Stuffed Butternut Squash
Vegan stuffed butternut squash is roasted squash halves filled with a creamy mushroom-and-spinach mixture made with coconut milk and nutritional yeast. You bake the squash at 180 degrees C for 40-45 minutes, sautee the filling while it roasts, then stuff and top with vegan cheese. It is the ultimate autumn comfort food: simple, filling, and warming.
If you have followed me in the past, then you know how much I love this vegetable. I have quite a few butternut squash based recipes that I consider truly delicious, and lately I really loved baking it in halves, which I can then either eat on their own or stuff with all sorts of delicious ingredients. That is exactly what I am going to show you today. Being a food blogger and enthusiast, I cannot write about autumn without mentioning its signature object, the pumpkin, and yes, I know today’s article is about butternut squash, but let us face it, they are pretty much the same thing. They are closely related and interchangeable, in my opinion.
You know I am all about versatile recipes. I love this one for its versatility and simplicity. When autumn comes, I really like prepping some baked butternut squash, the way I cook a couple of huge trays of roasted vegetables to have throughout the week and then throw into salads, a pasta dish, or even sneak into my morning smoothie. Either way, I can promise you it will turn out delicious and super filling.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A cozy autumn main course that fills you up without leaving you heavy
- A meal-prep staple you can bake ahead and combine in different ways through the week
- An impressive but low-effort dish for guests, since the oven does most of the work
- A naturally gluten-free option when you swap in GF flour for the filling
- A way to use up baby spinach and mushrooms before they turn
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Versatile by design. Eat the squash halves on their own or stuff them; I am all about recipes that bend to whatever I have on hand.
- Truly filling. Roasted squash plus a creamy mushroom-spinach filling keeps you energized until dinner, no afternoon slump.
- Hands-off baking. The squash roasts uncovered while you build the filling, so two simple steps overlap instead of stacking up.
- Creamy without dairy. Coconut milk and nutritional yeast do the work, giving you a velvety, savory sauce with no cream needed.
- Easy to scale. One squash feeds two as a main or four as a side, and the filling doubles cleanly for a crowd.
Ingredient Notes
Butternut squash is the heart of this dish. Pick one that feels heavy for its size with a matte, hard skin and a beige color all over; a shiny or green-tinged squash was picked early and will taste starchy rather than sweet. A long neck means more flesh and a smaller seed cavity. The longer it sits after harvest, the sweeter it gets, so do not worry if yours has been on the counter a week.
Mushrooms bring the savory, meaty backbone of the filling. Choose firm, dry caps with no slimy spots. Do not rinse them under running water, since they soak it up like a sponge and steam instead of brown; wipe them with a damp cloth. Slicing them evenly helps them release their water and caramelize at the same rate.
Baby spinach wilts in seconds, which is why it goes in near the end for just 30 seconds. Look for crisp, deep-green leaves with no yellowing or wet patches in the bag. It cooks down dramatically, so the 200 g looks like a lot in the pan but melts into the sauce.
Coconut milk is what makes the filling creamy without any dairy. Use full-fat canned coconut milk rather than the thin carton kind for a richer sauce, and give the can a good shake first so the cream and water blend. A good brand tastes clean, not strongly of coconut, once the nutritional yeast and pepper go in.
Nutritional yeast is the secret to that cheesy, umami depth. Buy the flaky kind in flakes rather than powder for the best texture, and store it somewhere dark since light degrades it. Two tablespoons is enough to round out the sauce without overpowering the mushrooms.
Flour is the thickener that turns the coconut milk into a sauce that clings instead of pooling. Use gluten-free flour if you need to; it works just as well here. Toasting it for that extra 30 seconds with the spinach before the liquid goes in cooks off the raw, pasty taste.
Tips
- Score the flesh before roasting. A few shallow crosshatch cuts in the cut face let the oil and seasoning sink in and help the squash cook through evenly. You know it is ready when a knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance.
- Watch the edges. The thin rim of the squash browns fastest. If those edges start to burn before the center is soft, tent them with aluminum foil and keep baking; do not pull the squash early or the middle stays firm.
- Cook the mushrooms past the wet stage. The most common mistake is rushing them. Let them release their water and keep going until that water cooks off and the edges turn golden, around 5-7 minutes, or the filling tastes flat and watery.
- Simmer the sauce low and stir constantly. Coconut milk thickened with flour can catch and split over high heat. Keep it on low and keep the spoon moving until it turns creamy and coats the back of the spoon.
- Season the squash itself, not just the filling. Salt and pepper on the cut flesh before it bakes means every bite is seasoned, not just the stuffed center.
Substitutions and Variations
- Quinoa filling. Other than the mushroom stuffing in the recipe below, what I really like is cooking a nice amount of quinoa at the end of the week and using it to make the filling. It turns this into a heartier, protein-rich meal and is a smart use of leftover grains.
- Gluten-free. Swap the regular flour for a gluten-free blend. The sauce thickens the same way, so the dish becomes fully gluten-free with no other changes.
- Cheese on top. The recipe uses shredded vegan cheese grated over the stuffed halves. If you are vegetarian rather than vegan, mozzarella works in its place and melts into a golden crust under the broiler.
- Different greens or pumpkin. Kale or chard can stand in for the spinach, just give them a minute or two longer to soften. And since butternut squash and pumpkin are pretty much interchangeable, you can use the same filling in a halved pumpkin when that is what you have.
Storage and Make Ahead
This recipe is built for meal prep. I like prepping baked butternut squash the same way I bake big trays of roasted vegetables to use through the week, so feel free to roast the halves a day or two ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. The mushroom filling also stores well in an airtight container for up to three days; reheat it gently with a splash of water or coconut milk to bring the creaminess back, then stuff and warm the squash through in the oven. Stuffed leftovers keep for two to three days and reheat best in the oven so the top crisps up again rather than going soft in the microwave.
If you love cooking with squash and pumpkin this season, browse more vegan pumpkin recipes and cozy vegan autumn recipes to round out your autumn table. And if you are stuffing vegetables anyway, my basic stuffed portobello mushrooms use a similar savory-mushroom approach.
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Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 200 g mushrooms sliced
- 200 g baby spinach
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp flour use gluten-free if needed
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp vegan cheese or mozzarella shredded
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Cut the butternut squash in half length-wise and clean out the seeds.
- Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes at 180 degrees C.
- If the edges start to burn, cover with aluminum foil.
- In a pan, saute the garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the spinach, cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the coconut milk and nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer on low, stirring constantly, until it’s creamy.
- Stuff the baked butternut squash with the mushroom mixture and grate vegan cheese on top.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Cut the butternut squash in half length-wise, clean out the seeds, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake it uncovered for 40-45 minutes at 180 degrees C. It is done when a knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance. If the edges start to burn before the center is soft, cover them with aluminum foil and keep baking.
Yes. This version is vegan, with a creamy filling made from coconut milk and nutritional yeast instead of dairy, and shredded vegan cheese grated on top. If you are vegetarian rather than vegan, you can use mozzarella in place of the vegan cheese.
No. For stuffed butternut squash you leave the skin on. Halving the squash and roasting it cut-side up keeps the flesh contained so it can hold the filling, and the skin acts as a sturdy edible bowl. The roasted flesh softens enough to scoop straight from the skin.
Yes, this dish is great for meal prep. Roast the squash halves a day or two ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, and store the mushroom filling in an airtight container for up to three days. When you are ready, reheat the filling with a splash of water or coconut milk, stuff the squash, and warm it through in the oven.
It works as a filling main course on its own or as a side dish. A simple green salad, crusty bread, or a grain like quinoa rounds it out. You can also fold cooked quinoa right into the mushroom filling to make the dish heartier and more protein-rich.
Full-fat coconut milk and a little flour do the work. After sauteeing the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and spinach, stir in the flour for 30 seconds, then add the coconut milk and nutritional yeast. Simmer on low and stir constantly until the sauce thickens and turns creamy, which keeps it from splitting.
Bursting with yummy flavors! I will definitely make this recipe again, than you for the inspiration!
I need to add more winter squash into my diet!