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    HOME » Recipes » Sides

    Published: Nov 5, 2019 · Modified: Oct 31, 2022· This website generates income via ads ·

    Quick Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Holidays provide ample opportunities to treat friends and family to delicious seasonal food and beverages. My Quick Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries is the perfect accompaniment to your main dish Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham. This easy roasted acorn squash features sweetness from maple syrup and brown sugar. It gets a little tang from fresh cranberries. This acorn squash recipe is not overly sweet, like candied sweet potato, making it is the perfect fall and winter side dish. And, it is not just for holidays or special occasions.

    (Updated to include a new shortcut to reduce cooking time!)

    Baking dish with foru wedges of cooked acorn squash with cranberries.
    Jump to:
    • Why try my Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries?
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Recipe FAQ'S
    • Looking for More Squash Recipes?
    • Recipe Shortcut!
    • Pro Tip
    • Recipe

    Why try my Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries?

    • Acorn squash is one of the milder flavored winter squashes. Use for your meal plan where you need a starch.
    • It is low in calories, and packed with various nutrients.
    • It is especially high in vitamin C and a great source of iron.
    • It is a versatile vegetable, actually a gourd, which can be used in recipes featuring savory spices and sweet recipes, like my delicious Autumn Pie.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for Quick Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries.

    How do I choose the best acorn squash?

    Acorn squash has an acorn-like shape with ridged skin that can vary in color from dark green to white. A good mix between dark green and orange skin color is desired. A ripe acorn squash is heavy for its size, has smooth, dull skin, with no soft spots. Avoid an acorn squash that has shiny skin. This indicates it was picked before full maturity, unless the producer has applied wax.
    • Acorn Squash - choose a large squash for this recipe.
    • Butter
    • Brown sugar - light or dark
    • Cinnamon - if you want a more savory taste omit the cinnamon and use just a pinch of garlic powder or onion powder.
    • Nutmeg - Grated whole nutmeg is best.
    • Salt
    • Maple Syrup - real maple syrup not pancake syrup
    • Cranberries - fresh or frozen
    • Nuts - Pecans, walnuts or toasted squash seeds. This is a great recipe in which to use the seeds instead of wasting them.Acorn Squash - choose a large squash for this recipe.

    Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the recipe card.


    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Acorn squash with knife sticking in side.

    Cut 2" long slits in squash along lines where you will cut them in quarters later.

    Acorn squash cooking in the microwave.

    Place in microwave on microwave-safe plate and cook for 6 minutes.

    Butter, brown sugar, spices, and maple syrup in a small pot.

    Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, maple syrup.

    Small pot of maple butter after sugar melted.

    Mix well to dissolve sugar. Use a little heat if needed.

    Acorn squash cut into fourths.

    Remove squash from microwave and cut into quarters.

    Acorn squash wedges with seeds and strings removed.

    Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits of the insides.

    Acorn squash wedges in baking dish held upright by crumpled foil with cranberries in center.

    Place in an oven proof dish, propping up level with crumpled foil.

    Fill the well of each quarter with cranberries.

    Acorn squash with cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds inthe center.

    Add the nuts and the seeds (if using) on top of cranberries.

    Maple butter being pored over the acorn squash.

    Pour the maple butter mixture over the quarters of squash.

    Quick Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries covered with foil and ready for the oven.

    Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Take foil off and bake until soft.

    Baked acorn squash fresh out of the oven.

    When squash is cooked through remove from oven & baste with drippings.

    Equipment

    • Sharp Chef's Knife
    • Cutting board
    • Microwave-safe dish (if using the shortcut)
    • Baking sheet, parchment or foil lined
    • Airtight container, for storing leftovers

    Recipe FAQ'S

    Are acorn squash and butternut squash the same?

    No. Acorn squash are small and shaped like acorns. They have thick green skin with prominent ridges, making it a bit more difficult to chop up for cooking. Butternut squash are beige and have a long "neck" with a bulbous end. Both have orange flesh.

    Which is better for cooking acorn or butternut squash?

    Because acorn squash have a thicker, sturdier skin and are more fibrous, they're best for roasting and stuffing. Butternut squash are a lot smoother, which makes them great for soups, but they can be roasted and stuffed, too.

    Which is healthier butternut and acorn squash?

    Acorn squash wins the match. It offers more folate, calcium, magnesium (nearly one-third of a day's worth in one cup) and potassium than butternut, hubbard and spaghetti squash. Eat one cup of cooked acorn squash and you'll get more potassium than if you ate two medium bananas.

    Looking for More Squash Recipes?

    The best ways for making squash spectacular!

    Bowl of cooked butternut squash.

    Ina's Caramelized Butternut Squash

    Pan with raised and baked sinner rolls with poppy seeds on top.

    Squash Dinner Rolls

    Recipe Shortcut!

    How do you soften acorn squash before roasting?

    You can microwave acorn squash before roasting. Start by making several large slits through the skin with the tip of a sharp chef's knife. Make the slits where you will be cutting the squash into quarters. No need to go from end to end, just a large slit. This helps the air release as your squash heats up, to avoid your squash exploding in the microwave. Next, let the squash cook in the microwave, on high for approximately 3-5 minutes. This will soften the skin, and begin cooking the flesh. This will cut down your roasting time.


    Pro Tip

    The hard skin makes acorn squash a bit tricky (and scary) to peel, even with a sharp knife, but a good sharp peeler works. My preference is to cut it into wedges, thick like pictured or thinner, and cook it with the peel on. The meat can easily be scooped out or you can the remove the cooked peel and cube the flesh. It can also be roasted whole with a few knife stabs through the skin to allow the steam to escape. You can then cut it and use the flesh.

    Recipe

    Quick Acorn Squash Recipe with Cranberries

    My Acorn Squash with Cranberries features a sweet concoction of maple, cinnamon and butter poured over the top before baking and finished with roasted pecans and pumpkin seeds.
    5 from 89 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course
    Side Dish
    Servings 4

    Equipment

    • Sheet pan lined with foil or parchment
    • Foil crumpled to support squash
    • Microwave-safe dish
    • Foil or parchment paper
    • Cutting Board

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 acorn squash
    • 4 tablespoons butter, melted extra-virgin olive oil if you don't have butter
    • ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (use ¼ teaspoon bottled ground nutmeg)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 3 teaspoon maple syrup (real) not pancake syrup
    • 1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
    • ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter the acorn squash and remove seeds and stringy bits with a sharp edged spoon. (If you want larger portions, use squash halves instead of quarters.)
    • Place the squash, cut side up, on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Use wadded up pieces of foil to keep the wedges upright.
    • Add the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and maple syrup to a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
    • Fill the squash well with cranberries and sprinkle on the nuts and seeds. Pour the maple butter over the cranberries and nuts and brush the cut edges of squash.
    • Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, baste with the pan drippings and continue to bake until the the squash is fork-tender about 10 minutes.
    • Serve with any remaining pan drippings poured over the top.

    Notes

    Cooking times: The cooking time will vary depending on whether or not you use the  microwave recipe shortcut and the size of the squash you use.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 2gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 389mgPotassium: 458mgFiber: 3gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 766IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 68mgIron: 1mg

    Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.

    We take every effort to ensure that the estimated meal cost per serving is accurate. We use a meal cost analysis application that estimates the cost of a recipe based on groceries purchased at a Walmart store in my geographical area, northern California.

    Cooking times: The cooking time will vary depending on whether or not you use the  microwave recipe shortcut and the size of the squash you use.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Denise says

      November 21, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is so good. Acorn squash was included in my farm share this week and I decided to serve it with pork. I love fresh cranberries and had them on hand so was glad to find this recipe. I generally prefer savory squash recipes but decided to give it a try. The tartness of the cranberries with the walnuts and squash balance out the sweetness nicely. All of the flavors worked well together and was very good with the pork. It is a keeper.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        November 21, 2022 at 5:36 pm

        I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind comment.

        Reply
    2. Julia says

      October 20, 2022 at 10:35 am

      5 stars
      I'm so excited it's acorn squash season, always looking for new recipes to try and this one is delicious. Loved the sweetness of the cranberries mixed in with the nutty flavors!

      Reply
    3. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

      October 20, 2022 at 8:47 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is as easy as it is delicious. I love the microwave pre-cook is great!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        October 20, 2022 at 8:48 am

        Thanks! I love how pretty it looks on the table.

        Reply
    4. Keri Bevan says

      October 19, 2022 at 2:24 am

      5 stars
      I've bookmarked your recipe for my Thanksgiving menu. It looks gorgeous and easy to make! Thank you. x

      Reply
    5. The Sudden Cook says

      October 18, 2022 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      Love love love your step by step photos - makes a world of a difference when looking at a recipe!

      Reply
    6. Andrea says

      October 18, 2022 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      love the addition of cranberries in this squash! so so good!

      Reply
    7. Lathiya says

      July 21, 2022 at 5:21 am

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe with squash and cranberries. I love how simple yet flavorful the recipe is.

      Reply
    8. Nora says

      July 20, 2022 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      Love the idea of combining acorn squash and cranberries. Can imagine the combination really well and look forward to trying your recipe. Thanks also for the tips, what concerns the peeling!

      Reply
    9. Giangi Townsend says

      July 20, 2022 at 6:58 am

      5 stars
      Putting it on my Holiday menu. Looks amazing and is so easy to make, and to me, that is the best combination. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    10. James Strange says

      July 20, 2022 at 3:27 am

      5 stars
      As soon as I see acorn squash at the farmers market I plan to make this. This could wind up on our Thanksgiving table.

      Reply
    11. Jean says

      July 20, 2022 at 1:52 am

      5 stars
      Glad we have squash all year round to try this, I like the smell of cinnamon and cranberries have so many great benefits.

      Reply
    12. Freya says

      July 19, 2022 at 11:04 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious and I’ll be using by squash up this season with this scrummy recipe!

      Reply

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    I am Mary, the blogger behind "Oh That's Good!" I am a former nurse, former hobby farm blogger, former vintage shop owner, and current food blogger. I live with my husband and our little mutt Tucker in a lovely retirement community. I am cooking for two and taking inspiration from old cookbooks, magazines, and memories of watching my mother and grandmother cook. I like reducing my food waste and exorbitant grocery bills! I am busy rewriting my recipes for two servings with the option of adjusting the recipe up to four or six servings with just one click.

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