How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash
In this Cooking Tips post, I’m going to teach you some easy steps for How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash. And while I don’t judge if you buy pre-cut butternut squash cubes, the freshly peeled and cut squash is so much more flavorful and less expensive!
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I think roasted butternut squash is one of the best things about autumn. For years I grew butternut squash in my garden and I got to be pretty good at peeling it and cutting it up. But I do admit, cutting up the big butternut squashes takes some practice.
That’s why, if you live in the U.S., you’ll see those bags of already peeled and cut butternut squash start to appear in stores at this time every year. (I’ve confessed to buying the squash cubes myself, even though I knew it wouldn’t ever be as good as freshly cut squash.)
If you’ve been a bit daunted by trying to cut up a hefty squash, here are some tips for How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash that can help you save money and get that garden-fresh squash flavor. And check below for after some ideas for using that delicious butternut squash!
Detailed Steps for How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash:
(See below for a short printable list of these steps.)
- If you’re buying your squash in the store, you’ll may get one that’s shaped a bit differently than this, since most butternut has a thin neck with a bulb-shaped end where the seeds are. This is the Really Big Squash variety I used to grow in my garden.
- Some people may have a reaction to touching raw winter squash, this is sometimes called Squash Hands! If you think you have that or notice a reaction when you’re touching raw squash, wear rubber gloves while you’re cutting it up.
- Whatever variety of butternut you have, start by cutting off the stem and blossom end of the squash.
- Next cut the squash in half so you can scrape the seeds out. You’ll need a bit of muscle on the knife to cut through the squash. If it’s a particularly big squash you might want to cut it into quarters.
- Get the most pointed and sharp spoon you can find to scrape out the seeds. Grapefruit spoons are great if you have them. Try to scrape off all the stringy material that’s around the seeds.
- The inside of the squash should look really clean when you’re finished scraping the seeds out.
- Now comes the part that’s nearly impossible to do with a knife. Using a sharp vegetable peeler (affiliate link) peel away the skin in long strips.
- I’m not too compulsive about removing every bit of those green stripes that are just under the skin, but if they bother you, just peel until they’re completely gone.
- Once all the squash pieces are peeled, cut into strips the width that seems right for what you’re making with the squash. For roasted squash, I try to make pieces that are slightly over an inch square.
- Then turn the strips the other way and cut again to make cubes. Use the butternut squash cubes to make something tasty!
- Check below for an easy-print version of these tips and some favorite butternut squash recipes from Kalyn’s Kitchen.
Butternut Squash Favorites from Kalyn’s Kitchen:
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Lemon, Thyme, and Parmesan
- Slow Cooker Buttery Butternut Squash
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar
- Butternut Squash and Kale Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Moroccan Spices
- Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash and Peanut Soup
- Foil-wrapped Grilled (or Baked) Butternut Squash with Sage
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Tahini-Yogurt Sauce
How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash
Instead of buying those past-their-prime butternut squash cubes in the store, use these tips for How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash. It's a bit of work, but the freshly cut butternut squash is so much better!
Materials
- 1 large whole butternut squash
Tools
- large sharp knife
- sharp spoon such as a grapefruit spoon
- vegetable peeler
Instructions
- Some people may have a reaction to touching raw winter squash! If you notice a reaction when you're touching raw squash, wear rubber gloves while you work
- Start by cutting off the stem and blossom end of the squash.
- Next cut the squash in half so you can scrape the seeds out. If it’s a particularly big squash you might want to cut it into quarters.
- Get the most pointed and sharp spoon you can find to scrape out the seeds. Try to scrape off all the stringy material that’s around the seeds.
- The inside of the squash should look really clean when you’re finished scraping the seeds out.
- Using a sharp vegetable peeler (affiliate link) peel away the skin in long strips.
- Once all the squash pieces are peeled, cut into strips the size for what you’re making with the squash. For roasted squash, I try to make pieces that are slightly over an inch square.
- Then turn the strips the other way and cut again to make pieces.
Want more ideas for Butternut Squash?
Check out My Favorite Roasted Butternut Squash Recipes!
Check out My Top Ten Butternut Squash Recipes.
Find More Recipes Like This:
Use Winter Squash Recipes to see all the recipes with winter squash including butternut, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, delicata squash, and of course pumpkin. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Post:
How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut squash was first posted in 2008, when I had lots of butternut squash in my garden! It was last updated in 2022.
54 Comments on “How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash”
Isn’t it just amazing that people resort to doing things such as buying pre-cut squash, when just a little more effort means you can pick a perfect squash to cut up and freezing to have on hand? Great post, and hopefully it’ll help enlighten those who buy the packaged versions to try making their own 🙂
If you cut off the neck first (for butternut squash varieties that have them) then you can easily place it vertically on end and peel, then deal with the bulbous area as you’ve suggested.
Beautifully done, Kalyn. I know that many, many cooks will appreciate your instructions. And thanks so much for the link. On revisiting it, I’m resolved to do an update soon. In the blog world, 2005 is soooo long ago and we’ve come such a long way since then. 🙂
It’s way easier to peel if you microwave it first. I learned that trick from a previous commenter, and it works really well!
Dede, love the sound of your root roast. Thanks for the great idea.
I picked up on the Morrocan spice last year, Kalyn, and really love it! I've extended it's use to a "root roast" with squash, yams, potatoes,carrots, beets, onion,mushrooms and garlic….a little bit of everything in a roasting pan w/ olive oil & Morrocan spice- a splash of white wine or broth to keep it from sticking- it's absolutely yummy and I get rave reviews from people who wouldn't normally eat these veggies!
Melissa, love the melon baller idea for people who don’t have a sharp spoon.
Thanks so much for this, I’ve been so into BNS for the past few weeks, been roasting and pureeing and it’s fantastic.
I have a tip to add to the discussion, use a mellon baller to get the seeds out. It’s sharper than a spoon. I’m off to the farmers market today and will be getting a BNS so I can try some different recipes.
Thanks everyone for the nice comments about this post. It’s a task I used to dread until I practice it (quite a few times!) To those who have mentioned roasting the squash whole, that’s definitely an option, but when I make roasted butternut squash, the crispy edges are my favorite part, so I really like to roast it already cut in cubes.
Helen, I love the Moroccan spice mix on butternut squash too. Glad you like it.
Yes, it’s a Cutco peeler, a gift from my brother Dave and his wife Amy. That peeler is especially good for this job.
I usually do mine this way as well. But I usually bake in halves and then peel.
Is that a Cutco peeler I spotted. Fantastic. I’m a HUGE Cutco fan (have the knives and pans).
Hubby and I love butternut squash. I bought one yesterday at the grocery store. I've never prepared it the way you show here but I may have to give it a try. Here's how I do it — remove top & bottom as you did and slice in half; remove seeds; place cut-side down in a pyrex dish, add just a bit of water and cover with foil; bake until tender. Serve cut-side up, add butter & a drizzle of honey.
Thanks for sharing.
This is so different to how I’ve been doing it! I just chop off the thin top part and discard the bottom part, because I’ve never quite figured out how to get the seeds out properly.
I think you’ve just sent me a lifeline! Now I won’t have to waste half of my squash. And I do love squash. 🙂
So, thank you! Much appreciated.
Look at that colour! It just screams goodness.. love it!
I adore winter squashes, too. I have found that the easiest way to roast a squash is to wash it, poke a few holes in it with the tip of a knife, spray it with olive oil, put it on a jelly roll pan and throw it in the oven at 325. Depending on the size, it takes an hour and a half. Pull it out of the oven, slice it in half, scoop out and discard the stringy seeds and “goo”–and then scoop out and use the flesh.
When I’m in a hurry, though, your method is the best.
Recently made a delightful squash soup with chicken stock, squash, leeks and apple. Pureed it, then garnished with gorgonzola crumbles and toasted almonds. YUM!
This post is a great idea because so many people feel daunted by the tasking of chopping them. Showing that it is not that difficult is a great thing.
Thank you , Kalyn, I really needed a post like this. I had no idea how to use or prepare butternut squash, but was definitely planning on using it this Thanksgiving for the first time. I really appreciate your help! 🙂
I prep butternut squash the same way. I must confess, I thought I was the only one who had trouble peeling squash. Loved your recipe for roasted butternut squash with Moroccan Spices.
I prep mine exactly the same way, and it’s still a complete pain to do. Takes a lot of muscle and time. But the payoff is worth it! I like to roast squash and put it in lasagna, or roast it with fig balsamic and serve it as a sweet side dish.
THANK YOU for posting this. I made Butternut Squash Risotto recently and had the worst time peeling the squash. I will have to give it another shot because I absolutely love the flavor.
I love the appearance of freshly cut squash. The color is beautiful! I can see this going into the pot to make some wholesome soup!