One of the easiest ways to cook butternut squash is to use your Instant Pot! Instant Pot Butternut Squash is perfect for a low-key vegetable side dish, or for prepping squash to use in a variety of recipes: butternut squash soup, butternut squash spaghetti sauce, or even butternut squash mac n’cheese. Check out the recipe below to see just how easy it is to make perfect butternut squash in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Squash Recipe

Until now, whenever I had to prepare butternut squash for a recipe, I roasted it.

It’s simple, low-maintenance and results in great flavor.

However, I don’t always have time to babysit the oven, so I decided to experiment with using my Instant Pot to cook our squash and I was shocked at how quickly the squash was cooked. After just 7 minutes of cooking time and 5 minutes of natural release, I had perfectly steamed squash that could be served as-is, or pureed for use in a variety of recipes.

Using your instant pot to cook butternut squash is a great alternative if you don’t want to roast your butternut squash, but I will admit that roasting is still superior flavor-wise because of that caramelization.

Can I freeze the cooked butternut squash? Absolutely – this is a great way to prep ahead, or if you don’t want to use up the whole squash in one recipe, you can freeze any squash you don’t use. Place squash in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to pick the perfect butternut squash: The ideal butternut squash is dense and heavy, with no visible bruises or cuts to the flesh. The skin will become thicker over time.

How to store butternut squash until ready to cook: Leave your squash whole and store in a dry, cool place (like the pantry, a cool room or even underneath the kitchen sink) for up to 3 months.

Can I cube the squash to cut down on cooking time? You can reduce the cooking time even further (to 3 minutes) by cubing the squash instead of quartering it, but the amount of time that it would take to cube the squash would be longer than the time saved – and isn’t the whole point of using our Instant Pot to save time and effort?

What are the health benefits of butternut squash? Butternut squash is a great source of vitamin A – just one cup provides 300% of your recommended daily intake (so having some twice a week fills your quota), and also vitamin C at 50% of your daily recommended intake. It’s also a great source of fiber, potassium, and magnesium – and many of us are magnesium deficient, causing sleep issues and stopping us from properly absorbing calcium.

Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Check out our full collection here!

Recipes to Use Instant Pot Butternut Squash In:

This butternut squash makes a great side on it’s own (as long as you season it), but if you’re looking to get creative with all of that squash, here are some great recipes to try:

Butternut Squash Banana Muffins from Kylee Cooks
Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut Squash Risotto from Good Housekeeping
Butternut Squash Spaghetti Sauce
Butternut Squash Pancakes from the Lean Green Bean
Butternut Squash Mac n’Cheese
Butternut Squash Hummus from the Healthy Maven
Butternut Squash and Parmesan Dip from Kitchn
Butternut Squash Tart from Kitchn

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Ingredients

Butternut squash
Water

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements and directions.

Tip: cube the butternut squash to reduce cook time.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

Instant Pot with trivet <– I’m so excited to upgrade to this one with air fryer capacities soon! (You can also just buy the lid which adds the air fryer capacity to your standard IP.)
Sharp kitchen knife
Spoon <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty.
Measuring cups

How to Make Butternut Squash in the Instant Pot

Cut the squash into quarters: cut in half lengthwise, and then place the cut sides down and cut in half widthwise.

There is no need to scoop out the seeds now as this will be easier after the squash has been steamed.

Place 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot and place the trivet overtop of the water.

Set the squash on the trivet (try to avoid touching the flesh of the squash to the metal pot).

Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and select Manual setting for 7 minutes.

Natural release.

Carefully remove the squash and empty out the water.

Remove the seeds and stringy interior with a spoon and discard.

Use the spoon to scoop the flesh out of the butternut squash skin.

Pin this Instant Pot Steamed Butternut Squash Tutorial:

Grab your free printable for our simple method to cook butternut squash in the Instant Pot:

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Yield: 4-6 cups squash

Instant Pot Squash

Name: Instant Pot Squash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vegetable Recipe
Ingredients: 1 butternut squash, approximately 3lb; 1 cup water

A simple method for steaming butternut squash in the Instant Pot. Perfect for prepping squash for use in other recipes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 17 minutes

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, approximately 3lb
1 cup water

Instructions

Cut the squash into quarters: cut in half lengthwise, and then place the cut sides down and cut in half widthwise.
There is no need to scoop out the seeds now as this will be easier after the squash has been steamed.
Place 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot and place the trivet overtop of the water.
Set the squash on the trivet (try to avoid touching the flesh of the squash to the metal pot).
Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and select Manual setting for 7 minutes.
Natural release.
Carefully remove the squash and empty out the water.
Remove the seeds and stringy interior with a spoon and discard.
Use the spoon to scoop the flesh out of the butternut squash skin.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 8mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

For more Instant Pot Recipes, check out our Instant Pot Meat Sauce recipe or our Instant Pot Ginger Lime Spaghetti Squash.

Check out our other Vegetable Recipes here:

Instant Pot Squash