Learn How to Cook Butternut Squash in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Ready in no time, enjoy your perfectly cooked butternut squash mashed, pureed, and with all your favorite recipes.
New to butternut squash? Check out my post, All About Butternut Squash: How to Pick, Peel, and Prepare for Cooking!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash
Two things I love: butternut squash and my Instant Pot.
You will too after you learn just how fast and easy it is to cook this formidable winter squash in less than 25 minutes without any added oils, fats, or seasoning – unless you want them, of course!
Unlike roasting, grilling, or sauteing, the Instant Pot cooks butternut squash using steam and high pressure. This removes the need for anything extra like butter or olive oil. So, if you’re looking for simple, perfect, buttery butternut squash to mash and puree, then this is the method for you!
Use it to make muffins, soups, or even butternut squash lasagna!
Prefer roasting your squash? Check out my post on How to Roast Butternut Squash!
What You’ll Need
First, decide if you want to cook your squash halved, with the skin still on, or peeled and chopped into small cubes.
If you plan to mash or puree, the results will be the exact same whether you mash or puree from halved squash or cubed squash. So, unless you really love to peel and chop this tough winter fruit (yep, it’s a fruit), then I highly recommend just cutting it in half, scooping out the seeds, and leaving the skin on.
Tools and equipment:
Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker)
Steaming trivet (included with your Instant Pot) or silicone basket
Paring Knife (my preference) or Vegetable Peeler
How Long Does It Take To Cook Butternut Squash In the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker?
There are two main advantages of pressure cooking winter squash. It’s fast and it’s easy. Dump it in your pot, set it, and walk away until you hear the timer beep indicating it’s finished cooking.
- Halved Butternut Squash: HIGH pressure, 8-10 minutes, quick pressure release
- Cubed Butternut Squash: HIGH pressure, 3 minutes, quick pressure release
However, there is one key advantage of roasting butternut squash versus cooking it in the Instant Pot – caramelization. Yes, the deliciously caramelized, slightly crispy, edges that can only be reached by slowly roasting in the oven. Unfortunately, roasting takes more than twice as long when compared to cooking it your pressure cooker at nearly an hour for halved squash and 25-35 minutes for cubed squash. Worth it? Sometimes. For me, this depends entirely on the day and the recipe, so I’ll let you be the judge.
How to Cook Cubed Butternut Squash in the Instant Pot
- Place the trivet (the wire-looking basket that came with your Instant Pot) or silicone basket (shown below) inside the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom.
- Wash the outside of your squash and dry thoroughly.
- Use a large, sturdy knife to cut the ends from the butternut squash. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife (I like to use my paring knife) to slice the skin from the butternut squash by holding one end of the squash with one hand and slicing with the vegetable peeler or paring knife in the other. Always slice away from the body. Scoop out the seeds and chop into small cubes.
- If you are using the wire trivet that came with the Instant Pot, place an oven and microwave safe glass bowl directly on top of the trivet. Add the cubed butternut squash to the bowl. If you are using a silicone basket, add the squash cubes directly to the inside of the basket.
- Place the cover on your Instant Pot and switch the pressure valve to the sealing position.
- Set your Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 3 minutes. After the cooking time is finished, switch the pressure valve to the venting position and do a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid. Transfer to a bowl and season as desired.
Perfect Instant Pot Butternut Squash (Halved)
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Place the trivet (the wire-looking basket that came with your Instant Pot) inside the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water. Please don’t forget to add the water!
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Wash the outside of your squash and dry thoroughly. Wash the squash because it’s probably dirtier than you think and dry because you’re about to cut it in half.
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Use a large, sturdy knife, to cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise. If the base of your squash is especially wobbly, you may want to cut the ends, creating a flat surface. Nest, scoop out the seeds using a metal spoon.
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Arrange the cut butternut squash halves inside the trivet (I managed to fit two whole butternut squash, 4 halves, in my 8-quart Instant Pot). If you’re wondering do I need to add more time if I add extra butternut squash? The answer is, no.
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Place the cover on your Instant Pot and switch the pressure valve to the sealing position.
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Set your Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 8-10 minutes. I usually cook mine for 8 minutes if I want it to remain a little firmer, or if I plan to dice it into cubes. If, however, I plan to mash, puree, etc, I may cook an additional 1-2 minutes longer.
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After the cooking time is finished, switch the pressure valve to the venting position and quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid. Transfer to a bowl and season as desired.
How to Serve Cooked Butternut Squash
It’s easy to love butternut squash. Incredibly healthy, butternut squash is fat-free, full of fiber, and jam-packed with Vitamin A. There are a million ways to dish it up.
Unless you are watching your sodium intake, I highly recommend a nice sprinkle of salt. A little salt helps bring out the natural sweetness, amplifying the flavors. Serve it as a healthy side dish or use it with other awesome recipes.
If you’re looking to add a little extra flavor without a whole lot of fuss, try:
- Drizzle with maple syrup, melted butter, and ground cinnamon
- Mash with sweet potatoes, tahini, and lemon juice
- Puree with a little coconut milk, chicken stock, or vegetable broth for a luscious, healthy, creamy Instant Pot butternut squash soup (so easy when you use an immersion blender!)
- Sneak into oatmeal, sauces, or smoothies
Or, enjoy it plain, by the spoonful.
Helpful Squash Recipes and Tutorials
Spaghetti Squash; How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
What is Kabocha Squash (Japanese Squash)
If you try making one of these Butternut Squash Recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
More Butternut Squash Recipes,
Easy Instant Pot Risotto with Butternut Squash
Pork Chops with Apples and Butternut Squash
Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chili
How to Make the BEST Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Easy Chicken and Butternut Squash Recipe with Mushrooms
REMEMBER TO PIN AND SHARE HOW TO COOK BUTTERNUT SQUASH IN THE INSTANT POT AND USE IN ALL YOUR FAVORITE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPES.
RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Halved Squash
- 1 butternut squash - halved lengthwise, seeds removed (quartered if necessary)
- 1 cup water
Cubed Squash
- 1 butternut squash - peeled, seeds removed and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup water
Optional seasoning
- salt and black pepper
- maple syrup
- brown sugar
- fresh herbs
Instructions
Halved Squash
- Place the Instant Pot trivet inside the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- Wash the outside of your squash and dry thoroughly. Use a large, sturdy knife, to cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds using a metal spoon.
- Arrange the butternut squash halves inside the trivet (I managed to fit two whole butternut squash, 4 halves, in my 8-quart Instant Pot).
- Place the cover on your Instant Pot and switch the pressure valve to the sealing position.
- Set your Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 8 minutes. After the cooking time is finished, switch the pressure valve to the venting position and quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid. Transfer to a bowl and season as desired.
Cubed Squash
- Place the Instant Pot trivet or silicone basket inside the bowl of your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- Wash the outside of your squash and dry thoroughly. Use a large, sturdy knife to cut the ends from the butternut squash. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to slice the skin from the butternut squash by holding one end of the squash with one hand and slicing with the vegetable peeler or paring knife in the other. Scoop out the seeds and chop into small cubes.
- If you are using the wire trivet that came with the Instant Pot, place an oven and microwave safe glass bowl directly on top of the trivet. Add the cubed butternut squash to the bowl. If you are using a silicone basket, add the squash cubes directly to the inside of the basket.
- Place the cover on your Instant Pot and switch the pressure valve to the sealing position.
- Set your Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 3 minutes. After the cooking time is finished, switch the pressure valve to the venting position and do a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid. Transfer to a bowl and season as desired.
Jessica's Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
When and how much to add maple syrup?
Great question! If you’d like to add maple syrup, I recommend starting with 1 to 2 tablespoons. You can drizzle it on after the squash is cooked for a touch of natural sweetness.
Thank you for sharing your cooking experiences.
How can a cook a whole butternut squash with just knife holes. It is too hard to even cook in half.
Cooking a whole butternut squash can be quite simple, even without cutting it in half. Start by preheating your oven to 375ยฐF (190ยฐC). Wash the squash thoroughly to remove any dirt and pat it dry. Using a sharp knife, carefully make several deep slits or pierce holes all around the squash to allow steam to escape during cooking. If desired, rub a bit of olive oil on the outside and season it with salt and pepper for extra flavor. Place the whole butternut squash on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast it in the preheated oven for about 60-90 minutes, depending on its size. You can test for doneness by inserting a knife or fork into the flesh; it should go in easily when the squash is tender. Once done, remove the squash from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. After cooling, carefully cut it open, scoop out the seeds, and then scoop out the flesh or cut it into pieces as desired.
Depends on the size of the squash. 10 min in my 6qt and still hard in the thickest part of the half.
I microwaved my squash in 3 min increments to be able to cut it. Hope this helps.
Why did you title this how to cook whole butternut squash is it’s about halved and cubed butternut squash?
Hi Stephanie,
The title of this post is “How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash (Whole and Cubed)”.
The recipe card at the bottom of the post, above this comment section, explains both the whole and cubed way for the IP ๐
I followed the instructions for halved squash, and it was perfect!
I followed the directions for the cubed squash, but it was still a little hard in the middles. I put it back in and did a second round of 3 minutes and then it was perfect. It still had some firmness but was fully cooked. Not soft enough to mash, which was my original intention, but definitely fully cooked all the way through so I served it cubed with butter and seasonings instead of mashed. I have the larger size instant pot so I used 2 cups of water instead of 1.e.
Ignore the “e.” at the end. I missed deleting some of my edits before hitting send.
I like this. Less time, less energy. An hour to roast? Never that fast! Closer to 2 hours, but in the fall I do 5 or 6 at a time in a convection oven and freeze the mash in 2 person servings.
Will it work if I cook the butternut squash like this, puree it, add the cooked vegetables from your Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe, and puree it again? I don’t wanna do all that chopping.
Great question Kitty – it might! I haven’t tried it like that, but I don’t see why not if you don’t mind experimenting.
This IP BS recipe came out perfectly!