Vegan stuffed acorn squash is filled with a savory sausage and apple stuffing. It makes an eye-catching Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish, or enjoy it as a weeknight dinner all autumn long.
I subscribe to a farm share, which provides a steady stream of produce that changes with the season. Every fall, I can expect a wave of apples, onions, and acorn squash.
This year, I wanted a holiday main course that really celebrated all of that bounty, and this stuffed acorn squash was the happy result.
This acorn squash recipe is beautiful to serve, satisfying to eat, and packed with seasonal ingredients. Fancy enough for a holiday dinner, but simple enough for a weeknight.
Acorn squash halves are roasted until lightly caramelized. Then they become edible “bowls” for hearty stuffing with vegan sausage for protein, plus apple for texture and sweetness.
It goes well with all of your favorite holiday side dishes like sauteed greens and cheesy vegan scalloped potatoes.
In this post:
Ingredients for vegan stuffed acorn squash
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Acorn squash: Choose squash that feel firm and heavy for their size.
Avocado oil: Avocado oil is my go-to, but can be replaced with any neutral-flavored cooking oil.
Vegan sausage: I recommend Field Roast apple sage sausages for their complementary flavors with the other ingredients, but feel free to choose your favorite brand.
Onion: Yellow onion is especially nice for its mellow sweetness.
Garlic: Look for firm bulbs, and avoid any that are soft or sprouting.
Apples: Choose crisp apples that hold their shape when cooked, like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp.
Seasonings: Classic fall herbs (sage, thyme, and rosemary) give the filling that unmistakable Thanksgiving flavor. Salt and pepper keep everything balanced and flavorful.
Bouillon: Better Than Bouillon no chicken base is my go-to.
Panko: These Japanese-style breadcrumbs hold everything together and add light texture to the stuffing top when crisped in the oven. Panko can be replaced with standard breadcrumbs.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Cut 2 acorn squash in half length-wise. Then scoop out and discard seeds (or air fry squash seeds as a snack.)
2. Lightly oil the cut side of the squash halves, and place them cut side down onto a baking sheet. Then roast in the oven until caramelized and fork-tender.
For easiest clean-up, line the baking sheet with parchment first.
3. While the squash cooks, make the stuffing. Brown chopped vegan sausage in an oiled skillet. Once browned, transfer it to a plate.
4. Add more oil to the skillet, if needed. Then add chopped onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until softened and fragrant. Then add minced garlic, and cook about 30 seconds more.
5. Add chopped apple, and saute a few minutes more. Then add seasonings, and combine.
6. Add the browned sausage from earlier. Then stir in water and Better Than Bouillon no chicken base. Dissolve the bouillon. Then stir in panko, and cook a couple minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, and add more if desired.
7. Remove softened squash from the oven, and flip them over with a spatula.
8. Use a spoon to generously fill each half with stuffing, pressing it into the squash as you add it, until each one is domed with stuffing. Put them back in the oven, and bake another 10 minutes.
9. Remove the squash from the oven, and serve with your choice of side dishes.
Substitutions and tips
Need to make it gluten-free? Use gluten-free vegan sausage like Beyond or Impossible sausage, gluten-free panko, and gluten-free bouillon.
Don’t have Better Than Bouillon? Use your preferred vegan chicken-style bouillon, or replace the water + bouillon with vegetable broth.
Don’t have the individual herbs for the stuffing? Replace thyme, rosemary, and sage with 2 ½ teaspoons of poultry seasoning.
Serving suggestions
Vegan stuffed acorn squash makes an eye-catching and impressive centerpiece alongside any of these side dishes:
Storage instructions
Store leftover stuffed acorn squash in an airtight container or wrapped in cling wrap in the fridge. It will keep for about 3 to 4 days.
To reheat any stuffed squash halves, warm in the microwave until heated through. Then transfer to the air fryer, and cook at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, until crispy on top again.
Stuffed acorn squash can also be frozen. Transfer the cooled and stuffed squash halves to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw. Then reheat in the oven or microwave.
More winter squash recipes
Make the most of winter squash season with these other vegan squash recipes:
FAQ
Yes, reheated stuffed acorn squash may not look quite as pretty, but they are every bit as delicious as freshly made, if not more, because all of the flavors have a chance to meld with the squash.
You can make them up to 3 days ahead.
To make the squash ahead, prepare it as written. Then allow the squash halves to cool, put them in an airtight container, and refrigerate.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, warm in the microwave until heated throughout. Then put them into the air fryer, and air fry at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy on top again.
Yes! Simply use Beyond or Impossible sausage (or your preferred gluten-free vegan sausage), and gluten-free panko. Then either use a gluten-free bouillon or vegetable broth instead of water + bouillon.
If you’re having trouble slicing the squash in half, microwave it for 2 to 4 minutes to slightly soften it. (Pierce the skin with a fork before microwaving, so that there’s room for steam to escape.)
For more tips on cutting acorn squash in half, check out this acorn squash guide from The Kitchn.
Yes, you can eat the squash skin. I recommend serving this dish with a knife and fork for easy cutting.
Absolutely! Small butternut, delicata, carnival, or sweet dumpling squash all work well for stuffing. Just keep in mind that the baking time will vary depending on the size of the squash.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Vegan stuffed acorn squash with apple and sausage
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash about 1 lb 5 oz-1 lb 11 oz each
- 5 teaspoons avocado oil divided, plus more for oiling squash
- 4 vegan sausages chopped (about 12.95 oz total; I use Field Roast Smoked Apple & Sage)
- 2 cups chopped onion
- Salt to taste
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 small apples chopped (about 2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pepper to taste
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon no chicken base
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut acorn squash in half length-wise. (Don't actually cut through the stem. Either cut right next to it, or cut most of the way down from the tip, and then pull apart when you get close to the stem. The squash will automatically keep the stem on one side.)
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the halves, and discard or roast them.
- Drizzle avocado oil on the cut side of the squash halves, and put them onto a baking sheet cut side down. (For easiest clean-up, line the baking sheet with parchment first.)
- Put the baking sheet in the oven, and roast the squash for 30 minutes or until the flesh can easily be pierced with a fork.
- While the squash is cooking, make the stuffing. Bring a large skillet to a medium heat, and add a tablespoon of avocado oil. Put the chopped sausage into the skillet and brown, flipping occasionally with a spatula as needed. Once the sausage has browned all over, transfer it to a plate.
- If the skillet is dry, add another 2 teaspoons of avocado oil. Put chopped onion into the skillet along with a pinch of salt. Saute until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Once the onion is soft, add minced garlic and saute about 30 seconds.
- Add chopped apple, and saute a few minutes more. Then add rubbed sage, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and a few twists of pepper from the grinder. Combine with a spatula, and cook about a minute. Put the reserved browned sausage back into the skillet, and combine.
- Stir in water and Better Than Bouillon no chicken base. Once the bouillon has dissolved, stir in panko, and cook a couple minutes more.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Then turn off heat.
- Once the squash is tender, remove it from the oven. Use a spatula to turn the halves over onto their backs. Then use a spoon to stuff each squash with stuffing. Really press the stuffing in so each squash gets plenty, mounding it up so the tops are nicely domed.(Depending on the size of your squash and how generously you stuff them, you may have stuffing leftover. You can serve it alongside the squash or with other dishes. It's better to have too much stuffing than not enough.)
- Put the stuffed squash back into the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve.
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