How Long To Bake Butternut Squash At 400 (Full Guide)

Do you know how long it take to bake butternut squash at 400 degrees Fahrenheit? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

Butternut squash is delicious! Cooking it at the best temperature gives it a wonderful texture and flavor. However, you’ll want to know exactly how to bake it.

If you want to prepare the perfect roasted squash, cook it at 400°F (about 204°C) for about one hour. You’ll need to check on it after 45 minutes, so you don’t overcook it.

There’s more to learn about baking the perfect butternut squash, so keep reading!

Table of Contents

How To Serve Butternut Squash

There are multiple ways that you can serve butternut squash. These three methods are the most common:

Halved: Start by slicing the butternut squash on both ends. Then, stand it up and cut it down in the center, giving you two long pieces. Remove the squash seeds by scooping them out with a spoon. This hole is a great place to put a slice of butter.
Cubed: Halve the butternut squash using the method above. Then, cut the halves into strips and cube them.
Mashed: Halve and bake the butternut squash at 400°F (204°C). Then, scoop out the orange inside and put it in a large bowl. Mash the squash using a potato masher. Add milk, butter, and seasonings to taste.

These methods are delicious and work great as a side dish to any meal. Plus, they’re all straightforward! This food is so versatile that you’ll find plenty of ways to enjoy it.

Halving the butternut squash takes the least effort, so many prefer this method. The pit where the seeds also left a tiny dish for you to add butter or other dressings!

Ingredients for Butternut Squash

You don’t need very many ingredients to make roasted butternut squash. Although, you will need more depending on how you want to serve it.

Mashed butternut takes more ingredients because you’ll also want to use milk and butter on your seasonings.

Here’s what you need to give your butternut squash flavor (you can use any combination of these in your recipe):

Olive oil
Butter
Minced garlic cloves
Salt
Ground black pepper
Basil
Oregano
Rosemary
Syrup
Chives
Cumin
Clove
Cinnamon
Cayenne pepper
Dill
Italian seasoning mixes

Start by cutting the butternut squash, then toss the pieces with a drizzle of olive oil on a baking tray. You can then add your seasonings and other toppings.

Before you do this, you’ll want to decide whether you want a sweet or spicy roasted squash!

For sweet squash, use syrup and cinnamon. If you want a spicy squash, you can combine many herbs and seasonings above to get a flavor you enjoy. Don’t hesitate to experiment!

Choosing Your Butternut Squash

The butternut squash is the most important part of this dish- so you’ll want to choose the best one you can find.

For a medium-sized squash, you’ll want to find one about one and a half pounds to two pounds.

Next, check the skin of the squash. If you see any green on it, the squash isn’t ripe yet, so you should leave it there.

The skin should also be a single pale color, and matte- shiny skin is a sign that it’s going bad.

Lastly, it’s okay for the butternut squash to have some dents or imperfections. We’ll chop it up anyway, so it doesn’t matter what it looks like!

How To Prepare Roasted Butternut Squash

Preparing your butternut squash is easy; follow these directions to make the perfect one:

Set up the rack in the middle of your oven.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (about 204°C).
Cut the squash with a sharp knife.
Add butter or olive oil to your squash.
Add your seasonings.
Roast the squash for one hour, checking on it 45 minutes in.
1. For cubed squash, flip them 30 minutes into the cooking time instead.

After cooking the squash, it should be soft enough for you to mash it if you want to serve it that way instead. There’s no wrong way to prepare a butternut squash- so make it how you like it!

Other Ways To Cook Butternut Squash

There are more ways to cook butternut squash than just roasting it! You’ll want to try these different methods to determine which one you like the best. One option is in a pressure cooker (like Instant Pot).

You’ll cut the squash and remove the seeds like normal. Then, you place half the squash in the pressure cooker, with none of the pieces overlapping.

Next, cook the squash on high pressure for eight minutes, followed by 10 minutes of release.

You can also microwave your butternut squash. Cut the squash in half length-wise and remove all of the seeds. Place the squash on a plate with the skin facing down.

Pierce your butternut squash with a fork multiple times on both sides to create vent holes.

Microwave the squash for eight minutes; you can add another minute or two if it doesn’t look like it’s finished cooking yet.

Lastly, you can boil your butternut squash. Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil, then add cubed chunks of squash to the water. Boil it for five to six minutes, then test a piece to see if it’s fork tender.

Butternut Squash Nutrition Facts

The nutritional content of your butternut squash can change depending on what ingredients you add to it. For example, a roast squash made with maple syrup will be different from mashed ones made with butter and milk.

You’ll want to check the ingredients you add for the most accurate information.

Here’s what you can expect in plain, medium-sized butternut squash (around 205 grams):

82 calories
1.8 g protein
.18 g fat
21.50 g carbs
4 g sugar
6.6 g dietary fiber
1.23 mg iron
1144 mcg vitamin A
31 mg vitamin C
55 mg phosphorus
582 mg potassium
59 mg magnesium
84 mg calcium

If you need more vitamin A in your diet, eating butternut squash is one of the best things you can do! It contains more than the daily recommended allowance in the entire butternut squash, so you will want to ensure you don’t eat too much of it all the time.

Overall, butternut is very good for you. It can help control your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease.

It’s also full of fiber and plenty of other nutrients.

Best Tips for Butternut Squash

Now that you know how to serve, choose and prepare your butternut squash, you’ll want to know some tips to make it taste as delicious as possible.

There are several small tips you can use that make a huge difference in how your meal turns out. Plus, there are ways to make cutting and peeling easier.

Here’s what you should know:

How To Peel a Butternut Squash Easily

Softening the butternut squash’s skin makes it easier to peel. You can do this by microwaving it. First, trim the ends of the squash.

Then, poke the inside of the squash with a fork over and over. From there, you can microwave the squash for one to two minutes.

After you let the squash cool, you should be able to peel it with a potato peeler easily. Plus, softening the squash like this makes it much easier to cut with a knife.

You must ensure you don’t microwave the butternut squash for too long. You don’t want to cook it in the microwave- our goal with this tip is just to warm it up a bit!

Your Kitchen Tools Matter

You can try using the above tip to soften the squash or choose a high-quality vegetable knife. You want to use a very sharp chef’s knife for the best results.

The knife should be at least eight inches so you can cut through the bulk of the squash in one swipe. These knives are heavy, giving you more control over the cut.

If your knife dulls, you’ll want to sharpen it before attempting to cut the squash. A dull knife is much harder to use and more likely to slip, so it could cut you on accident! You’ll want to take care when handling freshly sharpened knives.

Overall, a high-quality chef’s knife can be a bit of an investment- but it’s worth it. You can use them on various foods and get easier cuts every time.

Add Butternut Squash to Other Recipes

Now that you know how to peel, cut, and cook butternut squash, you can use it in various dishes. You can add squash to soups and curry and get delicious results!

It’s even possible to cut them into noodles and make healthy meals that kids love. You have many options with squash, so you’ll want to incorporate them when possible.

Freeze Your Squash

You can also freeze raw butternut squash to cook with later. You’ll want to do this if you have a lot of squash or don’t want to cook with it for a long time.

Start by cutting them into cubes into strips, then place them on a baking sheet. Make sure to give them plenty of space so they don’t touch each other.

Then, freeze the squash pieces until they’re as hard as possible. You can place them into Tupperware and leave them in the freezer.

You just need to leave the squash pieces in the freezer until you’re ready to cook with them! Blanching the pieces before you freeze them helps them have a better texture when you thaw them out.

Freezing butternut squash for later is easy, but you can’t freeze the squash whole. If you do, the squash won’t stay good in the freezer.

How Long To Bake Butternut Squash FAQs

If this is your first time preparing butternut squash, you might have many questions. Check out the section below to learn more about baking this squash.

Do I Need To Peel Butternut Squash Before Roasting?

You can peel the butternut squash before roasting it, but you don’t need to. You can eat the skin without issue. However, you probably want to scoop the seeds before roasting.

Some people like eating the skin, while others don’t like the texture. You can also mash the squash with the skin still on if you want!

In short, whether or not you peel the squash is up to you. The skin won’t impact how the butternut squash roasts- it still takes about an hour at 400°F (204°C).

If you like crispy roasted veggies, you’ll want to leave the skin on- they add more crunch!

Can I Overcook Butternut Squash?

You can overcook butternut squash, although it tends to get mushier before it burns. The mushy texture isn’t appealing, so you’ll want to avoid doing this.

The best method to check for overcooking is to inspect the squash about 15 minutes before the cooking time runs out in the oven.

You want the roasted butternut squash to be fork tender but not squishy. Cubed squash will form a crispy outer layer that you want to watch for.

Overall, you can overcook your butternut squash. You should always set a timer on your oven or phone so this doesn’t happen to you. You wouldn’t want to throw out your squash!

Can I Eat Butternut Squash Seeds?

Butternut squash seeds are edible, although you’ll probably want to roast them first. Roasted seeds make a great snack or salad topping, so you should know how to do it! Here’s a quick recipe:

Preheat the oven to 325°F (about 162°C).
Toss your squash seeds with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet.
Roast for 15 minutes, and turn the seeds halfway through.
Let them cool and enjoy!

This recipe is quick and easy. Plus, you won’t have to throw out as much of your butternut squash next time you cook one, so you reduce a little bit of your food waste.

Can I Eat Too Much Butternut Squash?

All food is great in moderation, so you won’t want to eat butternut squash daily. It has more vitamin A than you need in a day, which isn’t dangerous unless you eat a lot of other food with excessive amounts of vitamin A.

Too much vitamin A can have side effects, including aches or nausea. However, you’d need to eat three times the recommended daily allowance to get to that point- but it’s still good to know about.

However, vitamins from food aren’t as harmful as vitamins in supplements. Since supplements contain high concentrations of vitamins, you’ll want to be careful.

Overall though, it’s hard to eat too much butternut squash!

Can I Eat Butternut Squash Raw?

Cooking does bring out the flavor of the squash, but you can eat it raw; most people don’t do this because they don’t like the texture of the squash, and it becomes harder to chew.

Plus, it doesn’t have as much taste without the seasonings.

However, shaving the squash can make it much easier to eat without cooking. You’ll want to shave the butternut squash into thin ribbons. If you want, you can add a salad dressing! There are plenty of different ways to enjoy raw squash.

Nothing bad will happen if you eat raw butternut squash- it’s not toxic. Because of this, you can also add it to smoothies and salads.

You shouldn’t eat butternut squash if you see mold on it. It’s also bad if it’s wrinkled, glossy, shrunken, or rotting. If the squash isn’t bad, then you can eat it raw.

Final Thoughts

In short, you can prepare your butternut squash in about one hour- give or take 15 minutes.

This recipe is super easy so you can make it with any side dishes!

Plus, squash is a versatile food, so you can make it sweet or savory.

There are plenty of benefits to eating butternut squash too. You’ll want to give it a try as soon as you can.

References

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/229733/simple-roasted-butternut-squash/

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/butternut-squash-health-benefits