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Roasted butternut squash on a baking sheet with salt and pepper.
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4.96 from 43 votes

How to Bake Butternut Squash

Easy instructions for how to roast butternut squash in the oven.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bake butternut squash, roast butternut squash
Servings: 4
Calories: 94kcal
Author: Erin
Cost: $1.10

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise from stem to the bottom.
  • Scoop the seeds and pulp out of the cavity.
  • Lay on a baking sheet and spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter on each half.
  • Sprinkle the top of each half liberally with salt and pepper.
  • Place a pad (1 tablespoon) of butter in each cavity.
  • Roast for about 1 hour until fork tender.

Notes

  • Choose a squash that doesn't have any green spots, has matte (not shiny) skin. 
  • A few dings and dents are normal.
  • Butter roasts better on the squash and is recommended over olive oil for this recipe. 
  • Don't forget to stab the squash halves on their cut side up, with a fork several times before buttering. 
  • Coarse salt and coarse ground pepper adds good texture and is preferred for roasting/baking the butternut squash.
  • Small squashes may only need to cook for 45 minutes, larger ones may need to go as long as an hour and twenty minutes.
  • The squash can be tested for doneness by poking a fork in the flesh to see if it's "fork tender". 

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 19956IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg