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How to bake Hubbard squash whole

For an easy way to enjoy winter squash without having to peel it or do battle with your chef’s knife, the best option is to bake Hubbard squash whole. The flesh becomes soft and buttery, requiring nothing more from you than breaking it open and scooping it out with a spoon. The thick skin becomes soft, allowing you to slide the cooked squash right out with no effort at all.

I’ll give you variations and substitutions where I can, plus helpful tips and tricks for success. Read on for this info as well as the recipe. If you’d like to skip straight to the recipe, use the jump to recipe button at the top of the post.

You may also be interested in my mashed Hubbard squash recipe and my Hubbard squash muffins recipes. For ease of browsing, you can find all of my Hubbard squash recipes in one place.

Whole Hubbard squash standing up in front of white tile background.

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Why you should make this recipe

Hubbard squash can get very large, and if find yourself with one, and you are not feeling particularly confident about handling it, this is a perfect option.

  • Easy – This recipe couldn’t be easier. Just place the squash on a baking sheet and slide it into the oven.
  • Virtually no knife work – The squash is sliced after it is cooked, and the knife glides right through it.
  • Versatile – Once your squash is cooked, you can use it in so many different recipes.

Can you bake Hubbard squash whole?

Roasting Hubbard squash whole is a great option when you don’t feel like wrestling with a rather substantial vegetable. This particular squash clocked in at about 6 pounds and because of its odd shape, cutting it can be a challenge.

By roasting a Hubbard squash whole, we avoid trying to cut a potentially very large vegetable. The other issue is safety – you may not feel comfortable trying to keep it from rolling around on the cutting board while wielding a knife.

Whole roasted Hubbard squash on baking sheet.

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.

Cooking whole squash this way gives you soft, tender flesh. If you like the brown edges of roasted Hubbard squash, you’ll have to slice it open before placing it in the oven.

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. 

Paring knife stuck into Hubbard squash with blue towel on the side.

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 or 3 on the top. The reason you have to do this is to allow the steam a place to escape. If you don’t give it a place to get out, it could make its’ own – in the form of an exploded squash inside your oven.

Think of it like a pressure cooker. The inside of the squash builds up steam in the oven as the flesh cooks. Just like a pressure cooker, it needs an escape valve.

Blistered skin of whole roasted squash.

By providing it, we avoid any mishaps with it breaking open on its own. That’s why it is necessary to poke a few holes when we bake a Hubbard squash whole.

Roasted squash cut in half on baking sheet.

Just slide it into the oven, then go watch tv or take the dog outside for a bit, and come back to a perfect cooked squash.

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.

Scooping seeds from whole cooked squash.

Unfortunately for me, this one had quite a lot of seeds inside, but it did make for an excellent snack.

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.

Cleaning cooked flesh from cooked squash.

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

What does a Hubbard squash look like?

Hubbard squash are a dusty blueish gray on the outside. They are usually oblong in shape, but can be rounder as well, like an acorn squash. The flesh is deep orange.

Can you freeze squash whole?

You certainly can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. When thawing it, the cell walls will deteriorate a bit, making the texture less firm and a little watery.

What does Hubbard squash taste like?

The flesh of Hubbard squash is sweet, slightly nutty and mildly earthy. It is a little drier than a butternut.

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.

Hubbard squash soup with coconut and curry.

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Whole Hubbard squash standing up against tile background.

How to bake Hubbard squash whole

Cheryl Bennett
Bake Hubbard squash whole for the simplest way to prepare this winter squash.
4.58 from 19 votes
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 12 minutes
Course Squash recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 5 cups
Calories 127 kcal

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

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.
Here are a few ideas for using your roasted 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 127kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 936mgFiber: 6gSugar: 14g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Signature - Cheryl.

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

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10 Comments

  1. 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🕊

  2. 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. 🙂

  3. 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!

    1. 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!

  4. 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!

    1. 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!

4.58 from 19 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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