Tender roasted wild rice stuffed acorn squash is a delicious main dish full of warm and cozy Fall flavors. Healthy, gluten-free, and oil-free, it’s perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas Day dinner table.
I love fall and winter holiday meals. The flavors are unique: sweet, savory, and earthy. Whether it’s a delicious vegan ham roast or creamy vegan scalloped potatoes, I’m enthralled and happy.
But lately, I have become obsessed with this wild rice stuffed acorn squash. It's an incredibly simple, hearty, and filling meal.
The flavor combination of garlic, celery, and herbs like thyme and sage scream – Thanksgiving! You can serve this up as a main dish by itself or pair it with a healthy green salad. And it's excellent for both casual and fancy dining. It's guaranteed to impress.
If you’re looking for holiday meal ideas, then look no further. Let’s do this!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It’s straightforward to make
- Healthy, hearty, and filling
- Vegetarian and vegan
- It’s oil-free and gluten-free
- You get to eat out of an acorn squash. Fun times!
Let’s roast, baby!
In This Post
⏲ Baking Time
Cooking times may vary because every appliance is different. The flesh of the squash should be easily pierced with a knife. So, the cooking time should range between 25-35 minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here's a quick rundown of the simple ingredients for this vegetarian stuffed acorn squash.
- Acorn Squash: make sure they are relatively similar in size. You don't want anyone feeling like they're getting the shaft when you serve it.
- Maple Syrup: I use this to baste the inside of the squash so it browns as it bakes. And it adds a hint of sweetness. But this is entirely optional.
- Vegan Wild Rice Stuffing: This is great to make beforehand so it's ready to go. It's a delicious mixture of savory, sweet, and earthiness. It pairs so well with the squash. CLICK HERE to get the recipe.
Instructions For Making Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash
This vegetarian stuffed acorn squash recipe is so simple to make. If you've already made the wild rice, it's even more accessible. You cut, roast, stuff, and serve.
- Preheat your oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.
- Cut the acorn squash in half either lengthwise or crossways, thinly slice the bottom of each half so the squash will stand up, and scoop out the seeds. You can use a spoon, an ice cream scoop, or a tablespoon measuring spoon.
- Rub or brush the inside of the squash with a bit of maple syrup. This helps the squash to brown up nicely since we're not using oil, and it also adds a little more sweetness to the squash.
- Place the squash halves on the baking sheet cut-side up, and roast for 25-30 minutes until the squash is fork tender and the skin is easily pierced with a knife. (NOTE: If the wild rice stuffing is not already pre-made, make it while the acorn squash is roasting.) Be sure to taste and season to your preference before stuffing the squash.)
- Remove the squash from the oven and place hearty scoops of the VeganWild Rice Stuffing into each roasted acorn squash, place back in the oven, and roast for 10 minutes. (If you make the stuffing simultaneously, you do not need to place the squash back in the oven.)
- Serve and enjoy!
Stuffed Acorn Squash FAQ
Be sure you have a good sharp knife, sturdy cutting board, baking sheet, and parchment paper. Links to all of these items can be found in the recipe card down below.
Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each squash so the squash can stand up. Be sure not to cut off too much or it will leave a hole. Also, cut the stems off the tops if they are too long. Now, cut each squash either lengthwise or crossways in half and scoop out the seeds.
Yes! You can make the vegetarian stuffed acorn squashes ahead of time, cover, and store in the refrigerator. Simply reheat when you’re ready to serve.
Acorn squash is winter produce. So, these make great Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes. But, it’s a simple and nutritious anytime meal because it’s great for casual or fancy dining during the colder months. Stuffed acorn squash is delicious comfort food.
Yes! It’s loaded with fiber and vitamins. In fact, the skin is usually the healthiest part of most fruits and vegetables.
💭 Top Tips
- Save the seeds: You can roast acorn squash seeds like pumpkin seeds. So, save them for salad toppings or even garnishing this recipe.
- Rice: Long grain rice works best for texture in this recipe.
- Cutting: A sharp knife is essential when cutting acorn squash or similar veggies.
- Wild Rice Stuffing: By adding some dried cranberries or maple-roasted pecans for extra flavor and texture, it becomes the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas Day dish.
- Make-Ahead: I like to cook the wild rice stuffing at least a day in advance. It's one less step when you're preparing this recipe.
- Always use low-sodium vegetable broth or water when making the rice mixture. It helps to keep the sodium down. You can season with salt and black pepper right before serving.
- Cooking: cook the stuffing in a large skillet or saucepan because it makes a significant amount. But you can save any leftover stuffing in the fridge for meal prep.
- Substitutions: If you don't have acorn squash, use a small pumpkin or butternut squash and follow the exact roasting directions.
Variations
Here are a few ways to get creative with this recipe:
- Rice: if you don’t have wild rice, this recipe works great with both brown rice and black rice.
- Sweet Potato: Adding extra vegetables is a great way to add flavor and texture to this delicious recipe. Sweet potato is one of my favorites!
- Sausage: Mix in some vegan sausage crumbles or Italian sausage crumbles for an extra dose of savoriness.
- Onions: Try replacing onions with shallots in the wild rice stuffing. They’re a little more mild than regular onions.
- Topping: Sprinkling the top of this wild rice stuffed acorn squash with some vegan parmesan (affiliate link) adds a nice, nutty, and cheesy element that blends in perfectly.
How To Store Leftovers
- Freezer: You can store stuffed acorn squash in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to use freezer-safe containers to prevent freezer burn. Let the squash thaw before reheating.
- Refrigerator: You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in a covered container. If you are doing meal prep, these glass storage containers are excellent.
What Goes Good With Stuffed Acorn Squash
This recipe pairs great with so many things. A few of my favorite recipes are:
- Oil-Free Sautéed Kale
- Apple Walnut Salad with Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Easy Skillet Green Beans
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- The Best Vegan Stuffing
- Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers
- The Best Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Vegan Gravy
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Stuffed Acorn Squash With Wild Rice Stuffing
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield4 servings 1x
- DietVegan
Tender roasted squash filled with a sweet and savory wild rice stuffing, this Stuffed Acorn Squash is a delicious main dish full of Fall flavors. It’s healthy, oil-free, gluten-free, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 batch Vegan Wild Rice Stuffing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick aluminum foil.
- Cut the acorn squash in half either lengthwise or crossways, thinly slice the bottom of each half so the squash will stand up, and scoop out the seeds. You can use a spoon, an ice cream scoop, or a tablespoon measuring spoon.
- Rub or brush the inside of the squash with a bit of maple syrup. This helps the squash to brown up nicely since we're not using oil, and it also adds a little more sweetness to the squash.
- Place the squash halves on the baking sheet cut-side up, and roast for 25-30 minutes until the squash is fork tender and the skin is easily pierced with a knife. (NOTE: If the wild rice stuffing is not already pre-made, make it while the acorn squash is roasting.) Be sure to taste and season to your preference before stuffing the squash.)
- Remove the squash from the oven and place hearty scoops of the VeganWild Rice Stuffing into each roasted acorn squash, place back in the oven, and roast for 10 minutes. (If you make the stuffing simultaneously, you do not need to place the squash back in the oven.)
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Cooking time for this recipe does not include the Vegan Wild Rice Stuffing. The recipe is based on the assumption it is made ahead of time. However, the cooking times are very similar if you make the wild rice stuffing as you roast the acorn squash.
Save the seeds: You can roast acorn squash seeds just like you would pumpkin seeds. So, save them to use as salad toppings or even garnishing this recipe.
Wild Rice Stuffing: Make the stuffing fit the season by adding some dried cranberries or roasted maple pecans for extra flavor and texture.
Make-Ahead: I like to cook the wild rice stuffing at least a day in advance. It’s one less step when you’re preparing this recipe.
Substitutions: If you don’t have acorn squash, use a small pumpkin or butternut squash and follow the same roasting directions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 336
- Sugar: 16.2 g
- Sodium: 447.6 mg
- Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 76.3 g
- Fiber: 9.6 g
- Protein: 11.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 30 mins.
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Thanksgiving, Christmas
absolutely delicious
Hi Shane,
Just saw this recipe and I’m excited to try it. I’m curious though. If I make the rice stuffing a day or two ahead, do I put the cold stuffing from the refrigerator into the warm acorn squash? Will 10 minutes be enough to heat everything through? Should I take the stuffing out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature first? Or should I microwave it to warm it up, and then put it into the cooked squash and bake for the 10 minutes? I read that you like to make the stuffing ahead of time, so what do you do? Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide.
And thanks for all your fantastic recipes!
I would warm it up on the stovetop or microwave and then add to the squash.
Great! Thank you so much for your help.
My pleasure.
Hi – I made this a few nights ago (I’m one of those people who follow a recipe exactly as it’s stated!!) I shared with my mother and sister and her husband. Everyone loved it. Your recipes are so flavorful, I love everything that I’ve made so far!! Keep the recipes coming…
Thank you so much!
DELICIOUS! I didn’t have wild rice mix to used Farro instead. Added raisins and walnuts. A great dish to take to a holiday party. Thank you
Hi, Shane. Thanks for the stuffed squash recipe; it was easy to make and a pleasure to serve for dinner. My dinner partner l-o-v-e-d that wild rice stuffing. We enjoyed the dish even though it’s August, which maybe is unseasonal for baked stuffed squash, but it was a rare cool-ish day for August, so I went ahead. I’ve previously used that Lundberg wild rice blend that you linked to, many times, so I had it on my shelf but had only made it with water, not veg stock. Doing that made it so creamy, for some reason! So I learned something, thanks. I added raisins, which we enjoyed. Btw, your artistic photos inspire and encourage me, are more helpful than you might expect. I appreciate your work. 🙂
Can I use quinoa in this recipe instead?
Absolutely!
Excellent despite the fact that I misread the directions and cooked the apples with the onions.
It’s all good!
Made the stuffed acorn squash for dinner tonight. Served it with with a mixed green salad with apples and walnuts with the vegan honey mustard dressing over it. Also had steamed broccoli with cheez sauce poured over it. Finished the meal of with the healthy avocado chocolate pudding. It was a wonderful feast and definitely would be a great special occasion meal for anyone, not just vegans! Thanks for the terrific recipes! Loving your site!!!!!
Sounds amazing and thank you!
Delicious recipe, I will definitely make this again!
Tender roasted squash filled with a sweet and savory wild rice stuffing, this Stuffed Acorn Squash is a delicious main dish full of Fall flavors. It’s healthy, oil-free, gluten-free, and easy to make.