Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes

Name: Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Healthy
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

by Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition | May 2, 2022

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You’re going to love this recipe for Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes 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.

bowl of air fried butternut squash with fresh parsley on top

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.

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.

See all of my healthy, gluten-free air-fryer recipes.

Contents hide

1 Why You Need This Recipe

2 Key Ingredients

3 Recipe Steps

4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions

5 Recipe FAQs

6 Other Air Fryer Recipes You Might Like

7 Air Fryer Butternut Squash Cubes

Why You Need This Recipe

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.

Key Ingredients

labeled photo with ingredients for air fryer butternut squash.

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. You can use melted butter or ghee if you can tolerate dairy.

Ground cinnamon, salt and 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.

Recipe Steps

Step One

The easiest and fastest way to make this recipe is to start with pre-cubed 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 large 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 (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.

bowl of cubed butternut squash with coconut oil ready to be baked

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.

squash cubes in an air fryer basket ready to be cooked

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.

cooked butternut squash cubes in air fryer basket.

I hope you agree that this is an easy and delicious way to cook butternut squash.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

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.
You can make this recipe using sweet potato cubes 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.

Recipe FAQs

Can I bake these in a regular oven instead of an air fryer?

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.

Can I cook a whole butternut squash in the air fryer?

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.

What can I do with roasted butternut squash?

It can be served as a simple side dish. Or, you can blend it in to a 3-ingredient butternut squash soup!

Can I add brown sugar to the squash?

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.

bowl of cooked air fryer butternut squash.

Other Air Fryer Recipes You Might Like

Or, see my entire index of healthy air fryer recipes.

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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