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    Home » Blog Post

    Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash with Quinoa, Apples and Figs

    Modified: Feb 28, 2025 by Susan Pridmore · This post may contain affiliate links · 27 Comments

    This vegan stuffed butternut squash is a perfect main dish during the holiday season. The butternut is basted with fig jam, roasted and then topped with a quinoa stuffing. The quinoa stuffing is made with apples, figs, orange zest, and warm spices and finished with pomegranate seeds.

    This gorgeous, festive main course is ideal for a fall special dinner or for a vegetarian Thanksgiving or Christmas main dish.

    Jump to Recipe
    Roasted butternut squash with quinoa, apple and fig stuffing.

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    Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
    • 🔪 Recommended Equipment
    • 📝 Instructions Notes and Tips
    • ⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
    • 🧊 Storage Tips for Leftovers
    • 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
    • 🍽 Side Dish Ideas
    • 🤩 More Butternut Squash Love
    • Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash with Quinoa, Apples, and Figs

    It's not always easy to cook up a gorgeous main dish that's both delicious, easy and a show-stopper. But this delicious stuffed butternut squash dish checks all the boxes. And yes, "easy" is subjective. But I have tips to make cutting the squash in half easy, and the quinoa or the entire stuffing can be made days ahead.

    For side dishes to serve with this stuffed squash, think creamy spinach, roasted carrots, roasted cabbage steaks, or this green bean casserole.

    It's one of my top three dishes for special dinners, entertaining and Thanksgiving this time of year, along with this vegetarian stuffed acorn squash and my favorite whole roasted cauliflower with tahini.

    And if you're feeding a crowd over the holidays, get these meal prep tips and recipes that will save you time.

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • It's a flavorful vegan dish that even meat eaters will love.
    • It's gorgeous enough for a special dinner, party or holiday dinner.
    • Very little meal prep is involved. Most of the time is roasting time.
    • This vegan dinner is also gluten-free.
    • It's a hearty meal.

    🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes

    The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.

    For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions for this vegan butternut squash recipe, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

    Roasted Butternut Squash

    • Butternut squash
    • Plant-based butter
    • Fig jam - found in most markets or make your own spiced fig jam!
    • Maple syrup

    Quinoa Stuffing

    • Quinoa - some markets have pre-cooked quinoa in the frozen foods section, or cook up a batch of quinoa up to 4 days ahead of time.
    • Apples - use an apple that bakes well without going to mush, such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pink Lady apples. Granny Smith apples are too tart for this recipe.
    • Dried Black Mission figs - other dried figs work also, but Black Mission Figs are my favorite and easiest to find in markets.
    • Dried cranberries
    • Pine nuts
    • Spices and herbs - provided in the Recipe Card below, along with the measurements.
    • Pomegranate arils

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

    🔪 Recommended Equipment

    Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.

    • Chef's knife
    • Silicone basting brush
    • Casserole dish - large enough to hold the two butternut squash halves and stuffing. (If you don't have one, just a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.)
    Sliced halves of butternut squash that are basted with fig jam, butter, and maple syrup.
    First roasting of butternut squash, basted with fig jam, maple syrup and plant-based butter.

    📝 Instructions Notes and Tips

    Detailed instructions for making this stuffed butternut squash dish are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview with some notes and tips!

    Overview

    1. The butternut squash is partially roasted, then basted with half of the basting mix, and slid back into the oven.
    2. Once the squash becomes tender, but is not done, baste it with the remaining basting mix, and spoon the stuffing over the squash for a final roasting.
    3. When the dish is done, the squash will be very tender and the apples will be softened. Top with pomegranate arils and fresh thyme before serving.

    Notes

    • The final cook time depends on the size and age of the butternut squash and your oven.
    • A 3-pound squash, roasted at 400˚F, takes approximately 45 - 60 minutes.
    • If you want to make this dish for 4 people, I recommend to use small butternut squash approximately 1.5 pounds each, and half of the stuffing recipe.

    Tips

    • If your butternut squash is tough, and difficult to cut, place in the microwave oven on high for 3 - 4 minutes. There's no need to puncture the squash first. You just want to soften the squash enough to cut off the top and bottom, and slice in half.
    • Be sure to use apples suited for baking, such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Pink Lady apples.
    • For dried figs that are super hard, I suggest soaking them in either some water or a liqueur while the squash roasts. Apple brandy (Calvados) is perfect. Depending on how dried out your figs are, pour ¼ - ½ cup of the liquid into a bowl, and toss in the dried figs to coat them completely.
    • For a smaller portion that can roast in a large toaster oven, reduce the heat to 375˚F.
    Roasted butternut Squash topped with apples, quinoa and dried cranberries before final roasting.
    Roasted butternut Squash topped with apples, spiced quinoa, and dried cranberries ready for final roasting.

    ⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time

    • Once the butternut squash is prepped, place in a microwave safe dish. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. Cover tightly with plastic, and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Continue the recipe in the below Recipe Card at Step 2. This microwave step replaces the first roasting of the squash before it's basted.
    • Make the quinoa ahead of time, and store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    • Some markets sell frozen, pre- cooked quinoa in their freezer cases. It only needs to be steamed for a few minutes to be ready to use.

    🧊 Storage Tips for Leftovers

    • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days.

    💡Ideas for Possible Variations

    • Use this same stuffing for roasted delicata squash or acorn squash.
    • If you don't like quinoa, swap it out for brown rice.
    • Dried cherries are an excellent substitute for cranberries.
    • Add some pistachio nuts, pine nuts or spiced pepitas (pumpkin seeds) with the pomegranate arils.
    • Drizzle a fruit-based vinaigrette over the quinoa dressing like this 10-minute pear vinaigrette.

    🍽 Side Dish Ideas

    • Carrots are an excellent side. Either these Citrus Roasted Carrots with Ginger or Maple Candied Carrots with Currants are fabulous with this dish.
    • A simple green salad.
    • Stay with the fall theme, and make these air fryer Brussels sprouts.

    🤩 More Butternut Squash Love

    I eat butternut squash all fall and winter and have a lot of favorites from this butternut squash and apple casserole and butternut squash and sage risotto to this flavor-packed roasted butternut, red onions and chickpeas tossed with dates and topped with a tahini sauce and za' atar (pictured below).

    Butternut squash and apple crumble with mushrooms in a baking dish.
    Two plates of butternut squash risotto, with fresh sprigs of sage on the side.
    Roasted butternut squash and red onions tossed with dates, chickpeas, and a tahini sauce in a serving bowl.

    🌱🌱🌱

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    Roasted butternut squash with quinoa, apple and fig stuffing.
    5 from 47 votes

    Vegan Stuffed Butternut Squash with Quinoa, Apples, and Figs

    This gorgeous, show-stopper dish is ideal for a fall special dinner or for a vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish. Butternut squash halves is basted with fig jam, roasted and then topped with a quinoa, apple and fig stuffing.
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe Add to Recipe Collection Go to Collections Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time25 minutes mins
    Cook Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
    Course: Vegetarian Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: vegan stuffed butternut squash
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 455.1kcal
    Author: Susan Pridmore
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    Equipment

    • Chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • Silicone Basting Brush
    • 9" X 11" Baking Dish or large enough to hold the butternut squash and stuffing

    Ingredients

    Roasted Butternut Squash

    • 3 pound butternut squash
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or just a small pinch of sea salt
    • 6 tablespoons plant-based butter
    • 4 tablespoons fig jam (store bought or homemade)
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

    Quinoa, Apple, and Fig Stuffing

    • 2 ½ cups cooked quinoa (cooked from ¾ cup dried quinoa)
    • 4 cups chopped unpeeled apples cored (but not peeled)
    • ⅔ cup diced dried Black Mission figs
    • ½ cup dried cranberries
    • zest of 2 navel orange
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

    Instructions

    Roasted Butternut Squash

    • Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
      Cook the quinoa if you don't have any on hand using ¾ cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water or vegetable broth.
    • Slice off the ends of the butternut squash, and slice it in half lengthwise. If the skin is too tough to cut through, microwave the squash on high for a few minutes and try again.
      Scrape out the seeds and pulp using a spoon. Rub a little olive oil on the squash cut surfaces, sprinkle with a little kosher salt, and arrange in an oven-safe casserole dish. The dish should be large enough to hold the squash and stuffing. (If you don't have one, just a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.)
      Roast for 20 minutes.
    • Melt the plant-based butter, jam, and maple syrup together. I use a microwave safe dish, and heat it for 1 minute in my microwave. Alternatively, melt them together in a small saucepan over medium heat.
      Baste the cut surfaces of the squash with ⅓ of the butter mixture. Slide the squash back into the oven and roast for another 20 minutes, or until it begins to soften. A great way to test this is to insert a sharp knife into the squash.
    • In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the remaining ingredients for the stuffing EXCEPT the pomegranate arils.
    • Baste the squash with another ⅓ of the butter mixture, and spoon the quinoa stuffing in and around each squash half. Drizzle the remaining butter mixture over the stuffing.
      Bake for 20 minutes, or until the butternut squash flesh is fork tender and a deep golden brown where it was basted.
      Just before serving, finish the dish with a flourish of pomegranate arils.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 455.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 79.6g | Protein: 10.1g | Fat: 13.6g | Saturated Fat: 7.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 30.1mg | Sodium: 207.5mg | Potassium: 1312.6mg | Fiber: 13.7g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 24508.5IU | Vitamin C: 53.1mg | Calcium: 170.4mg | Iron: 3.9mg
    « Spiced Fig Jam Recipe for Canning
    27 Best Vegetarian Main Dishes for Thanksgiving »

    About Susan Pridmore

    Susan Pridmore is an award-winning cookbook author and the owner of The Wimpy Vegetarian. She has been featured in Huffington Post, Healthline, BuzzFeed, and has written for and developed recipes for The Food Network and Parade Magazine. She is professionally trained and focuses on easy vegetarian recipes for busy lives, bread-baking, and tips for new vegetarians. Susan lives in the mountains in Lake Tahoe with her husband and mini-labradoodle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Renee

      November 22, 2015 at 2:59 am

      5 stars
      Spectacular Susan! So colorful and so much goodness.

      Reply
    2. Hezzi-D

      November 22, 2015 at 10:12 am

      5 stars
      Great idea to cook the stuffing in the squash! Plus these are such fabulous fall flavors!

      Reply
    3. Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

      November 22, 2015 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      Love your monthly day of thanks idea! And I LOVE this dish. I have to make it! I don't have any figs but I have everything else, so maybe I'l use dates.

      Reply
    4. Liz

      November 22, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      5 stars
      What a gorgeous dish! The jewel tones of the squash and pomegranate arils make this one irresistible meal!

      Reply
    5. Katie @ Recipe for Perfection

      November 22, 2015 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      I am just in love with this whole recipe. The flavors, the textures, the colors, everything! We have vegetarians coming to Thanksgiving, so this would be a great option. Thanks!

      Reply
    6. Mary @ Fit and Fed

      November 22, 2015 at 1:48 pm

      5 stars
      I'm sure this is very lively with the zested citrus and all the spices. Fig season is so short, I like how you've extended it by using dried figs and fig jam. Roasted butternut squash and quinoa is practically getting to be a staple, I like your take on it here.

      Reply
    7. Cindys Recipes and Writings

      November 22, 2015 at 6:06 pm

      5 stars
      Time slips away from us so fast. Reserving time for what is really important is hard but so necessary.

      Reply
    8. Shaina

      November 23, 2015 at 4:57 am

      5 stars
      Butternut squash is my FAVORITE fall veggie. Especially when paired with such amazing flavors.. I would eat this entire dish. It's perfect!

      Reply
    9. Julie

      November 23, 2015 at 7:35 am

      5 stars
      I'd make this anytime - Thanksgiving or no!

      Reply
    10. Lindsey | Cafe Johnsonia

      November 23, 2015 at 2:42 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness! That just looks incredible. I adore fig jam and never would have thought to use it like this. So, so gorgeous!

      Reply
    11. Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

      November 24, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      Such a stunning main dish! I can't wait to make it!

      Reply
    12. sue|theviewfromgreatisland

      November 25, 2015 at 8:01 am

      5 stars
      This is a STUNNING dish --- the colors and flavors are fabulous. Happy Thanksgiving <3

      Reply
    13. mjskitchen

      December 01, 2015 at 8:07 pm

      5 stars
      This would make a fabulous dish for the holiday table!!! So colorful and full of everything! Love it!

      Reply
    14. Meaghan

      December 23, 2015 at 10:06 am

      5 stars
      Can't get over how gorgeous this looks! Stunning. And all the flavors!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        December 23, 2015 at 12:59 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks so much! Happy Holidays to you and your family!!

        Reply
    15. Nancy

      November 11, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      5 stars
      Susan,
      I tried to do every cork counts, but the site says it has ended,. perhaps I'm in the wrong place. This stuffed squash will be on the holiday table. Thanks for all the great recipes

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        November 11, 2019 at 4:26 pm

        5 stars
        This is an older post, and the every cork counts program has ended. You may have seen this as part of a Vegetarian Thanksgiving round up I did. I'm thrilled you plan to make this one. I'm making it this weekend - it's an annual fall favorite here. Hope you're well, and thanks so much for your comment!

        Reply
    16. nancy

      November 18, 2021 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      This stuffing with added Butternut squash is so delicious!!!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        November 18, 2021 at 12:38 pm

        5 stars
        I'm so glad you like it!!

        Reply
    17. GUSTAVO DE OBALDIA

      November 18, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      5 stars
      I really enjoyed adding figs to my butternut squash, my husband got me into his addiction to Figs, and here I am! What a treat this recipe is! I will keep going back over and over again for sure! Thank you!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        November 19, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks so much! I'm so happy you made it and liked it so much!

        Reply
    18. Chris

      November 18, 2021 at 12:56 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! I love this recipe! It was so flavorful, perfectly seasoned and everyone loved it! Thank you!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        November 19, 2021 at 5:48 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks so much! This is such a popular dish around Thanksgiving!

        Reply
    19. Kayla DiMaggio

      November 18, 2021 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      This roasted butternut squash stuffing was so delicious! I loved all the flavors and the apple had the best crunch!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        November 19, 2021 at 5:49 pm

        5 stars
        Glad you liked the combination of flavors and textures!

        Reply
    20. Anaiah

      November 18, 2021 at 6:30 pm

      5 stars
      That quinoa, apple, and fig stuffing was absolutely perfect in this butternut squash. It was such a delicious combination of flavors. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        November 19, 2021 at 5:49 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks so much - I'm so glad you liked the flavors!

        Reply
    5 from 47 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    Susan at The Wimpy Vegetarian

    about the author:

    Susan Pridmore

    Hi there! I'm an award-winning cookbook author, culinary school graduate, professional photographer and recipe developer. My cookbook Simply Vegetarian was named #1 best cookbook for new vegetarians, and I want to make it easier for you to cook fabulous vegetarian meals. Come join me in the kitchen!

    More about me →

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