Delicious and wholesome crockpot acorn squash is an easy addition to any meal! Tender and sweet roasted acorn squash halves filled with tasty dried cranberries.

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After your acorn squash is cut in half, place it in your slow cooker on top of about ยฝ cup of water. The next step is the flavoring. For this you will need:
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- butter
- dried cranberries
- optional: nuts such as walnuts or cashews
What Is Acorn Squash?
Acorn squash is a winter vegetable that generally appears in the market in early fall through late winter. It has a very thick skin, similar to pumpkin, making it a great squash to store for a longer period of time. An especially good trait if you want to buy it but aren't really sure when it will fit into your cooking rotation.
Is it slightly sweet with a typical squash consistency when cooked. And like some other thick skin squash, it contains large seeds in its belly.
🔪Cutting Acorn Squash
This starchy vegetable has a very thick skin that is often coated in a light layer of edible wax. This combination makes it really hard to cut. I recommend cutting off the end first and them making one big cut down the middle.
If you want to split up further, it is much easier to divide after it is cooked.
🧹Cleaning
As with all vegetables, prior to cutting, it is a good idea to wash your squash off in running water to remove any unnecessary debris. After you have it cut open, use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and the pulpy fibers that are attached to them.
The seeds are actually edible and can be roasted similar to pumpkin seeds.
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🍳Cooking
Place brown sugar and dried cranberries (and nuts if you would like) into the open cavity of each squash half. Top the filling with a piece of butter and sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Then you just cover your slow cooker and let it work its magic!
If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!
Why Use A Slow Cooker For This Recipe
Of course, you can bake this dish in the oven. However, there are a lot of great reasons why a slow cooker is a better idea:
- Using your crockpot to make this easy squash recipe is great for when you don’t have the time to babysit a dish in the oven. Oven-baked goods can go from done to overdone in the blink of an eye. Since crockpots are slow and steady, they are a little more forgiving of people who (like me) sometimes run late or lose track of time. If crockpot cooking time says 2 hours but you have an errand, call or meeting that runs 15 minutes over, chances are your dish will be just fine! Additionally, many slow cookers are programmable. They can be set to turn off or down to warm at a predetermined time.
- Using your crockpot to make a side dish like this leaves more space in the oven for other things. If you already have an entree, appetizer and dessert going in the oven, using your slow cooker to make this dish can be lifesaving!
- When using in your crockpot, you can use either parchment paper or a slow cooker liner leaving you with virtually zero clean up!
- Crockpots are a great way to cook with children! Since they don’t get super hot the way ovens do AND since you generally don’t turn them on until all ingredients are in, they are very family friendly. Please note that you CAN still burn yourself with a slow cooker. Always supervise children carefully anytime you are in the kitchen!.
😉Hints & Hacks
- Leftovers are delicious warm or cold!
- If you want to make you squash even sweeter, drizzle with a little maple syrup just before serving.
- This delicious recipe is great if your people will be eating at different times. After the cooking time, turn your slow cooker to low. Each dinner can have a warm and filling dish, no matter what time they are ready to eat
- I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. This is, of course, an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine!
๐ Recipe
Lazy Slow Cooker Acorn Squash
(Click on the stars to leave a rating)
Print Pin Rate SaveAll nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
Equipment
- Larger slow cooker (either 6 quart or a casserole crockpot)
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- ¼ cup crushed nuts (optional)
- 2 tablespoon butter or non dairy butter alternative
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar or brown sugar alternative
- 2 dashes cinnamon
Instructions
- place liner in slow cooker and fill with ½ cup water½ cup water
- cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds.1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed
- cut off pointy tip of the bottom of squash so each half and stand up without tipping over and place both halves in slow cooker
- add ¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries to middle of each squash half½ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- add 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or substitute) to each half2 tablespoon brown sugar
- place one pat (1 tablespoon worth) of butter or butter substitute into each half2 tablespoon butter
- if using nuts, sprinkle on top of each half¼ cup crushed nuts (optional)
- sprinkle lightly with cinnamon2 dashes cinnamon
- cover slow cooker and cook on low for 3 - 4 hours.
- Enjoy!
Final Step
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Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information shown here is automatically generated and should be considered an estimate. If you follow a specific diet, please calculate your own values to ensure accuracy.
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Ellen says
Yum!! Great winter dish.
Adam says
A masterpiece! Love this. Great Fall dish!
admin says
Thank you!!
Terrie says
Simple and delicious!! My non squash eaters even liked this.i used the cranberries in mine and no nuts. Definitely keeping this recipe.
Amy says
If I need to cook two at a time can I do it in a an 8 qt crock pot? Also, how much water will I need and how much cooking time?
I have a bigger one on the way for Thanksgiving!
Thanks in advance!
A new fan;-)
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
Hi there, The answer to this depends a little bit on the size of the squash. It's ok to squeeze them in a bit if you need to. You will need to add enough water to have about 1/2 and inch or so cover the entire bottom of the slow cooker. I have never made this one in an 8 quart slow cooker so I don't have exact timing. But, I would start checking on them after 3 hours (and then again every 30 minutes or so thereafter) - once the centers of the squash can be easily pierced with a fork, they are good to go.
If you think of it, I would love to hear how it goes!! Thanks!