This stuffed butternut squash recipe is a perfect addition to your holiday meal!
The combination of the sweet and savory flavors of the butternut squash and the filling creates a delicious and filling dish. Plus, it's vegan-friendly, making it a great option for all guests at your table.
This recipe is easy to prepare and will surely impress your family and friends and in this post you'll find out how to make it.
'Tis the season! Oh yes, 'that time of the year' is finally here! And also yes, I'm absolutely no grinch - I've been loving this wonderful time of the year since I've been a little child, so today I'm bringing you this delicious Stuffed Butternut Squash Roast Recipe as an inspiration for your own festive meal!
The inspiration for this recipe
One of the things that excite me the most about Christmas is the seasonal food - besides wrapping Christmas presents, getting the Christmas spirit into the kitchen is one of my favorite activities in advent time.
Traditionally the dishes my German family used to create around the holidays were anything else than vegan, and creating vegan dishes with a traditional twist has been particularly exciting these past few years.
This Stuffed Butternut Squash is filled with a nut roast mix and - to add even more festive feel to the dish - also homemade cranberry sauce. The sweetness of the cranberry sauce simply compliments the savory nut roast in a magical way that makes the whole dish come together!
Ingredients & Notes
- butternut squash
- sunflower seeds
- flaxseeds
- pine nuts
- chestnut puree
- vegetable fat (e.g. Vegetable Suet)
- almond flour
- cranberries (I used frozen ones!)
- maple syrup
- freshly squeezed orange juice
- vegan gravy to serve
Ingredient Substitutions
- nuts - If you're out of pine nuts, you can simply replace them with chopped walnuts.
- cranberry sauce - instead of making your own cranberry sauce, you can also use store-bought sauce!
- chestnut puree - please do not leave this out as it's vital for the distinct taste of this roast. Lots of supermarkets offer it around the Christmas period, so keep an eye out for it!
Equipment
- small frying pan
- oven & baking tray
- food processor or blender
- saucepan
- toothpicks or ribbon to keep the roast in place
Instructions (Step-by-Step)
How to create the filling
With regards to the nuts and seeds used in the recipe, I went with sunflower, linseeds, and pine nuts.
Simply toast all nuts and seeds in a small frying pan without oil. As they can burn easily, make sure to stir them regularly and keep a close eye on them. Toast them for 2-3 minutes, then set them aside.
Transfer the toasted nuts and seeds to a food processor, then add the vegetable fat and chestnut puree. Pulse the processor until the mix is combined. Don't over-blend the mixture to keep its texture.
Add the almond flour and stir until the nut roast mix becomes thick and sticky. Set it aside until you're ready to assemble the butternut squash roast.
How to make vegan cranberry sauce
For the cranberry sauce, add the cranberries and water to a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the mix begins to steam. Use the back of a fork and squash the cranberries in the saucepan. Continue to stir until the sauce thickens, then remove from the heat.
Stir in the maple syrup and add the freshly squeezed orange juice, then set aside.
How to assemble the roast
First, preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
Wash and cut the butternut squash into 2 halves. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and flesh from the squash - this is where the nut roast filling will go. Place the squash halves into an ovenproof dish.
Fill one squash half with the nut roast mix, then top with cranberry sauce. Close with the other squash half and use long toothpicks or a food-safe ribbon to secure the squash.
Place the squash in the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes at 200C (390F), or until your squash is softened.
What to serve with Stuffed Butternut Squash
This stuffed butternut squash is a wonderful hero dish to serve alongside a festive meal. Here are some ideas of what you can serve alongside the roast:
- roast potatoes
- vegan gravy
- more cranberry sauce
- roasted vegetables
- vegan Yorkshire pudding
This recipe is:
- 100% vegan
- gluten-free
- deliciously nutty
- egg-free
- meat-free
- dairy-free
- including 1 of your 5-a-day
- fantastic as part of your Christmas meal!
📖 Recipe Card
Stuffed Butternut Squash Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium-size butternut squash
For the filling:
- 50 g sunflower seeds
- 50 g flaxseeds or linseeds
- 50 g pine nuts
- 100 g chestnut puree
- 50 g vegetable fat e.g. vegetable suet
- 50 g-70g almond flour
For the cranberry sauce:
- 100 g cranberries I used frozen ones!
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup optional
- 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
To serve:
- vegan gravy to serve store-bought or homemade
Instructions
- Add all seeds and nuts into a small frying pan and toast them for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Make sure to stir constantly so that they get toasted evenly and don't burn.
- Use a blender or food processor to combine the toasted nuts and seeds with the vegetable fat and chestnut puree. Simply pulse until it's all combined, but don't blend it too smoothly - we still want some texture in the roast filling after all. (I actually used a stick blender when I mixed mine!)
- Stir the almond flour into the nut mix until you get a sticky texture and set aside whilst you prepare the cranberry sauce.
- Add the cranberries to a saucepan over medium heat and pour in about 30ml water to ease the heating process. Cook the cranberries until they start to steam, then start squashing them with the back of a fork. Stir regularly until the sauce thickens as the liquid evaporates. Add in the maple syrup (if using) and freshly squeezed orange juice and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 200 degrees, then wash & cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half hollow out the halves - this is where our filling will go.
- Assemble the roast: Scoop the nut filling into one squash half, piling it up until you run out of the mixture. Spoon about half of the cranberry sauce on the top, leaving a little extra for serving later.
- Add the second squash half on the top and use ovenproof ribbon to hold the parts together. I would also recommend poking 2 long toothpicks through the squash to keep it in place - most squashes can get a little slippery/uneven when heating and the picks will help the squash halves stay in place during the roasting process.
- Place the squash on an ovenproof dish and roast in the middle of the oven for about 40-45 minutes - or until the squash is soft and golden. Carefully remove from the oven and slice (use a knife with saw tooth blade, that'll be easier).
- Open a bottle of Appletiser and serve immediately with the roast - and don't forget to pour over the gravy (over the roast, not the drink, that is!).
In friendly collaboration with Appletiser.
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