Roasted Butternut Squash (Cubes and Halves)
Enjoy roasted butternut squash two ways – in cubes and halves! Learn how to perfectly roast butternut squash in a few simple steps. It’s easy!
You can enjoy the squash straight out of the oven, or transform it into several delicious butternut squash recipes including my mashed butternut squash, kale and butternut squash frittata, roasted butternut squash soup, apple sausage stuffed butternut squash and butternut squash romaine and goat cheese salad.
When it gets chilly, it’s time for hearty soups simmering on the stovetop and nourishing vegetables roasting in the oven!
Since I’ve previously shared roasted sweet potatoes, it’s time to move onto the winter squash family. Today, we’re starting with the most loved and known member: butternut squash.
Similar to sweet potato, butternut squash has a sweet, savory and nutty flavor with a delectable moist texture when cooked. It’s extremely versatile in its form, making it the perfect key ingredient for autumn dishes. But, it all starts off with giving your squash a nice roast.
What You Need To Cook Butternut Squash
Now that you’ve learned how to peel and cut butternut squash (in my previous post), it’s time for the fun part – roasting. Whether you’re roasting in cubes or halves, you’ll need to place the butternut squash on a large baking sheet and have these ingredients on hand:
- Butternut squash
- Avocado oil, olive oil, butter, or ghee
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh herbs or any other seasonings
How to Soften Butternut Squash Skin
If you’ve cut into a raw butternut squash before, you know that the skin is notoriously tough. It can also make it more dangerous to slice.
So, to make the cutting process a little bit easier, you can soften the butternut squash. The secret here is to prick the squash all over with a fork, pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, and voila! It’s safer and easier to cut.
How To Roast Butternut Squash (Cubes)
When it comes to dicing butternut squash, you can make the cubes as small or large as you’d like, though 1/2 to 1 inch cubes is fairly standard. I personally like to dice them into 1/2 inch cubes as they cook faster.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel and cut the squash with a sharp knife into your desired shaped cubes.
- Arrange the cubes evenly onto a baking sheet. Just make sure that your baking sheet isn’t overly crowded. If it is, it’s best to roast on two baking sheets.
- Toss the cubes in olive oil. Drizzle about 1 to 2 tablespoons over the cubes and toss thoroughly.
- Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings. Give it another quick toss to make sure all the cubes are coated.
- Roast the butternut squash for about 40-45 minutes. Larger cubes may need to cook a little longer. Halfway through, toss the cubes with a spatula so that all edges get that nice caramelization.
How To Roast Butternut Squash (Halves)
While butternut squash cubes are great for breakfast hash, frittatas, and mixed into a salads, butternut squash halves are great for creamy soups, mashing or making stuffed butternut squash. Bonus: you don’t have to bother with peeling the squash! Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut the squash in half. Using a sharp knife, cut the ends off by 1/4 to 1/2 inch, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Brush olive oil onto the cut side of the squash. Use about 1 tablespoon of oil and brush evenly.
- Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you’d like.
- Roast the halves. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for about 40-45 minutes. The cut edge should just start to caramelize.
Watch My Step-by-Step Video Tutorial
We’ll start from the beginning where you can learn to how to peel and cut butternut squash. Then roast it two different ways – in cubes and halves.
[wprm-recip-video]
Which Seasonings Are Best
Salt and pepper covers your basic seasoning, but there’s always room to kick the flavors up a notch. Here’s a few ideas on how to add more sweet or savory flavors to your roasted butternut squash.
- Classic garlic & herbs: Add grated garlic cloves and freshly cut and chopped herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or parsley.
- Spice it up: Add a dash of chipotle powder, chili powder, or cumin.
- Sweeten it up: Add some ground cinnamon, coconut sugar, or a drizzle of maple syrup.
What to Serve with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Basil Chicken with Kumquats
- Irish Lamb Stew (serve mashed butternut squash alongside!)
Roasted Butternut Squash (Cubes and Halves)
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash (Cubes)
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Roasted Butternut Squash (Halves)
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Roasted Butternut Squash (Cubes)
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit
- Peel and cut the squash with a sharp knife into your desired shaped cubes.
- Arrange the cubes evenly onto a baking sheet. Make sure your baking sheet isn't overly crowded.
- Toss the cubes in olive oil. Drizzle about 1 to 2 tablespoons over the cubes and toss thoroughly.
- Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings. Give it a quick toss to make sure all the cubes are coated.
- Roast the butternut squash for about 40-45 minutes. Halfway through, toss the cubes with a spatula so that all edges get that nice caramelization.
Roasted Butternut Squash (Halves)
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
- Cut the squash in half. Using a sharp knife, cut the ends by 1/4 to 1/2 inch, slice it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Brush olive oil onto the cut side of the squash. Use about 1 tablespoon of oil and brush evenly.
- Season with salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you'd like.
- Roast the halves. Place the squash cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for about 40-45 minutes. The cut edge should just start to caramelize.
Lisa's Tips
- The time it takes to roast both cubes and halves depend on how large your butternut squash. So the range will be between 40-45 minutes.
Hi! Do you have a recipe for sweet & spicey (& a little salty) roasted butternut squash seeds? Believe it or not, it’s hard to find a good one. I’ve enjoyed all your butternut squash recipes and would love to be able to do something with the leftover seeds. Thank you so much!
Hi Christine – I don’t have a recipe for that, but it sounds delicious…I might have to add it!
so simple but yet so delicious! I made it several times for meal prepping and it is always a hit. So thank you so much for giving us so detailed recipes. It makes the cooking time so easy and time saving too.
Hi Carole – So glad to hear this recipe had made meal prepping easy for you :)
Sooooo delicious and easy to make!
Hi Laura – Glad you found this helpful and can master butternut squashes now!
Roasted butternut squash and it was so easy and delicious! Your recipe and videos are so easy to follow. Gives me the courage to try your other recipes! Wishing for a Vitamix for Christmas to put me on a healthier food path!
Hi Elaine – So happy to hear that my videos helped you with the process of mastering butternut squashes :) Hopefully you get a Vitamix this season!
Love your post & YouTube on butternut squash as well as all your website and channel!!! Can I freeze it in raw cubes and/or roasted cubes? Thank you 🙋🏻♀️🇨🇦
Hi there- Thank you so much for the kind words! I’m so glad you’re enjoying all my videos and recipes. Yes, you can freeze these cubes and eat it for another day :)