apple walnut acorn squash

Kitchen Crew
Updated on Oct 20, 2025

Filled with apples, nuts, bacon, and spices, this acorn squash recipe is a full-flavored side dish. The sweet and buttery acorn squash flavor combines with the tart apples and salty bacon to create a dish your family will love (even the picky eaters). The best part of this acorn squash recipe? The majority of it is prepared in the microwave! What takes an hour in the oven, is done in under 15 minutes.

prep time 25 Min
cook time 12 Min
method Microwave
yield 2 serving(s)

Ingredients

  • 1 - acorn squash
  • 2 - apples, 1 Fuji and 1 Granny Smith; peeled, cored, and chopped into a petite size
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
  • 2 pinches Kosher salt
  • 2 pinches black pepper
  • 4 teaspoons brown sugar; separated
  • 3 slices bacon; cooked and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup toasted walnuts; chopped
  • 4 tablespoons salted butter; separated

How To Make apple walnut acorn squash

  • Chopped apples and lemon juice in a bowl.
    Step 1
    Mix together the chopped apples and lemon juice.
  • Sugar and spice poured into a bowl.
    Step 2
    Mix together the sugars and spice.
  • Apple, sugar, and spice combined in a bowl.
    Step 3
    Combine the apples with the sugar and spice mixture.
  • Folding in the bacon and walnuts.
    Step 4
    Fold in the crumbled bacon and chopped walnuts. Set aside while you prepare the acorn squash. (That will give the apple filling time to have its flavors come together.)
  • Seeds removed from an acorn squash cut in half.
    Step 5
    Cut the acorn squash in half and remove seeds.
  • Piercing the acorn squash with a fork.
    Step 6
    Set on a round microwave-safe dish and pierce the inside of the squash with a fork.
  • Brushing the squash with butter.
    Step 7
    Melt 2 Tbsp of butter. Brush the inside of the squash with the melted butter.
  • Salt, pepper, and brown sugar sprinkled onto the acorn squash.
    Step 8
    Sprinkle 2 tsp of brown sugar and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper over acorn squash halves to season the squash.
  • Squash after being microwaved.
    Step 9
    Then microwave for 6 minutes.
  • Acorn squash with the filling and butter on top.
    Step 10
    Fill the squash with the apple filling. (Depending on the size of your squash you may have some extra filling leftover.) Dot the top of each squash with the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tsp of brown sugar over the filling.
  • Acorn squash after being microwaved.
    Step 11
    Microwave again for 6 minutes.
  • A bite of the apple walnut acorn squash on a fork.
    Step 12
    Remove from the microwave. The dish will be hot so use pot holders to remove the dish from the microwave. Let it sit in the dish for a few minutes to cool. Then serve.
  • https://youtu.be/9SF5S-XRp20

Nutrition Facts

(per serving*)
calories: 577kcal, carbohydrates: 61g, cholesterol: 72mg, fat: 37g, fiber: 5g, protein: 7g, saturated fat: 17g, sodium: 425mg, sugar: 52g, unsaturated fat: 19g
*Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is estimated.

Discover More

Category: Vegetables
Keyword: #apple
Keyword: #walnut
Ingredient: Vegetable
Method: Microwave
Culture: American

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