Butternut Squash Soup With Cream Cheese

This is the perfect, most delicious way to use up butternut squash in the fall! Butternut squash soup with cream cheese is creamy, packed with comforting flavor and super easy to prepare. Great dinner option any night of the week!

Original recipe posted: October 2018 | Recipe updated: October 2023

Why This Recipe Works

One of the first recipes I ever put up on my blog was this delicious butternut squash soup. It was a comforting fall soup then and it still is today. That face (in the video below) I make when I see the total creamy goodness pours out of the blender? That is 100% genuine.

Here are the reasons I adore this recipe:

• This delicious soup is done in under an hour, from start to finish.
• Outside of the seasonings, only 6 simple ingredients are required!
• This easy butternut squash soup recipe is the most delicious way to use up butternut squash in the fall.
• Butternut squash soup with cream cheese is the most comforting fall soup you will find!
• It is a warm, delicious, creamy soup to enjoy when there’s cool weather!
• This flavorful soup is the perfect meal to serve at large gatherings or for a simple weekday dinner.

Recipe Ingredients

Butternut squash – This winter vegetable transforms soup into the most delicious bite of food! You’ll be able to find this type of squash in the grocery store during the fall and winter. Peel and cut into cubes using the instructions in this post.

Cream cheese – Cream cheese adds a ton of flavor and creaminess to this soup. Use full fat cream cheese for best results!

Butter – Replace the butter with 1/4 cup olive oil, if desired. Both salted butter and unsalted butter taste great in the recipe.

Onion – Any variety of onion will work great in this recipe, including yellow onion, white onion or red onion.

Water + chicken bouillon cubes – Replace the water and bouillon cubes with 3 cups of chicken stock, chicken broth or vegetable broth, if desired.

Spices and seasonings – Use your favorite combination of the following seasonings: cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, marjoram, allspice, paprika, nutmeg and ginger.

How To Make Butternut Squash Soup with Cream Cheese

Step 1

Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove top. Add onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add butternut squash, water, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until the squash is tender.

Step 2

Remove pan from the heat and add the cream cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Add soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and creamy. Pour back into the skillet/Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until just warmed through (do not boil).

Serve immediately and top with sour cream and/or extra cayenne pepper, if desired.

Recipe Notes

• Try adding an extra 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and a few cloves of garlic. It’s tasty and adds such a perfect kick!
• Before serving, top with a swirl of sour cream or cream cheese, fresh herbs, paprika, Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped granny smith apples, cayenne pepper or roasted pumpkin seeds.
• A regular blender or an immersion blender will both create a nice smooth soup.
• After blending the soup, consider adding a touch of heavy cream to the large saucepan along with the soup and heat until warmed through.

What To Serve With Butternut Squash

• Baked Chicken and Sweet Potatoes Recipes – 7 Delicious Ideas!
• Read on for 23 delicious ideas about what to serve with butternut squash soup!
• Peruse this post about What To Serve With Sweet Potatoes because most of these recommendations will apply to squash, as well!
• Crusty bread or dinner rolls are the perfect side dish for this fall comfort food.
• The BEST Meatloaf you’ll ever eat.
• A heaping bowl of my famous chili is the perfect pair! Or go the easy route and make this 3-can chili instead.
• A perfectly cooked grilled cheese sandwich is such a great idea for a side for creamy butternut squash soup.
• Chicken pot pie made in your crockpot tastes sooo good alongside a serving of roasted squash!
• Baked meatballs are super easy to make and the best food to company roasted veggies and potatoes of any variety.

Butternut Squash Substitute

Any type of winter squash can be used in place of butternut squash, such as acorn squash, honeynut, hubbard or sugar pumpkin. Sweet potatoes are another great replacement for this ingredient!

Do You Need to Peel Butternut Squash

The skin on fresh butternut squash is tough and unappetizing, so grab your peeler. Get down to that delicious flesh, as that is the edible part of this squash.

How To Cut Butternut Squash

See these super easy step-by-step instructions for how to cut butternut squash so you can have delicious squash flesh to use for recipes.

Place the whole squash on its side on top of a cutting board and cut top and bottom ends off. Discard.

Use a vegetable peeler or a potato peeler to remove the skin away from the squash, all the way around.

Stand it on its end and cut the squash down the center lengthwise.

Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds toward the fat part of the squash. Discard.

Turn the peeled butternut squash halves over so the flat sides are on the cutting board.

Slice each half lengthwise into 1-inch strips, then crosswise into 1-inch strips. Lay slices flat and cut another set of lengthwise cuts to create cubes.

The squash is now ready to roast or to use in your favorite recipe!

How To Tell If Butternut Squash Is Bad

If just a small section of the vegetable is squishy, cut off the offending part and use the rest. If it’s the majority of the ingredient, then throw it away.

How To Store Butternut Squash

Whole butternut squash that has not yet been peeled or cut can be stored at room temperature for a couple of weeks.

If you need to store butternut squash after you have peeled and cut it, place it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

How To Freeze Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut squash soup freezes really well so you can extend the shelf life. Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months for best results.

How To Add Flavor To Soup

Check out these tips to learn how to add flavor to your next batch of soup!

Butternut Squash Recipes

• If you want to add apples to the mix, follow this roasted butternut squash and apples recipe instead!
• Butternut squash soup is guaranteed creamy, packed with comforting flavor and super easy to prepare. 
• Consider roasting and mashing them and using it in place of sweet potatoes in your next sweet potato casserole.
• Use equal parts mashed squash and mashed sweet potatoes as a replacement for pumpkin puree in your next pumpkin dish!
• Also consider replacing mashed squash for pumpkin puree in this delicious pumpkin mac and cheese recipe! Replace elbow macaroni with any type of pasta.

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