Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes with Cinnamon
You’re going to love this recipe for Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes with cinnamon that is a healthy and delicious fall side dish. The squash gets perfectly roasted and crispy in the air fryer. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
This recipe for Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes is a perfect example of a simple and great side dish that you make without having to use your big kitchen oven.
I get a lot of questions about air-fryers and whether or not it’s worth adding another appliance to your kitchen. I was also skeptical of getting an air-fryer but now I really love mine and use it daily.
Most air-fryers don’t have to be pre-heated either, which makes cooking faster and simpler. New to air-frying? Check out my post with the pros and cons of air frying. Or, see my list of the best air fryers under $100.
See all of my healthy, gluten-free air-fryer recipes.
Air Fryer Butternut Squash Benefits
- Use your air-fryer to make this recipe if you don’t have space in your oven, or you don’t want to heat up your entire oven.
- You only need 30 minutes cooking time for this simple roasted Air Fryer Butternut Squash recipe.
- Increase the cooking time to 45 minutes if you want to make this in a regular oven.
- Include a dash of cinnamon when you’re cooking the squash to add extra flavor to the dish.
- Butternut squash is high in beta-carotene, fiber, and antioxidants.
Ingredients
- I used pre-cut butternut squash for this recipe because I don’t like peeling and cutting a whole squash. You can buy pre-cut squash in the grocery store in one or two-pound boxes, but you’ll likely need to cut the pre-cut cubes in half.
- You’ll need a melted fat to cook the squash. If you are on a dairy-free diet, use melted coconut oil or another liquid fat like olive oil. You can use melted butter or ghee if you can tolerate dairy.
- Ground cinnamon, salt and black pepper complement the squash perfectly. Leave out the cinnamon if you don’t have it or don’t like it. You can also use a sparkling of garlic powder if you love garlic. Or, use any type of seasoning blend you like.
Please see the full recipe card below for the full recipe.
Recipe Steps
Step One
The easiest and fastest way to make this recipe is to start with pre-cubed fresh butternut squash. You can use 1-2 pounds depending on how big your air-fryer is.
If you buy pre-cubed squash, make sure the pieces aren’t larger than an inch.
If you start with a whole butternut squash, then you will need to peel it using a vegetable peeler, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and then chop up the squash into 1-inch cubes (see this butternut squash tutorial).
Next, place the cubed squash pieces in a large bowl and toss them with coconut oil, salt, pepper, and ground cinnamon.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact measurements.
Step Two
Put the butternut squash cubes in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer, and set the temperature to 390 degrees F for 30 minutes.
If you are using a regular oven, then place your cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Step Three
Once your squash is fully cooked, the cubes will be slightly browned. You can sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on top and serve them warm.
I hope you agree that this is an easy and delicious way to cook butternut squash.
It’s one of my favorite recipes that I look forward to making every fall or during the holiday season. It’s a perfect side dish using simple ingredients.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- You can double this recipe depending on how big your air fryer basket is.
- Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving. Or, use your squash in this Butternut Squash Salad recipe.
- To make this recipe in a regular oven, cook the squash on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes, tossing the squash cubes once during the cooking process.
- You can make this recipe using sweet potatoes too! See my recipe for Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes.
- You can make this recipe almost all year round, not just at squash season. Most grocery stores carry pre-cut butternut squash in the refrigerator section in the produce area as an easy way to save time.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can make roasted squash cubes in an oven. Set the temperature to 425 degrees F for about 45 minutes, tossing once during the cooking process.
Yes, but you’ll need to slice it in half first and scoop out the seeds. See my recipe for Air Fryer Acorn Squash to see the method for cooking a halved squash.
It can be served as a simple side dish. Or, you can blend it in to a 3-ingredient butternut squash soup!
Yes, but I find that butternut squash is usually naturally sweet enough that it doesn’t need any added sugar. That said, you can add up to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar to the squash before you cook it to add even more of a sweet flavor. You could also just drizzle on some maple syrup before serving.
Other Air Fryer Recipes You Might Like
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Baby Carrots
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Air Fryer Delicata Squash
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
- Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
Or, see my entire index of healthy air fryer recipes.
Don’t Miss These Air Fryer Resources
Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes with Cinnamon
You’re going to love this recipe for Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes with cinnamon that is the perfect healthy side dish. The squash gets roasted and crispy in the air fryer. This recipe is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 pound butternut squash cubes, no larger than 1-inch in size
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the cubed squash, melted coconut oil, ground cinnamon, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Pour the squash into the basket of an air-fryer. Bake at 390 degrees F for 30 minutes. Toss the squash once during the cooking process.
- When the cooking time is up, transfer the squash to a serving bowl and enjoy warm.
Equipment
Buy Now →
Notes
- You can double this recipe depending on how big your air fryer basket is.
- Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
- To make this recipe in a regular oven, cook the squash on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes, tossing the squash cubes once during the cooking process.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air fryer
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 88
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 5.1 mg
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.1 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: air fried squash, butternut squash cooked with cinnamon, how to cook butternut squash cubes
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Love this yummy recipe! so easy!
★★★★★
Can you substitute the coconut oil?
Yes, you can use whatever type of oil you like!
This was delicious! I ate it as is with a fork and it was great. Also topped a salad with it warm and leftover, cold the next day and both were tasty. It served as a lovely contrast to my spicy eggplant dinner as well.
★★★★★
That’s great, Christina! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!