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Butternut squash mac and cheese is the perfect balance of creamy, cheesy goodness with a boost of nutrition from naturally sweet butternut squash. This quick and easy meal is a great way to introduce veggies in a familiar, comforting dish that kids love. With a smooth texture that's gentle on tiny tummies and simple ingredient swaps for dietary needs, it's a go-to recipe for busy parents looking for a wholesome, fuss-free meal.

A scoop of butternut macaroni and cheese on wooden spoon held up above sauce pan of butternut macaroni and cheese, half a butternut and measuring cup with chopped butternut inside.

Why Parent And Kids Love This Recipe

Creamy & Comforting: This mac and cheese has a velvety, cheesy sauce with a natural sweetness from butternut squash, making it a kid-approved favorite.
Quick and Easy: On the table in under 30 minutes.
Gentle on Tiny Tummies: The smooth texture is perfect for babies and toddlers, and it can easily be adapted for different dietary needs.

Ingredients You Will Need

Ingredients for butternut squash mac and cheese on benchtop with text overlay.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

Dairy-Free: Use olive oil instead of butter, a dairy-free milk alternative, and a dairy-free cheese option. Alternatively, swap the cheese for 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
Pasta: This butternut sauce works with any pasta shape, not just macaroni. You can also use gluten-free pasta if needed.
Butternut Squash: Swap the butternut squash for other root vegetables like carrot purée, pumpkin purée, or sweet potato purée.
Paprika: Optional, but it adds depth of flavor and a warm color to the sauce.
Garlic Powder: Can be replaced with 1 clove of fresh minced garlic or a pinch of onion powder.

Step-by-step instructions

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Table of Contents

COOK THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Step one: In a small pot, boil or steam the diced butternut squash until very soft (about 10-12 minutes).

Butternut on wooden chopping board peeled and cut into rough cubes.

Step two: Drain the water, and set aside until you are ready to make your butternut sauce.

Cook The Pasta

Step one: While the squash is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.

Step two: Reserve some pasta water before draining.(Keep the pot near by as you can use it for making the sauce, saving on dishes!)

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Make The Sauce

Step one: In the empty pasta pot, melt the butter over low heat and add the garlic powder and paprika.

Sauce pan on element with melted butter, garlic powder and paprika being stirred together with a wooden spoon.

Step two: Add the cooked butternut squash and cook gently in the butter for a few minutes.

Cooked butternut added into butter mixture in sauce pan on element.

Step three: Blend the softened butternut squash with milk until smooth.

Milk added into butternut and butter mixture in sauce pan on element.

Hand blender blending together butternut and milk until smooth in sauce pan on benchtop.

Step four: Stir in shredded cheese, until melted and creamy.

Add a little reserved pasta water if needed for a smoother consistency.

Wooden spoon with smooth butternut mixture held up above saucepan.

Step five: Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce, mixing well to coat the pasta.

Let it cool slightly before serving to your baby.

Butternut macaroni and cheese in sauce pan on bench top, half a butternut on benchtop, measuring cup with chopped up butternut pieces inside.

Top Tips

Here is how you can make this butternut macaroni cheese perfectly every time!

This recipe was originally designed for baby led weaning, if you are serving this to older family members be sure to season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and consider storing through extra cheddar or parmesan cheese to taste.
For a thicker sauce, add a bit more cheese.
To make it extra creamy, stir in a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt.
For more protein, mix in shredded chicken or mashed white beans.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze portions for later.

How To Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby Led Weaning

This recipe has been designed for baby led weaning.

Choose a pasta shape that suits your babies development, large pasta shapes such as spirals and penne can be grasped in a fist, smaller shapes like Marconi can be great for practicing pincer grip.

Be sure to cook the pasta until it is very soft.

Another veggie packed pasta recipe to try is my baby pasta.