Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

Simple EASY butternut squash, apple, and cranberry bake recipe! Perfect for a holiday feast.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated September 17, 2023
Elise Bauer
Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake
Elise Bauer

There are two approaches to holiday cooking - fancy and complicated, and simple and easy. (Guess which camp we're in?)

Here is a colorful, simple harvest bake, with chopped butternut squash, tart apples, and cranberries. The hardest part is cutting up the butternut squash (see our how-to on cutting butternut squash). But then all you have to do is toss everything in a casserole and bake it in the oven for an hour.

The best part about this recipe is that you can easily make it a day ahead, and put it in the oven (while the turkey's resting). We loved this, next time we may want to add maybe half a cup of toasted walnuts or pecans.

Thanks Heidi H of Carlisle, MA for the recipe!

For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples.

Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 70 mins
Servings 8 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 2 large tart cooking apples (like Granny Smith), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices

  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter

  • 1 tablespoon flour

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace

Method

  1. Preheat oven and prepare baking dish:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 7x11-inch baking dish.

  2. Mix together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg:

    in a small bowl.

  3. Layer squash, apples, cranberries, and topping in baking dish:

    Put a layer of cut butternut squash on the bottom of the baking dish. Place apples on top and then sprinkle with cranberries. Sprinkle everything with the flour brown sugar mixture. Dot with butter.

    butternut-squash-apple-cranberry-bake-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    butternut-squash-apple-cranberry-bake-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  4. Bake:

    Bake 50-60 minutes at 350°F until cooked through and lightly browned.

    butternut-squash-apple-cranberry-bake-method-3
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
172 Calories
6g Fat
31g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 172
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 344mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 16mg 82%
Calcium 57mg 4%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 377mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.