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This Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash recipe is easy to make and will be on your table in no time! In fact, because it is done in the Instant Pot (that time-saving miracle device), you can cook up this mashed squash dish any evening you feel like it.
And it couldn’t come at a better time, because we are smack in the middle of comfort food-friendly, cold fall weather here. It starts to feel dark by 5 pm and with that often goes my ambition to come up with exciting meals or add complicated or time-consuming dishes to the menu.
Enter Butternut Squash. Often on sale this time of year, and readily available all winter, making mashed butternut squash in the Instant Pot is a no-brainer when you don’t have much energy or brain to spare.
This recipe is flavourful with broad crowd appeal (no polarizing seasonings) and makes a great side dish for lots of different main course options.
And this Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash recipe is flexible too:
- You can swap out the butter and sour cream for non-dairy options and plate up a vegan version.
- You can add in some of your own personal favourite seasonings (cinnamon or nutmeg! Cumin or curry powder).
- And when you’re all done, use the leftovers with coconut milk or stock and make butternut squash soup.
If you’ve been looking for more ways to work squash into your life, you’ve found it!
Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash Recipe
Makes 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 large butternut squash
- 2 cups of water
- 5 Tablespoons of butter
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons of sour cream (or you can use half and half)
- Optional: Chives, fresh rosemary, or basil
- Serve with brown sugar and/or maple syrup on the table (for the sweet tooth folks)
Directions:
Then cut the squash in half lengthwise.
Scoop out the seeds in the center cavity of the squash.
Then cut each of those in half widthwise, and then those in 2, until you have a total of 8 sections that are similar in size.
Once cook time has elapsed, release the vent and open the IP when the steam is gone.
Remove the squash from the IP and gently remove the skin from the squash.
If you want it smoother you can also use an electric mixer, but I suggest leaving a bit of texture into your mashed butternut squash.
Continue by placing the squash into a large bowl. Add in the butter, so it melts into the mixture.
Savory Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash
Make this delicious, creamy, and comforting Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash recipe in minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- 2 cups of water
- 5 Tablespoons of butter (or margarine for a vegan version)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons of sour cream (or you can use half and half)
- Optional: Chives, fresh rosemary, or basil.
- Serve with brown sugar and/or maple syrup on the table (for the sweet tooth folks)
Instructions
- Slice the ends off of the squash. Then cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds in the center cavity of the squash. Then cut each of those in half widthwise, and then those in 2, until you have a total of 8 sections that are similar in size.
- Place the trivet inside your Instant Pot and add 2 cups of water.
- Add in the butternut squash on the trivet and close the lid.
- Set the cook time for 15 minutes on high pressure.
- Once cook time has elapsed, release the vent and open the IP when the steam is gone.
- Remove the squash from the IP and gently remove the skin from the squash.
- With a fork or a potato masher, mash the squash until you the lumps are gone and you get the texture you would like. If you want it smoother you can also use an electric mixer, but I suggest leaving a bit of texture into your mashed butternut squash.
- Continue by placing the squash into a large bowl. Add in the butter, so it melts into the mixture.
- Continue by adding the salt, pepper, sour cream, mix until combined and serve.
Optional: garnish with fresh rosemary, chives, or basil.
Serve with brown sugar and/or maple syrup on the table (for the sweet tooth folks)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 119Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
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FAQ’s re: Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash
What’s the best way to soften butternut squash?
Our go-to before this recipe was always oven roasting to get really good flavour, but that heats up and ties up your whole oven for a long time.
Microwaving is also an option but can produce uneven cooking if you don’t keep rotating the squash. Using the Instant Pot gets it done fast and cooked evenly.
Can you overcook butternut squash?
It depends on what texture you are aiming for.
If you want the squash to keep its shape, like with small chunks in a Thai curry, you can have it cooked in as little as 10-15 minutes depending on the size. Cook it beyond that and it goes mushy and you lose the texture you were aiming for.
However, in most other uses (mashed, like this recipe or for soup), cooking squash longer makes it soft and easy to eat. If you’re using this Instant Pot Mashed Butternut Squash recipe, you should be able to avoid overcooking because the Instant Pot does all the timing!
Is it necessary to peel butternut squash before cooking?
Again, depending on the use, it might be. Most recipes that require the squash to keep its chunk shape, like this sheet pan recipe, would need peeling ahead of time.
When oven roasting, microwaving or cooking in the Instant Pot, you can leave the skin on and remove the flesh from it after it is cooked and softened!
