts & veggies don’t forget the cheese 🧀 .

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yum!!! Great idea!

  4. 5 stars
    Roasted squash is one of the best things in fall. I love to serve it with a piece of fish for a simple and healthy dinner.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Such a delicious meal! Thanks for sharing!

  5. 5 stars
    Great clear instructions and turned out perfect! I use this year round but really love it in the fall.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Great to hear!

  6. 5 stars
    Turned out so tender and flavorful, I added a pat of butter to mine, because well, butter and veggies! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Yum! Butter makes everything better! 😀

  7. 5 stars
    Love the addition of a little brown sugar. So good!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thank you!! Love the sweet and savory flavors together 🙂 Happy to hear you enjoyed it as well!

  8. 5 stars
    LOVE this recipe and using this method. Such a delicious side for the fall!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      SUCH a Fall staple for us! Glad you love it!

  9. 5 stars
    So simple and delish! Thanks for making it so easy 🙂

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      You are so welcome! Thanks for making it! 🙂

  10. 5 stars
    This was such a great, easy recipe!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Thank you!!!

  11. 5 stars
    You are so right, butternut squash is so underrated! I just loved this easy recipe for roasting it. The natural sweetness sure shined through.

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I cannot agree more! Thank you for giving it a try and letting me know how it went!

  12. 5 stars
    I love roasting butternut this way. We add a little ground chile pepper to play off the sweetness!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Delicious add!! YUM!

  13. 5 stars
    For some reason I always for get about butternut squash when thinking about side dishes. It’s so delicious and this is an easy way to prepare!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      Indeed! So glad you liked it!

  14. Michaela Kenkel says:

    5 stars
    My grandson LOVES squash — this recipe is going to get used a lot!!

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I’m so glad!!!

  15. Do you peel the skin or leave it on and eat it?

    1. Joyous Apron says:

      I typically don’t eat the ski – I just scoop it out with a spoon and eat it without the skin.