Butternut Squash Stuffing Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Butternut Squash Stuffing Recipe

This butternut squash stuffing is made with cubed butternut squash, celery, onions, and fresh sage and thyme mixed with sourdough bread cubes with only 15 minutes of prep!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 40

Total Time1 55

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Author: Yumna Jawad

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounces stale sourdough bread 1-inch cubed
1 small butternut squash peeled, and cut into cubes
1 large onion chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the cubed bread on a large baking sheet and toast in the oven until it dries out but does not get browned, about 15-20 minutes; set aside at room temperature.
In a 9x13 baking dish, add the butternut squash, onion, celery, butter, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Bake until the vegetables soften, about 35-40 minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven, add bread on top and pour the vegetable broth over. Mix until all the broth has been absorbed. Press the mixture with the back of the spoon to level it off.
Bake uncovered until the stuffing begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Toss mixture and bake for an additional 30 minutes until some of the bread is toasted. Allow the stuffing to cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Notes

Use stale bread. This will actually absorb moisture better than fresh bread, which turns soggy in stuffing!
Cut all the vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces. Cutting everything into uniform pieces helps it cook evenly! You don't want to bite into an uncooked piece of squash.

Storage: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 4-5 days in the fridge. To reheat, I'd place individual portions in the microwave until warmed through!

Freezing: Bake the stuffing in a freezer-safe dish, let it cool completely, then cover the stuffing with a couple of layers of foil. It will keep in the freezer for a few months and can be baked directly from frozen!

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.

To make it gluten-free, you can use any gluten-free bread of your choice.
Instead of butternut squash, you can use carrots or other types of winter squashes like acorn squash.

This recipe has been updated in September 2025, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:
12 slices stale sourdough bread 14 ounces, cubed
1 onion chopped
3 celery sticks chopped
½ butternut squash peeled, seeded and chopped
3 apples chopped
1 parsnip chopped (optional)
4 sprigs fresh thyme destemmed and chopped
4 sage leaves chopped
1 ½ tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the cubed bread on a baking tray and toast in the oven until it dries out but does not get browned, about 15-20 minutes; set aside at room temperature.
In another 9x13 baking dish, toss the onions, celery, parsnip, butternut squash, apples, thyme, sage and parsley with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake in the pre-heated oven until the vegetables soften, about 35-40 minutes.
Remove the baking dish from the oven, add bread on top and pour the vegetable broth over. Mix until all the broth has been absorbed. Press the mixture with the back of the spoon to level it off.
Bake uncovered until the stuffing begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Toss mixture and bake for an additional 30 minutes until some of the bread is toasted. Allow the stuffing to cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.

Nutrition

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