This autumn quinoa stuffed acorn squash filled with autumn spices, apples, cranberries, and walnuts makes a delicious breakfast topped with yogurt or beautiful side dish for fall meals. (vegan, gluten-free)

I have a hard time deciding which winter squash I love the most. They're all simply gorgeous and delicious when roasted. I would say acorn squash is my favorite but I'd be lying because I think they're all my favorite.

If you've never roasted an acorn squash, I highly recommend it. The natural sweetness and soft flesh that comes out of roasted winter squash are hard to beat, especially when paired with cozy fall spices, a hint of sweetness, and a quinoa filling, like in this delicious quinoa stuffed acorn squash!

Why You'll Love This Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

If you're just as in love with cozy fall dishes as I am, this quinoa stuffed acorn squash is a must-have. Tender roasted acorn squash sprinkled with cinnamony goodness and drizzled with maple syrup gets stuffed with a barely sweet filling of whole-grain quinoa, apples, cranberries, and walnuts. It's both deliciously comforting and highly nutritious - you have vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and nuts all in one adorable little acorn squash vessel!

How To Make This Autumn Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

First, you'll prepare the squash:

Cut the acorn squash in half cross-wise. You could also cut it length-wise but I find that a square baking dish fits four halves just perfectly this way.
I like to cut the very tip off of both the bottom and the top of each squash so you have a nice flat surface and it stands up easily. The stem is pretty tough, so use a large, sharp knife.
Scoop out the seeds (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and save them for roasting later, if you like.
Drizzle the squash with maple syrup, sprinkle with spices, and roast for 20 minutes in a 400°F oven.

While the squash is roasting, you'll prepare the quinoa mixture:

In a covered saucepan, simmer ½ cup quinoa in 1 cup of water.
One it's cooked, stir in a diced apple, some walnut pieces, dried cranberries, maple syrup, some more cozy fall spices, and some almond milk.

Scoop the filling into the roasted squash and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes.

How to Serve Autumn Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed acorn squash is so versatile, and you can enjoy it any time of day! One of my favorite ways to eat this delicious stuffed acorn squash is with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon for breakfast. You could also serve it on a plate of greens for lunch or as a side dish to go with almost any protein - from pork tenderloin to roasted chicken.

Here are a few of my favorite dinner recipes to serve this squash with:

Can You Eat Acorn Squash Skin?

Yes! Acorn squash skin is both edible and full of fiber as long as it's been roasted until soft. No peeling for you and less food waste is always a win!

Are you convinced to make this vegan autumn quinoa stuffed acorn squash yet?

If you do, please be sure to leave a star rating in the comments below!

Autumn Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: side dish, breakfast
Method: roasted
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
pinch ground cloves
2 small acorn squash
3 tbsp maple syrup, divided
½ cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup water
1 small apple, diced
⅓ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
⅓ cup dried cranberries
½ cup almond milk

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, mix spices together. Set aside.
Cut acorn squash in half crosswise and scoop out seeds. Cut the very tip off of tops and bottoms of squash so that they have a flat surface to stand on. Place squash flesh side up in a square baking dish.
Drizzle squash with 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the spice mix. Roast for 20 minutes.
While squash is roasting, prepare the quinoa. Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in apple, walnuts, cranberries, remaining 2 tablespoon of maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of the remaining spice mix, and almond milk.
Remove acorn squash from oven. Scoop quinoa mixture into each acorn squash hole.
Return to the oven and continue to cook 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Notes

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Leftovers also freeze well.
Reheat leftovers covered in the oven or in the microwave.
This recipe is a great way to use leftover quinoa! Simply omit cooking the quinoa and continue with mixing the filling ingredients.
Feel free to substitute other nuts for the the walnuts, such as pecans or pepitas, or leave them out. You can also substitute raisins for the cranberries.
Use any nondiary milk you like. I prefer unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Keywords: quinoa stuffed acorn squash, vegan stuffed acorn squash