Stewed pears, apples, and walnuts make for a marvelous combination in this roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe. A healthy side dish for the fall, winter, and holidays.
Remember that time I told you {{two days ago}} that I’m neck deep in side dish land and I can’t get out? Here’s another for your finger-licking enjoyment.
Okay, you caught me…maybe not finger-licking in the literal sense, because in spite of my wholehearted support of eating food without utensils, these stuffed acorn squash do, in fact, require a fork for consumption.
Just look at them.
Forkful after forkful will unveil sweet, tender mush carbs, fueling you pleasure ventricle, and yes you read that correctly.
Tender bites of sweet, sweet carb mush punctuated by al dente nuggets of apple-pear carb spunk is the name of the game here.
Who knew you could derive so much enjoyment out of squash?
Do you remember the Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Pears, and Pecans I showed you a few years ago?
I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve made that recipe since its inception on this site, because it’s been quite the torrid love affair between me and the ol’ stuffed squash.
Recently, I was craving a similar dish, but I had zero quinoa on hand, but all the apples and pears.
Out of the refrigerator, this super simple yet satisfying dish was formed – easy enough to make for dinner most nights of the week, and lovely alongside most entrees, including meatloaf in point of fact!
Sweet, buttery roasted stuffed acorn squash is such a comforting side dish during the fall and winter months.
Adorned with pears, apples, and pecans, the acorn squash becomes an even more mouth-watering dish.
You can even throw in some brown rice and sausage to make this a hearty entrée if your heart so desires.
You can use any liquid sweetener of your choice for this recipe, as well as brown sugar. Swap out the walnuts for pecans or almonds if you’d like
How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash:
Cut the tip and tail off the squash, chop it in half, and scoop out the insides – you can save the seeds for roasting if you’d like!
Drizzle the acorn squash with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, ground cinnamon, and cardamom (or skip the cardamom if you don’t have it on hand).
Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until flesh is tender when poked with a fork.
While the acorn squash is roasting, prepare the “stuffing” by heating the apple, pear, walnuts and honey on the stovetop with some cinnamon.
Cook the fruit until it reaches desired done-ness – I like mine al dente, so I cook the fruit for about 10 minutes. For softer fruit, add some water and cook for 30 minutes or so.
You can adjust the amount of sweetness to your heart’s content, and if you want to get really fancy, you can add a tablespoon or two of rum, brandy, or bourbon.
Once the acorn squash is out of the oven, you can plop a dollop of butter in the center of the acorn squash and give it a drizzle of honey.
Stuff the acorn squash with your desired amount of stewed pears and apples, drizzle again with honey if desired, and you’re ready to rock out with your squash out.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Make this recipe vegan by using pure maple syrup and skipping the butter.
- Add dried (or fresh) cranberries to the apple-pear-walnut stuffing mixture.
- Make it Whole30 by omitting the honey.
- Serve with whipped coconut cream, whole milk yogurt, or goat chevre on top.
More Winter Squash Recipes:
- Taco Stuffed Delicata Squash
- Turkey Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Roasted Kabocha Squash with Cinnamon Maple Tahini
- Ground Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash
- Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
Prepare this healthy side for your friends and family all fall and winter long!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo on Instagram and tag @The.Roasted.Root!
Pear Apple Walnut Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash halved and seeded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ apple cored and chopped, I used Envy apple
- ½ bosc pear cored and chopped
- ¼ cup raw walnuts chopped
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground cardamom
- Pinch sea salt
- 3 tablespoons honey plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cut the tip and tail off of the acorn squash, then cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the innerds and seeds using a sturdy metal spoon.
- Drizzle each half with olive oil and use your hands to smear around the oil so that all of the flesh is well-coated. Sprinkle the flesh with sea salt and a dash of cinnamon.
- Place acorn squash on a baking sheet cut-side down. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork.
- While squash is roasting, add the butter to a small skillet and heat on the stovetop over medium. Add the chopped apple, pear, walnuts, cinnamon, cardamom, sea salt, and honey. Bring to a sizzle, cover, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until pear and apple have softened but are still al dente, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once acorn squash has finished cooking, transfer each half to a plate or cutting board. Drizzle the flesh with honey, then stuff the center with the apple-pear-walnut stuffing mixture. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Would it work to dice the squash raw and saute on the stovetop? I live in the south and trying to avoid the oven.
Hi Abby!
Yes, absolutely! Whichever method you prefer for cooking the squash, I say go for it 😀 Hope you enjoy!! xoxo
Didn’t have a pear but had lots of apples and it works great just using a whole apple too! We also subbed maple syrup for the honey and it was the bomb. Like candy. Thanks for the recipe!
My pleasure, Katy! I’m so happy you made and enjoyed the recipe! 😀
This squash looks incredible! I love the idea of playing up its natural sweetness with the fruits 🙂
I normally just smother acorn squash with cinnamon (so yum!) but I’m digging your sweet additions!
How amazing does this sound?! Perfect for a new Thanksgiving side dish!
I want to live in side dish land forever and ever, especially since this stuffed squash is there!!
This squash looks and sounds amazing! I would have never thought of adding both apple and pears, genius!