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Butternut Squash in the crock pot with apples, crunchy walnuts, and sweet raisins is an easy, delicious, and simple holiday side dish. This cozy, flavorful dish is simple to make and bursting with fall flavors, which everyone will love!
For a complete holiday meal, serve it with my Instant Pot turkey breast, or for a perfect everyday dinner, pair it with my bone in pork chops recipe.
It’s time for another version of crock pot butternut squash deliciousness!
This dish is packed with simple, beautiful fall ingredients, slow-cooked to perfection with classic flavors and textures that will make your holiday table shine. It’s like a mashup of a butternut squash soup and my baked butternut squash recipe—but with its own unique twist! And honestly, I wouldn’t mind eating this all year long. This crockpot version of butternut squash is cozy enough for the holidays, but delicious enough to enjoy anytime.
Why I Love This Butternut Squash in the Crock Pot Recipe
- Easy Prep: Just layer everything in the crock pot, add a splash of apple juice, some butter, and let it cook while you go about your day—no babysitting required!
- Perfect Holiday Side: This butternut squash recipe combines sweet, savory, and crunchy elements, making it the ideal cozy side dish for any holiday meal.
- Customizable and Versatile: You can easily swap in your favorite dried fruits or nuts, adjust the sweetness to your liking, and it’s vegetarian-friendly, which makes it great for any crowd!
Recipe Ingredients
Each ingredient in this Butternut Squash Crock Pot dish brings its own unique flavor and texture to the table. From the sweet, tender squash to the crunchy walnuts, this recipe is made with simple ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store.
- Butternut Squash – You can substitute with sweet potatoes for a similar taste and texture.
- Cooking Apples – Adds natural sweetness and a slight tartness to balance the dish. Any firm apple variety like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp will work.
- Raisins – For a touch of sweetness and chewiness. Swap in dried cranberries or even dried cherries for a tangier twist.
- Apple Juice – Adds moisture and enhances the sweetness. Use orange juice or water if needed.
- Light Brown Sugar – Combines a caramel-like sweetness to the dish. Use maple syrup or honey as a substitute.
- Ground Cinnamon – Provides warmth and spice, but ground nutmeg or pumpkin spice can be used as an alternative.
- Fresh Sage – Dried sage or thyme can be used if you don’t have fresh sage on hand.
- Ground Nutmeg – You can also use allspice or cinnamon if you prefer.
- Salt and Black Pepper – Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
- Butter – Adds richness and helps meld all the flavors together.
- Toasted Walnuts – You can swap the walnuts with pecans or omit them if you prefer a nut-free version.
How To Make Butternut Squash In The Crock Pot
Last week, I needed a warm, vegetarian dish for a fall-themed birthday party, and it had to be made in a crock pot. After ruling out all the usual options—no chicken thighs, no wings, no crock pot pork loin—I decided to go with butternut squash. I grabbed my knife, chopped up some beautiful squash, and the dish came together seamlessly! Check it:
- Prep the Ingredients: Start by peeling, seeding, and cubing the butternut squash. Core and cube the apples, and gather the remaining ingredients.
- Layer the Ingredients: Add the cubed squash, apples, raisins, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the crock pot. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Add the Seasoning: Stir in the fresh or dried sage and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dot with Butter: Place small pieces of butter evenly on top of the mixture.
- Cook: Cover the crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the squash and apples are tender.
- Finish and Serve: Once done, give the dish a stir, transfer to a serving plate, and sprinkle the toasted walnuts on top for a nice crunch. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re looking to complete this crockpot butternut squash recipe with a full holiday meal, I’ve got some great suggestions! Pair this sweet and savory dish with deviled eggs as a light appetizer to kick things off. For a heartier side, parmesan crusted potatoes add a perfectly crispy contrast to the tender squash.
Serve it alongside braised lamb shanks for a rich option. And for those who love sweeter flavors, complement your squash with a comforting carrot souffle. Together, these dishes make a perfect, festive spread that everyone will appreciate!
More Butternut Squash Recipes
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Butternut Squash and Rice Casserole
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Brussel Sprouts
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
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Crock Pot Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, cut in half, seeds removed and cut into cubes (about 4 cups of cubed squash)
- 2 large cooking apples, cored and cut into cubes
- ⅓ cup raisins, or dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup apple juice
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut in several pieces
- ⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Instructions
- Add cubed squash, apples, raisins, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the crock pot; mix until combined.
- Stir in the sage, season with salt and pepper, and dot with butter.
- Cover and cook for 4 hours on LOW.
- Remove the cover and stir.
- Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with walnuts.
- Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
can I substitute apple cider for apple juice?
Yes, but please make sure it’s apple cider and not apple cider vinegar… and I only say this because you won’t believe how many readers have used apple cider vinegar (not on this recipe, but on a different one that calls for apple cider) and then they give the worst reviews because the dish was too “vinegary”. Uhmm, yeah, 1/2-cup of apple cider vinegar will definitely taste vinegary. 😆
Can you make this the day before?
Yes, you can, but it’s better if made the day of. What I do is, I chop up everything the night before, put it all in ziploc bags, and then the next morning I just dump it all into the slow cooker and let it cook.
Does the sage make it bitter. Can you leave it out or does it change the taste a lot. If you don’t have fresh sage can you use ground and if so how much
Looks great! Love these flavors. Thanks for adding ww pts. How much is one serving?
If doubling the recipe does cooking time change?
Hi! No, you should be fine. 4 hours on low is plenty of time for 4 pounds of squash.
What type of apples did you use? and did you peel them?
Hi! I use Honeycrisp Apples and I don’t peel them.
Can you make this without the butter? Could you use oil or Smart Balance or some other healthy butter substitute? How will it affect the recipe?
Hi! Sure! It shouldn’t be a problem at all if you use a substitute.
Sorry if I missed it somewhere, but how many does this serve?
Thanks,
Jan
Hi! It’s about 6 servings.