This Healthy Squash Casserole is the perfect easy side dish to serve for any weeknight or holiday meal. Made with butternut squash, apples and cranberries, it has just the right amount of sweetness and tartness to keep you running back for more! {vegan, gluten-free & paleo}
For several years now, we’ve been making this healthy butternut squash casserole (inspired by my mother-in-law’s famous dish) and it’s become a favourite holiday side dish for both the kids and grown ups!
Made with a mixture of butternut squash, apples, cranberries and a delicious maple cinnamon glaze, this casserole recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and tart.
Roasting the squash and apple accentuates their natural sweetness and buttery texture for mouthwatering flavour. It pairs so well with all of your favourite holidays dishes or as a side for those weeknight meals!
My favourite thing about this squash bake is that it’s a cinch to make and can be made ahead of time, so it’s the perfect side dish to prepare during the busy holiday season.
Simply dice up the squash and apples, toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl and then add to a baking dish. Pop it into the oven to allow everything to caramelize and just sit back and smell that wonderful aroma wafting through the house. That smell always gives me all the warm and cozy feels.
You’ll want to make extras of this one because it definitely won’t last long!
For more healthy squash recipes, check out this Butternut Squash Barley Risotto and Butternut Squash, Pomegranate & Kale Quinoa Salad.
Table of Contents
Why we love this easy squash casserole recipe
- Has just the right amount of sweetness from the apples and butternut squash, and tartness from the cranberries
- Is loaded with Vitamin A and C, fibre and antioxidants
- Pairs perfectly with turkey and other holiday dishes
- Gorgeous colours
- Can be prepared in advance
- Tastes just as good, if not BETTER, as leftovers
- Smells A-MAZING
Ingredient notes
- Squash: Use a large butternut squash. Peel and dice it into about 1-inch uniform sized pieces.
- Apples: Add a nice sweetness to the squash bake. Use an apple variety that is suitable for baking such as Macintosh or Gala.
- Cranberries: Incorporate a bit of tartness that compliments the sweetness of the apples and glaze. Use fresh or frozen cranberries.
- Maple syrup: Provides sweetness to the casserole. Use 100% pure maple syrup.
- Coconut oil: Forms the glaze along with the maple syrup. Use unrefined for a mild coconut flavour or refined for no coconut flavour. You can also use butter if preferred.
- Tapioca starch: Helps to thicken up the glaze mixture. You can also use cornstarch, or regular flour as a thickener.
- Spices and seasonings: Cinnamon, nutmeg and salt flavour up the casserole and bring out the sweetness of the apples and squash. Add more or less depending on your personal tastes.
Step by step instructions
- First, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the squash and apples (I love using this peeler because it moves along with the grooves of the fruits and vegetables). Once peeled, cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and dice it into one-inch cubes. Next, thinly slice the apples. You can really use any type of apple that you prefer. Galas or Macintosh tend to work especially well for this recipe.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the squash, apples and cranberries.
- Add in the maple syrup, coconut oil, tapioca, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and toss to evenly distribute.
- Place mixture in an ungreased 7×11 inch baking dish (or a large rectangular baking dish). Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes; then toss to ensure all components are cooked evenly. Place back in oven, and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes to allow liquid to caramelize. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes:
- Look for squash with minimal bruising and no obvious cuts or areas that are oozing. The squash should feel heavy for its size.
- Be sure to cut the squash and apples in pieces that are around the same size so that everything finishes cooking at the same time.
- The cranberries tend to soften and burst while cooking. If you want your cranberries to stay more intact, add them in with the rest of the casserole in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- You’ll probably notice that when this bake comes out of the oven, there will be quite a bit of liquid at the bottom of the dish and that’s totally okay. Toss the squash, apples and cranberries so that they’re well coated in this mixture and then allow the dish to sit for about 15-20 minutes. This will give the mixture time to thicken slightly and caramelize. You can also drizzle some of the glaze on top of the squash casserole when dishing it out.
- I highly recommend using the foil when baking the casserole as it helps prevent the liquid from evaporating and the casserole from drying out.
- Bake the squash and apples until they’re tender enough that they can easily be pierced with a fork. This dish tastes best when everything is very tender and caramelized.
Recipe FAQs
Use a large sharp chef’s knife to cut both ends off the squash. Prop the squash upright with the bottom on a flat surface and cut in half lengthways. Make sure it’s fairly stable on a chopping board and keep your fingers out of the way. Then, use a vegetable peeler or knife to remove the skin and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. With the flat side down, cut the squash into strips and then dice into 1-inch cubes.
Peeling a squash before cooking isn’t always necessary, but in this case, it’s highly recommended. We don’t want any chewy bits of skin in the casserole as the squash is meant to be very tender. For best results, peel the squash right before dicing the squash into cubes.
This recipe should last covered in the fridge for up to four days. You’ll notice that the glaze will thicken up a bit and form more of a caramel-like consistency once it’s been sitting in the fridge, but it still tastes amazing as leftovers the next day.
Yes, you can freeze the leftover casserole. Allow it to cool completely after cooking. Remove from casserole dish and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to a month.
From frozen: Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight. Transfer to a baking dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
From unfrozen state: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place casserole in the oven for about 10 minutes or so or until heated through.
If you’d like a faster option, you can always place it in the microwave for a minute or so to warm it up.
Yes, this casserole is definitely a healthier option. Due to the presence of the butternut squash, apples and cranberries, it packs plenty of fibre in addition to vitamin A, C, potassium, magnesium and antioxidants. It is also naturally vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free, which is great for any family members or guests who might have specific dietary requirements.
Serving suggestions
One thing I love about this dish is that the flavours compliment so many other holiday entrees and sides.
If you’re looking for a few ideas, here are some to try out!
This squash bake pairs well with:
- Stuffed Cranberry & Pistachio Turkey Breast with an Orange Honey Glaze
- Sweet Potato Coconut Mash
- Roasted Ranch Carrots
- Cranberry Apple Walnut Wild Rice Stuffing
- Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts
- Sauteed Green Beans with Red Peppers and Almonds
- Roasted Beets and Carrots Salad
- Christmas Salad
And so many more!
Recipe variations
- Different base: Try using acorn squash instead of butternut squash. Diced sweet potato would also work well.
- For a buttery flavour: Sub in butter for coconut oil.
- Sweetener: Use honey, coconut palm sugar or brown sugar instead of maple syrup.
- For less tartness: Use all dried cranberries instead of fresh.
More similar recipes
- Easy Instant Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Crockpot Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
- Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Healthy Squash Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash peeled and cut in to 1" cubes (about 6 cups diced squash)
- 2 small apples peeled
- 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch can also sub in regular flour or gluten-free flour, if preferred
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel squash and apples. Dice squash into one inch cubes; slice the apples.
- In a medium bowl, mix together squash, apples and cranberries.
- Pour in maple syrup, coconut oil, tapioca, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and toss to evenly distribute.
- Place mixture in ungreased 7×11-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes; toss to ensure all components are cooked evenly. Place back in oven, and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until squash and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Let the casserole cool for about 10-15 minutes to allow the liquid in the bottom of the dish to thicken slightly. Serve warm. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
- Be sure to cut the squash and apples in pieces that are around the same size so that everything finishes cooking at the same time.
- The cranberries tend to soften and burst while cooking. If you want your cranberries to stay more intact, add them in with the rest of the casserole in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- You’ll probably notice that when this bake comes out of the oven, there will be quite a bit of liquid at the bottom of the dish and that’s totally okay. Toss the squash, apples and cranberries so that they’re well coated in this mixture and then allow the dish to sit for about 10-15 minutes. This will give the mixture time to thicken slightly and caramelize. You can also drizzle some of the glaze on top of the squash casserole when dishing it out.
- I highly recommend using the foil when baking the casserole as it helps prevent the liquid from evaporating and the casserole from drying out.
- Bake the squash and apples until they’re tender enough that they can easily be pierced with a fork. This dish tastes best when everything is very tender and caramelized.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted November 2015 and was updated December 2021 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Have you ever done this in a crockpot/ used a crockpot to keep it warm for later? (I want to bring this for Christmas but it’s a 30 minute drive and i wont have access to an oven)…
No, I haven’t personally tried making this dish in the crockpot, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work if you baked it in the oven ahead of time and then kept it warm in the crockpot. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
That looks perfect for Thanksgiving– so many wonderful fall flavors in there!
Thanks Courtney! It makes a great holiday side dish :)
This really is the perfect Thanksgiving side, but I can also see serving it at many other meals. Looks delicious!
Oh my goodness!! I love, love, love everything about this dish and can totally see it on my table this year. Perfection!
Thank you Kim! I hope you enjoy it :)