16 Types of Winter Squash You Should Know

Whether you pick up a sugar pumpkin at the supermarket or butternut squash at your nearest farm stand, winter squash are delicious and versatile ingredients. Unlike summer squash, these cold-weather varieties are harvested in autumn when they are ripe and hard, and are hardy enough to be stored and enjoyed throughout the winter.

Here, a visual guide to 16 types of winter squash, and what you need to know about each.

This is the sweetest variety of winter squash. it’s pear-shaped with a smooth, cream-colored exterior with bright orange flesh and comparatively few seeds. Butternut squash is extremely versatile. It’s perfect for roasting and sautéing, or using in purées or soups.

Buying and storing: Look for squash that’s firm, heavy for its size, and free from cracks and soft spots.

Butternut Squash Recipes:

• Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry
• Pizza with Crispy Kale, Butternut Squash, Bacon & Smoked Mozzarella
• Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup

Acorn squash is small in size, typically weighing between one and two pounds, with orange-yellow flesh and thick, dark green-and-orange skin. It has a mild, subtly sweet and nutty flavor. The skin is also edible. Like most varieties of winter squash, acorn squash is versatile. It can be baked, roasted, steamed, sautéed, or even cooked in the microwave.

Buying and storing: Choose acorn squash that have a firm exterior, are free from soft spots and blemishes, and feel heavy for their size. Store them in a cool, dry place and they will keep for at least one month.

Acorn Squash Recipes:

• Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
• Acorn Squash and Roasted Garlic Strudel
• Stuffed Roasted Acorn Squash
• Acorn Squash Stuffed with Bread, Cheese, and Bacon

Spaghetti squash has a cylindrical shape with a firm exterior that ranges in color from pale cream to bright yellow. When you cook it, the moist flesh develops strands that resemble spaghetti. However, spaghetti squash doesn’t actually taste like spaghetti. It has a tender, chewy, fragile texture, and a very mild flavor. Unlike other winter squash varieties, it lacks sweetness. It’s best roasted or steamed. You can then scrape out the strands with a fork. Top with marinara, pesto, or mix in other veggies, and eat it as you would spaghetti.

Buying and storing: Look for spaghetti squash with a firm outer shell, that’s heavy for its size, and free from soft spots. Store it in a cool, dry place for up to one month.

Spaghetti Squash Recipes:

• How to Cook Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
• Lasagna-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
• Spaghetti Squash with Ricotta, Sage, and Pine Nuts

Delicata squash are also known as “sweet potato squash” due to their creamy flesh with a mild flavor akin to sweet potatoes. This small cylindrical squash has thin cream- to yellow-colored skin with green stripes, and orange-yellow flesh. Delicatas are smaller than most winter squash, so they’re quite easy to prepare and cook. The skin on this small squash is edible, so don’t worry about cutting it off. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds, then you can either bake it as is, or cut it into slices which can be roasted, sautéed, or steamed. Delicata squash is also ideal for stuffing.

Buying and storing: Choose squash that are heavy for their size, and free from blemishes and soft spots.

Delicata Squash Recipes:

• Delicata Squash and Gruyere Dip
• Fettucine with Balsamic Delicata Squash and Bitter Greens

Kabocha squash is squat and round, and similar in size and shape to buttercup squash, although the base points out. It has a dull finish with dark green skin that sometimes has small lumps, and bright yellow-orange flesh. It’s remarkably sweet with a nice nutty flavor, and texture that’s similar to a blend of sweet potato and pumpkin. Kabocha squash is very versatile and can be used as a substitute for almost any other winter squash. It can be roasted or steamed, added to soup, or used for a pie filling.

Buying and storing: Look for a squash with dull coloring that’s firm and heavy for its size, and free from soft spots. Store it in a cool, dry place for up to one month.

Green Kabocha Squash Recipes:

• Jamaican Kabocha Squash Soup
• Slow Cooker Beef and Kabocha Squash Stew
• Kabocha Squash Soup with Pomegranate and Pepitas
• Savory Kabocha Tofu Pie

Like its green brethren, red kabocha squash is short and round. Its red-orange skin may have white stripes running up the sides, and its interior is orange. Red kabocha is notably sweeter than the green variety, but the texture is almost identical. Roast or steam your red kabocha, try it in a soup, or use the purée in a pie.

Buying and storing: Look for a squash that’s firm and heavy for its size. Red kabocha squash will stay fresh up to one month if kept in a cool, dry place.

Red Kabocha Squash Recipes:

• Kabocha Squash Soup
• Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Hummus
• Savory Kabocha Tofu Pie

Sugar pumpkins, which are used for cooking and baking, have tender flesh and a sweet, earthy taste. They’re smaller than the field pumpkins used for decoration. Sugar pumpkins are round with a firm exterior that can range in color from pale to bright reddish-orange, with vibrant orange flesh. You can bake, roast, or purée sugar pumpkin. It’s ideal for soup, curries, and of course, pies!

Buying and storing: For the best flavor and texture, choose pumpkins grown specifically for eating rather than carving. They’ll last up to a month stored in a cool, dry place.

Sugar Pumpkin Recipes:

• Deep-Dish Pumpkin Meringue Pie
• Pumpkin Chili
• Slow Cooker Vegan Pumpkin Curry
• Homemade Pumpkin Purée
• Classic Pumpkin Pie

A cross between sweet dumpling and acorn squashes, carnival squash has an orange-, yellow-, and green-striped exterior and yellow flesh. This is a sweet, mellow-flavored squash that takes on a buttery texture when cooked. Roasting brings out its natural sweetness, but carnival squash can also be steamed or puréed.

Buying and storing: Look for unblemished carnival squashes that are heavy for their size. They can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a month.

Carnival Squash Recipes:

• Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
• Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash

Squat and round with an elongated neck toward its stem, red kuri squash have dark, dense reddish skin and firm, orange-hued flesh. When cooked, it has sweet, mellow, chestnut-like flavors. You can steam, roast, or stew red kuri squash. It also purées beautifully and is at home in sweet or savory dishes.

Buying and storing: Buy firm red kuri squash without any soft spots, and store for up to a month in a cool, dry place.

Red Kuri Squash Recipes:

• Slow-Cooker Maple-Glazed Squash
• Savory Squash Kanofi

A hybrid made from buttercup and butternut squash, this little squash is very sweet and buttery. Honeynut has a similar shape and outward appearance to butternut squash, but is smaller and has a deeply orange interior. Use it the same way you would butternut or buttercup squash, in sweet or savory preparations.

Buying and storing: Look for unblemished honeynut squash that feels heavy for its size, and store in a cool, dark place for up to one month.

Honeynut Squash Recipes:

• Roasted Butternut Squash With Orange Tahini, Walnuts, and Za’atar (substitute honeynut squash)
• 4-Ingredient Mashed Butternut Squash (substitute honeynut squash)

Hubbard squash is one of the largest varieties of winter squash. It has a hard, firm exterior that can range in color from deep green to gray or blue. While the hard exterior is generally discarded, the sweet orange flesh — full of rich, sweet pumpkin flavor— can be substituted for any other variety of winter squash. It’s ideal for both cooking and baking, and is especially great for making pie.

Buying and storing: Look for a squash that’s hard and firm, heavy for its size, and free from soft spots. You’ll find whole hubbard squash at farm stands and farmers markets, although because of its size, it’s generally sold pre-cut and seeded in grocery stores.

Hubbard Squash Recipes:

• Ginger Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
• Pumpkin Chili

This small yellow squash, with bright orange to dark green striations, may be the cutest of the bunch. Its flesh is starchy and sweet, with a flavor that’s reminiscent of corn. The small, single-serving size of this squash makes it ideal for stuffing and roasting.

Buying and storing: Look for squash with deep coloring, with a smooth rind that’s free from soft spots, blemishes, or cracks. Stored in a cool, dry area, away from sunlight, this squash can last for up to three months.

Sweet Dumpling Squash Recipes:

• How to Make Stuffed Roasted Squash
• Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash

This large, decorative squash has an irregular turban shape with a dull-looking, bumpy exterior that can range in color from mottled green to orange and yellow. Turban squash is most often used as a decoration (hollowed out, it makes a beautiful soup tureen), though you can use it in recipes in just about any way you use other winter squash, it has a very mild, nutty flavor.

Buying and storing: Like other winter squash, choose one that feels heavy for its size and free from soft spots.

Turban Squash Recipes:

• Miso Pumpkin Soup (substitute turban squash)

Oval-shaped mashed potato aka “white acorn” squash has deeply ridged, not-too-thick skin that’s cream-colored. The stringy interior can have yellow or cream hues and ample amounts of white seeds. This mild-tasting squash takes on a tender, almost buttery texture when cooked. A versatile squash, white acorn can be roasted, baked, steamed, or puréed into sweet or savory recipes.

Buying and storing: Look for unblemished squash without any soft spots. Store for up to one month in cool, dry conditions.

Mashed Potato Squash Recipes:

• Mini Pumpkins Stuffed With Onion, Mushrooms, and Chard
• Jamaican Peanut (Pinda) Stew

Buttercup squash is squat and round with an inedible dark green rind that has green-gray striations. It has firm, dense, vibrant orange flesh. It resembles kabocha squash but can be distinguished by a round ridge on its bottom. Buttercup squash has a sweet, creamy flavor and is considered sweeter than other winter squash varieties. The flesh tends to be dry, so steaming and baking are the best methods for cooking this squash. Its firm texture also makes it ideal for a curry.

Buying and storing: Choose a squash that’s heavy for its size and has even coloring. Avoid squashes with blemishes, soft spots, or dull skin. Buttercup squash can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to three months.

Buttercup Squash Recipes:

• Squash and Coconut Curry
• Crispy Sheet Pan Gnocchi

This large, elongated squash can grow two to three feet in length and weigh as much as 40 pounds. It has smooth orange, pink, or blue skin and firm, brilliant orange flesh. When cooked, banana squash has a rich, sweet, earthy taste. Use banana squash in place of other varieties, like butternut or kabocha. It’s great for roasting and in soups and stews.

Buying and storing: Banana squash is sold whole, and can also be found in more manageable pre-cut portions with the seeds removed.

Banana Squash Recipes:

Orzo with Butternut Squash, Spinach & Blue Cheese (substitute banana squash)

Thank you to Melissa’s, Baldor, and GrowNYC’s Greenmarket for help sourcing the squash for this photo shoot.