This Stuffed Acorn Squash is filled with a cozy bread stuffing with apples, sage, and cranberries. Naturally vegan and easily gluten free!
Sage, apples, and cranberries are a classic flavor pairing. Combine that with perfectly cooked stuffing and tender acorn squash and you have the perfect Fall dish.
Reasons to love this recipe:
- Naturally vegan and easily gluten free.
- The perfect alternative entree for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
- A simple 9 ingredient recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Acorn squash - or another small squash with a large seed cavity for stiffing. Think delicata, kabocha, or sugar pumpkins.
- Olive oil - or another oil like avocado or grapeseed. Even butter!
- Onion
- Celery
- Apple - any variety will do.
- Vegetable broth - or chicken.
- Dried cranberries - I prefer the flavor and texture of juice sweetened cranberries, but any type will work!
- Fresh sage - or try thyme or rosemary.
- Salt & pepper
- Nutmeg - adds a warm depth of flavor. Wonderful with the squash!
- Vegan butter - or regular butter.
How to make stuffed acorn squash:
Bake the squash: Take each halved and seeded squash and sprinkle the skin side with salt and pepper. Roast skin-side up on a baking sheet until tender.
Toast the bread: Slice your bread into ½ inch cubes and spread it out onto a sheet pan. Bake in the same oven as the squash for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. Toasting the bread helps it absorb all the flavors later!
Stuff and bake: Toss the bread with the remaining filling ingredients. Spoon into each squash cavity and pack it down to fit snugly. Dot the top of each squash with a pat of vegan butter and bake for 20 minutes until warmed through.
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How to pick the right sized squash:
Acorn squash come in a variety of sizes! I usually try and find slightly larger than grapefruit sized squash for this recipe. Smaller and you may need an extra squash to accommodate the extra stuffing. Larger, and they will need to cook longer and will have less stiffing per squash. Still delicious whatever the size!
Is this stuffed squash vegan?
Sure is! As long as the bread you are using is egg and dairy free.
Can this be gluten free?
Absolutely! This recipe works great with gluten free bread. I love it with my Artisan Gluten Free Bread (seen in in the photos) but have had success with most store-bought brands of gluten free bread.
Leftovers?
Store any leftovers in a lidded container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or oven. If using the oven, check occasionally to ensure that the bread is not getting too crunchy. Cover with foil if needed.
More squash recipes to try!
- Winter Kale Salad with Grapefruit and Balsamic Delicata Squash
- Roasted Squash, Apples, and Brussel Sprouts
- Butternut Squash Lentil Loaf
- Fall Harvest Collard Rolls with Vegan Ricotta and Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash with Sage Apple Stuffing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Yield: 2 -4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Stuffed Acorn Squash is filled with a cozy bread stuffing with, apples, sage and cranberries. Naturally vegan and easily gluten free!
Ingredients
For the squash:
- 2 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
- 2 cups cubed gluten free bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
- Salt & pepper
For the stuffing:
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 small apple, or ½ large, diced
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch pepper
- Pinch nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle the cavity side of each squash with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, skin side up. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the squash begins to soften.
- Spread the bread out onto a second baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add in the onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the apple and sauté for anther 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add in the toasted bread and remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. If the bread hasn't absorbed all the broth, set it aside for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Once the squash are tender, remove them from the oven and fill each with a quarter of the stuffing and top with a pat of butter.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the squash is very tender and the stuffing is beginning to brown. Serve.
Notes
If you can't find acorn squash, use another small squash with a large seed cavity for stiffing. Think delicata, kabocha, or sugar pumpkins.
You can complete steps 1-5 a day or two early. On the day you plan to serve, bake the squash a second time in step 6 and enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ recipe
- Calories: 231
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 558mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 36
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: sage, apple, cranberry, gluten free, vegan, Winter, Fall, Christmas, Thanksgiving
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