Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa
Stuffed Acorn Squash with quinoa, cranberries, chickpeas, and pecans is a nourishing recipe with minimal ingredients. It’s flavorful and full of texture, naturally vegan, and ready in about 40 minutes!
Stuffed acorn squash is pure fall comfort – and these are my absolute favorite! When halved widthwise and seeds removed, they turn into the cutest little flower-shaped bowls, perfect for holding a hearty, colorful filling.
This version is packed with a vibrant quinoa mixture featuring chickpeas, sweet-tart cranberries, and pecans for cozy fall flavor and color in every bite. It’s a complete, satisfying meal for everyday dinners or a festive vegan centerpiece for the holiday table.
Best of all? It’s make-ahead friendly – prep the components or even fully assemble up to 2 days in advance for stress-free hosting. A light balsamic salad is a great side, or pair with holiday staples like Green Beans Almondine, pecan sweet potato casserole, and Kale Date Salad.
Ready to make them? Let’s get started!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is everything you’ll need to make this stuffed acorn squash recipe, along with tips and substitution ideas.
- Acorn Squash – Look for acorn squash that are uniform in size.
- Quinoa – Use your favorite quinoa – white, tri-color, or red.
- Chickpeas – Rich in protein, chickpeas add heartiness. Feel free to omit them if you prefer.
- Red Onion – Substitute the red onion with shallot for a slightly mellower onion flavor, use 1/4 cup finely diced. The onions are used raw; if you prefer, add them to the quinoa while cooking.
- Cranberries – Cranberries add a little tartness and sweetness. I used a golden berry mix with dried cranberries, cherries, golden raisins, and blueberries (from Trader Joe’s), and it was delicious! To keep this sugar-free, look for unsweetened cranberries. To keep it refined and sugar-free, use organic dried fruits.
- Pecans – Pecans have a unique, rich flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients. If you have nut allergies, you can substitute pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
- Sage – Use fresh or dried sage, just a hint is all you need.
- Garlic Powder – No substitute, but if you don’t have it, you’ll be fine. Just season well with salt and pepper.
- Salt + Pepper – My favorite salt is pink mineral salt (affiliate link), which naturally contains essential minerals and trace elements the body needs. Season to taste with your favorite salt and pepper.
How To Cut Acorn Squash in Half
Cutting acorn squash in half for roasting and stuffing is super easy and takes just a few steps. As mentioned above, this is my new favorite way to cut squash for stuffing. Once the top and bottom are sliced off, they stand up and are sturdy enough for stuffing.
- Place squash on its side. Lay the acorn squash on its side, then cut it in half widthwise.
- Cut off the ends. Turn the squash half on its side again and trim off the end to create a flat bottom (above left). Be sure not to cut too much of the ends or your bowl will have a hole, cut just cut enough to trim it.
- Remove the seeds. Using a sharp-edged spoon or a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, scrape around the inside of the squash to remove all the seeds. Don’t throw the seeds away. You can roast the seeds for snacking!
How To Roast Acorn Squash
- Preheat oven. Set the oven temp to 400 degrees. Prep a baking sheet (I used a jelly-roll sheet) with parchment or silicone mat.
- To roast: Place the acorn squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Brush with oil (or maple syrup for oil-free), season with salt and pepper (above right). Bake in the oven for 30 – 45 minutes, until fork-tender (shown below). Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your squash. These smaller squashes took 30 minutes.
How To Make Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Now on to the good stuff – let’s stuff a squash!
- While the acorn squash is roasting, cook the quinoa. Once the quinoa is done, let it cool for a few minutes. Add the chickpeas, red onion, cranberries, salt, and pepper. Taste for flavor. Add the pecans and toss again (below left). I like to add the pecans at the very end so they don’t soften too much from the heat of the freshly cooked quinoa.
- Stuff each cooked squash half with the quinoa mixture (below right). If needed, place in the oven at 350 degrees to rewarm.
- Sprinkle each stuffed squash with a little chopped parsley before serving.
Just like that, you’re ready to dine on this healthy, easy to make stuffed acorn squash!
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored for up to 5 days in a sealed container, making them great for weekly meal prep, too!
- Freezer: Place one half-stuffed squash into a freezer-safe quart-size bag and remove as much air as possible. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely and transfer to the freezer. It will last 2 to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes. They taste great at room temperature, too.
Can Stuffed Acorn Squash Be Made In Advance?
Yes! You can make stuffed acorn squash up to 1 to 2 days ahead (we recommend 24 hours advance for best presentation) using one of these two easy options:
- Prep components separately (recommended for best results) and store the squash halves and stuffing in airtight containers in the fridge. On the day of serving, reheat squash halves briefly (350-375°F oven, 10-15 min), stuff, then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through.
- Fully assemble ahead: Stuff the roasted squash, cover tightly (with foil or store in an airtight container), and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for 20-30 min (or until warmed through, uncover the last few min for browning).
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: Pair with Kale, Date & Almond Salad or a simple spring mix salad with healthy flax and evo Balsamic Dressing.
- Side: Pair with a vegetable such as Mashed Potatoes (or cauliflower mashed potatoes), Oven Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine, Savory Sauteed Kale, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
- Soup: Serve with a small bowl of Vegan Cauliflower Soup, Vegan Pumpkin Soup, or Creamy Celery Soup.
- Dessert: Finish your meal with this delicious Apple Pear Crisp or Apple-Cranberry Crisp!
More Easy Squash Recipes!
- Stuffed Delicata Squash with Quinoa, Cranberry & Pistachio
- Stuffed Acorn Squash + Wild Rice Medley
- Delicata Squash Fries
- Pumpkin Soup
- See all winter squash recipes on TSV!
If you try this stuffed acorn squash recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love hearing what you think or any changes you make.
STUFFED ACORN SQUASH WITH QUINOA
Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash with cranberries, chickpeas, and pecans is full of flavor, texture, and ready in about 40 minutes! Naturally vegan and gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Entree
- Method: Roast, Simmer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or pure maple syrup
- 1 cup dried quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 – 3 sage leaves, minced or 3/4 teaspoon dried
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (raisins or golden berry mix ok too)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- mineral salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
Prep Squash: Lay the acorn squash on its side, find the center, and cut it in half widthwise. Turn the squash half on its side again and trim off the end to create a flat bottom. Using a sharp-edged spoon or a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon, scrape around the inside of the squash to remove all the seeds.
Roast Squash: Place the acorn squash on a baking sheet, cut side up. Brush with oil (or maple syrup for oil-free), season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Quinoa: In a medium-sized pot, add quinoa, sage, garlic powder, and water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, fluff with a fork and let quinoa rest for 10 minutes.
Assemble quinoa stuffing: To the quinoa, add the chickpeas, red onion, cranberries, salt and pepper. Just before stuffing the squash, mix in the pecans.
Stuff Squash: Fill each squash half with quinoa stuffing. Top with optional chopped parsley for a little pop of color and fresh flavor. Place in a 350-degree preheated oven, on the center rack, uncovered, for 10 – 15 minutes. You can also eat right away without warming, since each component will be warmed.
Serves 6
Store: Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days in covered containers. To reheat, place them in the oven at 350 degrees, covered, for 10 – 20 minutes.
Notes
If you don’t care for raw onions, add them to the quinoa while cooking to ‘deflame’ and soften them.
Feel free to adjust the amount of pecans and dried cranberries to suit your taste. You may like to add a little more.
Don’t throw the squash seeds away, you can roast the seeds for snacking!
Make Ahead: (we recommend 24 hours advance for best presentation) using one of these two easy options:
Prep components separately (recommended for best results) and store the squash halves and stuffing in airtight containers in the fridge. On the day of serving, reheat squash halves briefly (350-375°F oven, 10-15 min), stuff, then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until warmed through.
Fully assemble ahead: Stuff the roasted squash, cover tightly (with foil or store in an airtight container), and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for 20-30 min (or until warmed through, uncover the last few min for browning).
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Great recipe. I make a glaze out of some canned cranberry sauce (with berries, but you could probably use the other kind too) and balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the assembled squash. Delish!
Made as written, so delicious!
I noticed your instructions say “preheat oven to 400” yet the squash needs to be baked at 425? Maybe the recipe needs to be adjusted :)
Oops, goodness I needed to fix that long ago. My apologies for any confusion, it’s been updated to be at 400 degrees. Thank you so much for pointing it out!
Recipe looks lovely. I want to try it as I just bought an acorn squash. I was thinking about cooking the squash whole in crockpot, making it easier to cut when stuffing. Maybe til ALMOST done. What do you think?
You can certainly do that. I’ve never cooked an acorn squash in a slow cooker, but if you’re familiar with it go for it. Cooking until aldente sounds perfect, then you finish it off in the oven. Would love to know how it goes for you. Enjoy!
The family loved these! Thanks for the great recipe!