Easy to make, this Mashed Butternut Squash is the perfect winter side dish. It’s wonderful served with simple main dishes like chicken or pork chops. But it’s also great to add to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. Keep it super simple by adding a touch of butter and cream, or try my variations with some garlic and rosemary or sage.
We love all sorts of mashed vegetables in this house, from Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, to Mashed Cauliflower. But lately, we’ve really been enjoying this mashed butternut squash.
I’ve been in a bit of a rut over the last few years simply roasting butternut and serving it as a side dish. But it is absolutely delicious mashed with a bit of butter and cream.
And if you do the ‘mashing’ in a food processor, it has an incredibly smooth, creamy texture. You can keep this recipe simple with pure butternut flavor or add a touch of garlic and/or some fresh herbs.
A hint of sage or rosemary is so good with butternut. I prefer to use sage with holiday recipes and rosemary when pairing it with something simple for dinner.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butternut Squash – a whole butternut squash is what works best in this recipe. You can buy pre-cut butternut squash, but the texture isn’t as good. I’ve also used Kabocha squash for this recipe, and acorn squash would work, too (although it’s harder to scoop out of the skin).
- Butter – salted butter or ghee works best for flavor, but olive oil or dairy-free butter can be used as well.
- Heavy cream – there isn’t much liquid added to this mash, so I don’t recommend subbing in anything with less fat than heavy cream unless you need to follow my dairy-free options below. A few tablespoons of heavy cream adds the perfect amount of richness and flavor to this dish that milk or other options would not be able to achieve.
- Sea salt & pepper – to taste brings out the natural squash flavor.
- Extras – we like to make this with garlic and fresh herbs sometimes and/or with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. You can also add a drizzle of maple syrup to the finished mash to add to the natural sweetness.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 2: Lightly oil the butternut squash and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You can also peel the butternut squash and cube it up to roast even faster if desired. This saves you time in the oven but requires more prep time upfront.
Step 3: When the squash is fork-tender, remove it from the oven. Melt the butter and cream on the stovetop, or follow the variation to add garlic or some fresh herbs.
Step 4: Scoop the butternut squash out of the skin into a food processor or a bowl and add the butter and cream.
Mash by hand with a potato masher until mostly smooth or process in the food processor for a super creamy texture. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Ways to serve this
- Serve this as another side dish at Thanksgiving dinner with my Spatchcock Turkey. I love this mashed butternut with holiday meals because it has a sweet savory flavor that works so well with most holiday recipes.
- Try this mashed butternut with my Best Baked Chicken Breasts, French Onion Chicken, Creamy Garlic Chicken, or Tuscan Chicken.
- This side dish is great with steak dinner. Try it with my Air Fryer Ribeye, Mushroom Cream Sauce, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
- Add this as a side dish to any roast: Herb Roasted Chicken, Pork Sirloin Roast, Pork Tenderloin, or Beef Tenderloin.
FAQ’s
In this recipe, you can roast the butternut squash halves either face-side down or cut-side up.
If your butternut squash was simmered in water before mashing it can cause a watery butternut squash mash. Roasting the butternut instead gives you a silky smooth (definitely not watery) butternut squash mash.
Storing leftovers
- To store – Place any leftover mashed butternut squash into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to four days.
- Make ahead – This recipe is best right away, but you can prep the squash ahead of time if desired. You can also roast the butternut squash until tender and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. You’ll need to heat it again before mashing the butternut squash.
- Reheating – Add any leftover mashed butternut squash to a small nonstick fry pan with a tablespoon or two of water. Cover and heat over a medium, stirring as needed until heated. If it begins to stick, add more water or a little butter. You can also microwave until heated.
- To freeze – Place any leftover mashed butternut squash in a freezer-safe, airtight container and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating as directed above.
Tips & Tricks
- You can buy pre-cut diced butternut squash to speed up your prep and cooking time. Diced butternut cooks much faster than the halves. I personally don’t think the texture is quite as good with any pre-cut diced butternut squash I’ve bought, but it is a time saver.
- I like to use a cheap metal teaspoon to remove the squash seeds. A cheap spoon you can get from Walmart for $.50 has fairly sharp edges and does a great job scooping out squash seeds. It also works great for peeling ginger!
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free & Vegan – Use your favorite dairy-free butter and plant-based milk to make dairy-free and vegan. I like to use unsweetened cashew milk because it adds a nice creamy flavor.
- Paleo – Use melted ghee and your favorite dairy-free milk.
More Side Dish Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this Mashed Butternut Squash recipe! If you get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Mashed Butternut Squash
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds butternut squash - 1 small squash
- 1 tsp olive oil - or avocado oil
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream - up to 4 tbsp for a softer mash
- 1/4 tsp sea salt - more or less to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the butternut squash on the baking sheet, face up lets more moisture out, and bake until tender, about 35-40 minutes.
- When the butternut squash is almost done, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then add the heavy cream.
- When the squash is done, remove it from the oven and carefully scoop out the butternut squash from the skin. I hold the squash with an oven mitt.
- Place the cooked squash in a bowl or a food processor, add the butter/cream mixture, and mash until smooth. If you mash by hand, there will be some lumps.
- Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and serve immediately.