Mashed Butternut Squash Recipe
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Mashed butternut squash is a delicious and easy recipe to make. It is sweet and savory, enhanced with brown sugar, cinnamon, broth, and salt. This dish makes a perfect side for fall gatherings or holiday dinners with friends and family.

Mashed Butternut Squash Recipe
I love sides recipes, probably a little bit more than the main course. Side dishes, like these Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes, Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, and Mom’s Corn Souffle’ Recipe
Recently, my sister-in-law invited us over for dinner. She prepared a delicious mashed butternut squash in a way I had never experienced before. I knew I had to leave with that recipe.
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash
- chicken broth
- brown sugar – divided
- unsalted butter – divided
- cinnamon
- salt
Equipment Needed
How to Make Mashed Butternut Squash
- Split the squash in half, and scoop the seeds out

- Place the two halves of the squash with open cavities facing up, into a shallow baking dish.

- Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter to each squash cavity.

- Pour a little bit of the chicken broth into the cavities of the squash (the amount will vary depending on the size of your squash, but 2-3 Tbsp. in each cavity should do the trick)

- Add the rest of the broth to the bottom of the baking dish

- Cover with foil, and bake at 400 degrees, for about 40 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender.

- After removing the squash from the oven, transfer it to a work surface and scoop out the cooked flesh, removing it from the outer skin.

- Place the cooked squash into a large bowl
- Add the juices (broth) from the baking dish

- Mash the squash, incorporating the broth into the pan with the squash

- Add the salt and mix in. Sprinkle cinnamon over the dish.

- Serve, and enjoy

Expert Tips
Prep the butternut squash ahead of the holiday. After placing the foil over the pan, put
the squash in the fridge for up to three days – a big time saver!
Test squash with a fork to check for tenderness. The fork should easily insert into the squash.

Recipe Variations
Spicy: Add a little ground cayenne pepper to the recipe to spice it up
Creamy: Add a little heavy cream or half-and-half to make this a creamy mashed squash
Sweet: Add maple syrup to the cavities before baking for an even sweeter version of this recipe. This version is delicious spread on toast.
What to Serve With
Round out the meal with these delicious suggestions:
- Classic White Bread warm out of the oven with a little bit of butter spread over it
- Honey Butter
- Vegetable Soup
- Toasted Pecan and Apple Salad
- Slow Cooker Cider
FAQs

FAQs about this recipe
Storing
Store leftovers in a container for up to three days in the refrigerator
More Side Recipes You’ll Love
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Here’s your printable:

Mashed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 large Butternut Squash
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar – divided
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter – divided
- ½ tsp. cinnamon up to 1 tsp.
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Split the squash in half, and scoop the seeds out
- Place the 2 halves of squash with open cavities facing up, into a shallow baking dish
- Add one tablespoon of brown sugar and one tablespoon of butter into each cavity of the squash.
- Pour a little bit of the chicken broth into the cavities of the squash (amount will vary depending on the size of your squash, but 2-3 Tbsp. in each cavity should do the trick)
- Add the rest of the broth to the bottom of the baking dish
- Cover with foil, and bake at 400 degrees, for about 40 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender.
- Remove from oven, transfer the squash to a work surface to scoop out the cooked flesh, removing it from the outer skin
- Place the cooked squash into a large bowl
- Add the juices (broth) from the baking dish
- Mash the squash incorporating the broth in the pan with the squash
- Add the salt and mix in
- Sprinkle 1/2 up to 1 tsp. of cinnamon over the butternut squash. Only 1/2 if you want only a hint of cinnamon in the dish, up to 1 tsp.
So you put 2 cups of broth into the baking dish and then a little extra into the cavity of the squash? How much roughly should I do?
You’ll use a little bit from your 2 cups of broth. The amount you put in will vary depending on the size of your squash cavity. You don’t want to put so much that it is spilling out of the cavity, along with the sugar and butter. 2-3 Tbsp. will probably do the trick. The foil will lock the rest of juices inside the pan, giving the squash a broth bath…to even further the deliciousness. 🙂