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Cranberry Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is the perfect harvest inspired side dish. The pecans make for a nice crunchy topping – perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner!
What’s to love
- It’s so easy. This stuffed acorn squash recipe is incredibly easy to whip up – just a few ingredients and super simple prep. Perfect for the busy holiday season!
- Make it your own. You can fill pretty much every winter squash – small butternuts would be a great substitute for the acorn squashes. But even baby bear pumpkins would be delicious!
- Keep it simple or make it extra-special. This is a tasty vegetarian side dish, but to make this heartier, add browned sausage meat to the filling.
This is such a nice side dish – it’s quick and easy, full of seasonal produce and even kids tend to love it. It tastes great with breakfast sausage for a special brunch, too!
Printable recipe
Ingredients
For the squash
- 3 small-medium acorn squash (halved crosswise and seeded (do not peel))
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the apple filling
- 2 medium-large apples (peeled, cored, and diced into ½-inch pieces (use 3 apples if your squashes are on the larger side))
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- ½ cup apple juice or cider
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (whisked directly into the apple juice before adding)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or packed brown sugar)
For the topping
- ½ cup chopped pecans (OR walnuts)
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch of salt
- optional: 1 teaspoon olive oil or melted butter for extra sheen
Tips
- If you don’t want to add any sugar, use maple syrup or honey in place of the brown sugar. You may need to add an extra tablespoon or two, but make sure to taste the filling first and go according to taste.
- Use firm apples like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Gala so the filling stays chunky and not mushy.
- This is a tasty vegetarian side dish, but to make this heartier, add browned sausage meat to the filling.
Instructions
- Prep:Preheat oven to 400°F. Get your ingredients ready.
- Roast the squash :Brush the cut sides of the squash with oil or butter, then sprinkle with salt. Place cut-side down on a greased baking sheet and roast for ~20 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife but not fully soft. (It will finish baking later.)3 small-medium acorn squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt
- Start the apple filling: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples, cranberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to soften and smell fragrant.2 medium-large apples, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch of nutmeg
- Thicken the filling:Whisk the cornstarch into the apple juice, then pour it into the pan along with the maple syrup. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and turns glossy. Remove from heat.½ cup apple juice or cider, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- Make the topping :In a small bowl, stir together pecans, pepitas, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and (if using) oil or butter until evenly coated.½ cup chopped pecans, ¼ cup pepitas, 1½ tablespoons maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch of salt, optional: 1 teaspoon olive oil or melted butter for extra sheen
- Assemble and bake :Turn the roasted squash halves cut-side up. Spoon the warm apple mixture evenly into each cavity, mounding slightly. Spoon the maple-nut topping over the filling, pressing lightly so it adheres. Return to the oven for 6–12 minutes, until the nuts are golden and the filling is bubbling gently (be careful so the topping doesn’t scorch.)
- Serve: Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Finish with a drizzle of extra maple syrup or a pinch of flaky salt if desired.
Cranberry Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
make your kitchen smell like home?Butternut squash Mac and cheese FAQs
To make stuffed acorn squash, you only have to rinse the squash, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Easy!
To cook it, we’re roasting it in the oven: Place the squash cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet, then bake it for around 30 minutes.
It may not have quite cooked through by then, but that’s fine because it will bake for another 5 minutes with the filling.
It is, and roasting it for a long time will make it softer and easier to eat.
If you’re like me and not a huge fan of eating the skin… Don’t worry: The flesh easily separates from the skin, and you can eat the flesh away as if the skin was a bowl.
In short: Yes, you cook the filling or stuffing first, then add it to the almost-baked squash and finish roasting the two together.
The squash needs to bake for 30 minutes by itself before you can add the filling. Once you have filled the squash halves, they go back in the oven for around 5-10 minutes.
You can easily check the acorn squash for doneness by carefully sticking a fork or a sharp knife into the thickest part – it should be very soft all the way through.
Perfect to serve with
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