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This crock pot butternut squash is a delicious and easy holiday side dish. Just toss sweet winter squash and juicy apples with a handful of ingredients, including brown sugar, crunchy walnuts, and sage. Fast forward a few hours in the slow cooker, and you’re ready to serve!
Nothing rounds out a holiday dinner of Instant Pot turkey breast like sweet and savory slow-cooked squash. Or, pair this easy squash with bone-in pork chops for a perfect everyday dinner.
Today’s crock pot butternut squash is my hands-free, slow-cooking alternative when there isn’t enough oven space for roasted butternut squash. It’s a favorite holiday side dish packed with delicious fall ingredients and flavors, destined for Thanksgiving tables. We’re talking tender butternut slow-cooked with a mix of juicy apples, toasted walnuts, raisins, and sage for the perfect sweet and savory combo.
Let’s Discuss This Crock Pot Butternut Squash
- Easy to prep. Layer everything in the crock pot, add a splash of apple juice and some butter, and let the squash cook while you go about your day. No babysitting or oven time required!
- The perfect dish for the holidays. This butternut squash recipe combines sweet, savory, and crunchy elements, making it the ideal cozy side dish for any holiday meal. It reminds me a bit of my apple stuffing crossed with baked butternut squash.
- Super versatile. You can easily swap in your favorite dried fruits or nuts and adjust the sweetness. As-is, this side dish is vegetarian-friendly, which makes it great for any crowd! Otherwise, add in crumbled bacon for a smoky twist.
Recipe Ingredients
I make this easy butternut squash in the crock pot with simple ingredients I can find easily in most grocery stores. You should have very little difficulty finding them near you!
I’ve included some easy ingredient swaps and notes below, just in case. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe with amounts and recipe details.
- Butternut Squash – Look for butternut squash that’s heavy for its size, without any blemishes or soft spots.
- Cooking Apples – Any firm baking apple, like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, will work well in this recipe. I love the way the sweet-tart apples balance the savoriness of the dish.
- Raisins – For a touch of sweetness and chewiness. Swap in dried cranberries or even dried cherries for a tangier twist, or omit the dried fruit if it’s not your thing.
- Apple Juice – Adds moisture and enhances the sweetness. Use orange juice or water if needed.
- Light Brown Sugar – Maple syrup or honey is a good substitute.
- Spices – I use ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Pumpkin pie spice or allspice is a good alternative.
- Fresh Sage – Dried sage or thyme can be used if you don’t have fresh sage on hand.
- Butter – Adds richness and helps meld all the flavors together. You can use olive oil to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Toasted Walnuts – You can swap the walnuts with pecans or omit them for a nut-free version.
No Squash Available?
Substitute diced sweet potatoes for a similar taste and texture without changing the cooking time.
Recipe Tips
- Use the right size slow cooker. I recommend a 4-quart slow cooker or larger for this recipe. If needed, scale the recipe by half (or as needed) for a smaller crock pot.
- Cut the squash into the same-sized pieces. Cut the squash into the same-size cubes so that they cook evenly.
- Check the squash for doneness. Butternut squash should be cooked through and fork-tender. Test it using an actual fork or knife to make sure it’s done.
What to Serve With Butternut Squash
Serve this festive crock pot butternut squash as a side dish with a Christmas roast or Thanksgiving turkey, and more holiday favorites like mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and a classic green bean casserole. I always love deviled eggs as a light appetizer to kick things off!
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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
- Combine the ingredients. Add cubed squash, apples, raisins, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the crock pot; mix until combined.
- Add seasonings. Stir in the sage, season with salt and pepper, and dot with butter.
- Cook. Cover and cook for 4 hours on LOW.
- Remove the cover and stir. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with walnuts, and serve.
Notes
- Use a 4-quart crock pot or larger.
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.
How To Cook Butternut Squash In The Crock Pot
Grab a sturdy, sharp knife and get ready to cut up your butternut squash! Here are the steps to make this irresistible butternut squash in the crock pot with apples, crunchy nuts, herbs, and just the right hint of sweetness:
- Prepare the ingredients. Start by peeling, seeding, and cubing the butternut squash. Then, core and cube the apples, and gather your remaining ingredients.
- Fill the crock pot. Add the cubed squash to the slow cooker along with the chopped apples, raisins, apple juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until that’s well combined.
- Add seasonings. Next, stir in fresh or dried sage and season the butternut squash to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add butter. Now, dollop small pieces of butter evenly on top of the butternut squash and apple mixture.
- Cook! Cover the crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the squash and apples are tender.
- Finish and serve. Stir the butternut squash, transfer everything to a serving plate, and sprinkle toasted walnuts on top for extra crunch. Serve, and enjoy!
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.