How to bake Hubbard squash whole
If you’ve ever tried to cut into a Hubbard squash, you know how difficult it can be. The thick, tough skin and awkward shape make cutting one of these giant winter squash a serious workout. So why fight it? Bake Hubbard squash whole and let the oven do the work.
Cut a few slits in the squash to vent steam, then roast it whole at 400°F until the skin softens, about an hour or so depending on size. Once it’s roasted, the flesh is soft and buttery, the skin becomes tender enough to pull away easily, and you can simply break the squash open, remove the seeds, and scoop out the cooked flesh. Here’s how I bake a whole Hubbard squash, what to expect when it comes out of the oven, and you can use the cooked squash.
For ease of browsing, you can find all of my Hubbard squash recipes in one place.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
▪️Skip the struggle — A whole Hubbard squash is awkward and notoriously tough to cut. Baking it whole means you can skip the struggle and do the cutting after it has softened.
▪️Tender, buttery flesh — The squash steams and roasts inside its thick skin, leaving the flesh soft enough to scoop out with a spoon.
▪️Cook once, use it several ways — A 6-pound squash gives you just under 5 cups of cooked squash, which you can use for mashed squash, soup, pasta, muffins, bread and more.
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Can you bake Hubbard squash whole?
Baking or roasting Hubbard squash whole, without cutting through its tough skin, is one of the easiest ways to cook this large winter squash. Learn how to vent, roast, and scoop the tender flesh once it’s cooked.
Hubbard squash can get very large, and if find yourself with one, and you are not feeling particularly confident, or safe, about handling it, this is a perfect option. trying to keep it from rolling around on the cutting board while wielding a knife.
This is what the outside will look like when it’s done. The blueish skin will turn darker and it’ll be blistered on the outside, but perfectly cooked inside and ready to use.
After you break it open, don’t throw away the seeds. You can make roasted Hubbard squash seeds, just like you would do with pumpkin.
How do I know when a whole Hubbard squash is done?
The squash is done when the skin is deeply blistered and a knife slides easily through the flesh. Because Hubbard squash vary dramatically in size, you can use tenderness rather than the clock to determine when it’s ready.
How to cook a whole squash
Here’s a quick summary of how to roast a whole squash. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.
Cooking it whole in the oven is as easy as it gets. Use a sharp paring knife to make 6 or 7 slits on the top and sides of the squash.
I like to do 2 on each side, then 2 – 4 on the top. The reason you have to do this is to allow the steam a place to escape.
Don’t skip this step. As the squash heats, pressure builds inside the hard shell. The vents give that steam somewhere to go and help prevent the squash from splitting in the oven.
You’ll want to roast the Hubbard on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large baking dish, because a bit of liquid will come out. Make sure you have something with a side, even a short one, to catch it so it doesn’t make a mess in the oven.
How to remove seeds and flesh from squash
After you cut it open, or just break it open, because you don’t really need a knife, this is what it will look like. Unfortunately for me, this one had quite a lot of seeds inside, but it did make for an excellent snack.
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All that’s left to do is grab your largest kitchen spoon and remove the seeds before scooping the silky flesh out of the skin. Baking Hubbard squash whole is the simplest way to prepare this large vegetable.
Scoop the cooked Hubbard squash out and stir it into your favorite soup, casserole, or simply top with a bit of butter and salt.
There you have it – the absolute easiest way to prepare a Hubbard squash.
Baking Hubbard squash whole FAQ’s
A 6-pound Hubbard squash takes about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes at 400°F. Larger squash will take longer, so use the cooking time as a guide rather than a hard deadline. The squash is ready when a knife slides easily into the thickest part of the flesh.
A 6-pound Hubbard squash yields just under 5 cups of cooked squash. The exact amount will vary depending on the size of the squash and how thick the flesh is.
The flesh of Hubbard squash is sweet, slightly nutty and mildly earthy. It is a little drier than a butternut.
Storage / Freezing Information
To store: Store cooked squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Store in an airtight container, removing as much air as possible, in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How can I use this whole roasted squash?
Slide the squash out of its skin and turn it into one of the delicious recipes below. It makes squash for dinner during the week a breeze.
- Red curry Hubbard squash soup with coconut
- Hubbard squash lasagna rolls
- Hubbard squash bread
- Hubbard squash muffins
- Hubbard squash pie
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How to bake Hubbard squash whole
Ingredients
- 6 lbs. Hubbard squash
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas mark 6. Set a rack in the lowest position in the oven.
- With a sharp paring knife, cut several small slits in the Hubbard squash.
- Place whole squash on parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, or in a large baking dish.
- Roast, uncovered, for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before breaking open and removing seeds.
- Use a large kitchen spoon to scoop the flesh from the skin, season with salt and pepper.
- Store cooked squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Chef’s Notes
- Be gentle when scooping flesh the skin. The skin will be thin and delicate instead of thick and tough. It can tear while removing the cooked squash.
- For a 6 pound Hubbard, I yielded just shy of 5 cups of cooked squash. Your yield will vary, depending on your squash.
- You could also swap out canned pumpkin in almost any recipe with squash puree. It’s a simple way to make a small change to a recipe by using a freshly cooked squash.
- You can use this method to roast a variety of hard winter squashes. It will work with kabocha, carnival, kuri, acorn, butternut, buttercup, etc.
- Season with nutmeg and butter to make my mashed Hubbard squash.
- Use the puree in a soup, like my Red curry coconut Hubbard squash soup.
- Use it as a filling for lasagna noodles, try these Hubbard squash lasagna rolls.
- Make Hubbard squash muffins.
- Try this Hubbard squash pasta with blue cheese and sage.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. Use your preferred nutritional calculator using the products and brands you are using for exact information.
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Originally published 10/8/21, most recent update 9/9/26.
Thank you.
Thank YOU! 🙂
My mother use to cook Hubbards whole. I never have, but just got one, so will bake it as you say. It will taste great this winter from my freezer.
But first, I will use it and other fall delights as decorations!
Thank you🕊
Wonderful! I hope you make lots of delicious things with it!
Many thanks. My squashes aren’t Hubbards. They are the flattened kind, each weighs approx 10 lb., but I am sure they will cook the same. Will report back if there’s no disaster. 🙂
Hi Samia, I’m sure they will bake the same 🙂 I hope disaster was averted!
Hi, I have about a 42 lb. blue hubbard squash. I grew it in the garden. Had no idea it would get that large. What can I do with it? It is huge!
42lbs.?! WOW! That IS huge! I’ve never seen one that big. You’re definitely going to have to break it into pieces to cook it!
I got a hubbard last year that was rotten when I opened it, so I threw it on the compost. This year I have 3 huge hubbard volunteers. I’m so glad to know how to roast it whole. I like to make pumpkin pie with them. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Shelle! That is fantastic to get 3 Hubbard volunteers 🙂 Roasting them whole is so much easier than trying to manhandle that big squash. I’ll bet those pies are DELICIOUS!