This ridiculously flavor-packed cheesy stuffed butternut squash recipe is the epitome of comfort in a dish. With garlicky herbed lentils and mushrooms stuffed and roasted with dairy free cheese and dates that caramelize in the oven, this stuffed butternut squash recipe is hearty and delicious- the perfect side dish or main meal for any holiday or weeknight dinner! And the best part- it’s entirely plant-based, and you’d never know. No dairy and 100% vegan (and vegetarian!) friendly!

Serve with my crispy miso Brussels sprouts and soft garlic & herb vegan dinner rolls for the perfect autumnal feast!

A roasted butternut squash half stuffed with a lentil mixture, topped with melted cheese, herbs, and bits of sun-dried tomato, resting on parchment paper.

Table of contents

Why this recipe works:

  • Seriously simple ingredients: Most of the ingredients come from the pantry (except for the vegan cheese!). That’s literally it! And you won’t even believe that this entire stuffed butternut squash recipe is plant-based. So yeah, it’s both vegan and vegetarian-friendly! All without missing the meat, thanks to using a combination of mushrooms and lentils (like in my lentil shepherd’s pie! Ridiculously crave-worthy!).
  • Incredibly flavorful & satisfying: The rich, hearty lentils absorb so much yummy flavor from the caramelized onions, garlic, and sage, and the miso paste adds so much umami to the mushrooms. Add in the dates and vegan cheese for some sweet and salty balance, along with the soft, roasted butternut squash, and you have a mouthful of the best flavors and textures that’s oh-so filling! And quite literally- like my stuffed acorn squash recipe, the entire butternut squash boat is edible!
  • Easy to make: We roast the squash in the oven and the rest is made in a saucepan. No complicated techniques required!
  • Perfect for a side dish or main dish: Of course, I adore my vegan lentil Wellington and easy vegan lasagna as mains for both Thanksgiving and Christmas respectively. But this stuffed butternut squash is truly a showstopper. It has all of the holiday flavors in one recipe. You can easily serve it as a side dish, quartered, or keep it as the main dinner recipe for vegan, vegetarians, and omnivores alike!

This is a butternut squash lover’s dream recipe in every way (okay, that and my vegan butternut squash soup as well!).

You’re just going to love this dish- it’s so easy, flavor packed, and the perfect savory recipe to even serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas as a side dish or main!

And if you’re planning the rest of the menu, I’ve collected my favorite vegan Thanksgiving mains and side dishes in one place, including lentil loaf, stuffed squash, vegan mac and cheese, soups, and vegetable sides.

Two halves of roasted butternut squash stuffed with a savory filling, topped with melted cheese and herbs, resting on parchment paper.

Simple Ingredients

Top-down view of ingredients on a marble surface: butternut squash, vegan mozzarella cheese, sage leaves, onion or shallot, garlic, miso paste, rice vinegar, and a bag of sprouted green lentils. Each item is labeled—perfect inspiration for your next stuffed butternut squash recipe.
  • Butternut squash
  • Lentils: I like either green or brown lentils here. You can also use black beans, cannellini beans, or butterbeans. Feel free to swap in a torn crispy tofu for that “sausage” texture as well!
  • Mushrooms: There are a few varieties of mushrooms I prefer here! I really like cremini, Bella, shiitake (pictured), Beech, and Button.
  • Sage
  • Vegetable broth: I use this to cook the lentils in to add more flavor. If you’re a big soup lover, I recommend making a big batch of my homemade vegetable broth (fantastic in my vegan lentil lasagna soup too) to freeze and use in instances like this!
  • Miso paste: I use a chickpea-based miso paste but soy or another variety also works here.
  • Rice vinegar: You can also sub in lemon juice.
  • Onion: A large shallot will also work.
  • Garlic
  • Vegan mozzarella: You can use store-bought shredded vegan mozzarella or use my homemade vegan mozzarella cheese. I really love the homemade version!

For garnish, I like to top with more fresh sage and pomegranate seeds, but you can also top some grated vegan parmesan cheese!

How to make cheesy stuffed butternut squash:

Two halves of a butternut squash with seeds removed and flesh scored in a crisscross pattern, placed on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
  1. First start by washing and slicing the butternut squash. We’ll be keeping the peel on. You can slice the squash in half or into quarters!
Two halves of roasted butternut squash with criss-cross scoring on the flesh, placed on a sheet of parchment paper atop a baking sheet.
  1. While the butternut squash is roasting, make the lentil and mushroom stuffing. Prep the lentils while the butternut squash roasts.
A white skillet with sautéed chopped onions and garlic, some pieces browned, sits on a light marble surface.
  1. While the lentils are cooking, sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
A white skillet with a gold handle contains sautéed mushrooms and diced red onions on a marble surface.
  1. Deglaze the pan with rice vinegar, and add in the mushrooms to continue cooking until caramelized.
A white skillet with sautéed mushrooms, onions, and herbs sits on a marble surface. The vegetables are browned and mixed together, with a gold handle on the pan.
  1. Add in the sage and miso paste to cook with the mushrooms.
A white pan with a gold handle contains cooked lentils mixed with sliced mushrooms and diced onions, sitting on a marble countertop.
  1. Finally, drain the cooked lentils and stir them into the mushroom and onion mixture. Continue to sauté on medium heat to crisp up the lentils a bit, about 5 minutes.
Two roasted butternut squash halves with golden, caramelized edges rest on a sheet of parchment paper, showing their soft, cooked interiors.
  1. Once the butternut squash are roasted, we’ll scoop out the remaining middles of the butternut squash to be stirred in with the lentil mushroom mixture
A saucepan with cooked lentils and vegetables mixed together on a white marble surface.
  1. Stir in the butternut squash, dates, and 1/4 cup of the vegan mozzarella cheese.
Two halves of roasted butternut squash topped with vegan cheese, herbs, and chopped dates, before baking on parchment paper on a baking tray.
  1. Stuff the butternut squash with the lentil mushroom stuffing, dividing evenly between the four halves (other 2 not pictured). Top with vegan cheese and the remaining dates.
Two halves of roasted butternut squash filled with a savory mixture, topped with melted cheese, herbs, and chopped dates, on parchment paper.
  1. Bake for 15 minutes and then broil for an additional 3-5 minutes to caramelize the dates. Serve and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to peel the butternut squash before baking? Nope! The skin of the butternut squash is going to serve as our boat for serving these roasted butternut squash halves. It makes it super easy for serving as well!

Can I use another type of squash? Most definitely! This recipe will also work with delicata squash and acorn squash (though you should most definitely check out my stuffed acorn squash recipe for a fun variation!).

Do you eat the skin of butternut squash? Yes, the butternut squash skin is completely edible. You can eat the entire butternut squash boat and enjoy!

Prepping this recipe ahead of time:

This is honestly one of my favorite dishes to serve at both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I know with everything going on those days, it can be overwhelming to think of the prep!

So here’s how I prep this roasted stuffed butternut squash recipe for the holidays:

The day before: Prep and roast the butternut squash and garlic, along with making the quinoa lentil mixture. Then cover and chill the quinoa stuffing in the fridge, along with the butternut squash and roasted garlic. 

The day of: Continue onto Step 8 of stuffing the squash, then bake for 20-25 minutes before serving! Serve warm and enjoy!

A roasted half of butternut squash stuffed with vegetables, topped with melted cheese and herbs, on parchment paper.

What to serve with this dish:

With any squash, I immediately think hearty vegetables, so here are a few of my favorite veggie side dishes to serve up alongside this roasted stuffed butternut squash:

But if you’re looking for more holiday sides, here are a few of my faves:

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A roasted butternut squash half stuffed with a lentil mixture, topped with melted cheese, herbs, and bits of sun-dried tomato, resting on parchment paper.

Cheesy Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe with Lentils

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 65
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This ridiculously flavor-packed cheesy stuffed butternut squash recipe is the epitome of comfort in a dish. With garlicky herbed lentils and mushrooms stuffed and roasted with dairy free cheese and dates that caramelize in the oven, this stuffed butternut squash recipe is hearty and delicious- the perfect side dish or main meal for any holiday or weeknight dinner! And the best part- it’s entirely plant-based, and you’d never know. No dairy and 100% vegan (and vegetarian!) friendly!

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Butternut Squash:

  • 2 large butternut squash, sliced in half, seeds removed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Lentil Mushroom Stuffing:

  • 1 cup uncooked lentils
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 large onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 cups vegan mozzarella, divided
  • 8 medjool dates, chopped

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash the outside of the butternut squash, then carefully slice it in half with a large kitchen knife on a cutting board. You can either keep the squash as halves or slice them into quarters for smaller portions (suitable for holidays with lots of other dishes!). Repeat for the second butternut squash.
  2. Finish prepping the butternut squash: Use a fork and spoon to scoop out the seeds. Then place the butternut squash halves and/or quarters onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt. Then flip the butternut squash to seasoned-side face down to roast.
  3. Roast: Place the baking sheet into the oven to roast for 45 minutes at first.
  4. Cook the lentils: While the butternut squash is roasting, prepare the lentils according to the packaging instructions, cooking in the vegetable broth While the lentils are cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms in the next step.
  5. Steam or sauté the mushrooms: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until translucent. Then add in the garlic and sauté again until lightly browned and fragrant. Pour in the rice vinegar and add in the mushrooms and sea salt. Saute the mushrooms on medium heat until they begin to soften, covering and reducing the heat to low to allow the mushrooms to keep cooking, about 5 minutes. Once cooked, add in the miso paste and chopped sage, sautéing until the sage wilts down and is fragrant.
  6. Stir in the lentils: By this time, the lentils should have finished cooking. Drain the vegetable broth from the lentils and pour them into the mushroom mixture. Bring the heat up to medium heat, and sauté the lentils into the mushroom mixture for about 3-5 minutes.
  7. Stuff the squash: Remove the roasted butternut squash from the oven (keeping the oven on!), and using oven mitts, carefully scoop out the flesh of the butternut squash, leaving about 1/2″ thick of butternut squash still in the squash. Place the extra butternut squash into the lentil stuffing mixture, along with 5 of the chopped dates and 1/4 cup of vegan mozzarella. Toss to combine. Then fill the cavity of the butternut squash with the lentil stuffing, being generous with each squash half and/or quarter.
  8. Top: Top the butternut squash halves with the remaining vegan mozzarella, along with the remaining chopped dates. Drizzle with an additional tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkling of chopped sage.
  9. Bake again: Place the butternut squash back into the oven to bake at 400F for another 20 minutes. Then turn the oven onto broil and broil the butternut squash for 2-5 minutes to caramelize the dates and brown the vegan cheese.
  10. Serve and enjoy! Remove the roasted butternut squash from the oven and carefully plate. Serve and enjoy!
  11. Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes.

Notes

See blog post for all tips and tricks!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/2 of 1 half stuffed butternut squash
  • Calories: 358
  • Sugar: 16.8 g
  • Sodium: 205.1 mg
  • Fat: 9.5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 67.3 g
  • Fiber: 9 g
  • Protein: 9.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg