Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash has chunks of spiced apples, butter, and brown sugar in acorn squash that’s roasted to golden perfection.
Acorn squash is my all-time favorite type of squash to eat – and when it’s Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash – even better!
This delicious recipe is easy to prepare, ready in an hour or so (mostly baking time), and it makes a great side dish to serve along with roasted chicken, beef or pork. (You could even eat this as a meatless meal if you’d like!)
These Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash are also a wonderful way to enjoy in-season apples and squash. After taking the photographs you see here, we brought the leftovers to a neighborhood house party – and they were immediately devoured!
The spicy, buttery apple filling is the perfect complement to the flavor of the acorn squash – and a delicious taste of Fall!
PrintApple-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash has chunks of spiced apples, butter, and brown sugar in acorn squash that’s roasted to golden perfection.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 large acorn squash
- 2 Gala apples, or other hard baking apple
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose four
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry sage
- 1 cup applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened is fine)
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut squash in half horizontally and remove seeds. Pull or cut off stem if attached and on the other end, slice off a tiny sliver of the end so that it sits upright in a pan without rocking.
- Place all four squash halves cut up in a 9×13-inch glass baking dish.
- Peel, core and cut apples into one inch cubes and place in large bowl.
- Immediately cover with lemon juice and toss to coat.
- Add zest, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, salt, sage and apple sauce and mix.
- Divide evenly between four acorn squash halves.
- Cut the butter into four pieces and press one piece down into the center of each filled squash.
- Pour water into the bottom of the baking dish to come about one third of the way up.
- Cover pan with parchment and foil and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness and bake for 15 minutes more if needed.
- Then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more to brown tops. (Ours took the entire hour and 15 minutes).
- Remove from oven and serve. (The outside squash skin is not meant to be eaten.)
You may also like:
Maple Sage Roasted Delicata Squash
Roasted Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard
Butternut Squash and Sausage Chili
Loved it! I never precisely measure the dry ingredients, and I added my own little touches, with more lemon juice and freshly dried oregano from our garden. Because I was starting a little late on dinner, I also preheated the squash and the filling separately in the microwave for 2 minutes each, which easily cut 15 minutes off the baking time.
Thanks for the suggestion Gary!
Can this be frozen ?
Hi Mary – We’ve never tried freezing it ourselves – let us know how it works out if you try it!
Beyond words this is fantastic !! I let it cool a bit and put Cool Whip on top. Major hit!!
Thank you!