Until last month, it had been several years since I’d made squash & apples. It was a staple in my house growing up. Every fall, once the apples began dropping in price, my mom picked up a few pounds and a butternut squash, and she made a huge pot of it for the freezer. Once it hit September and the temperature began dropping, I was reminded that both apples and squash are low histamine and antihistamine foods… and I had the perfect low histamine Thanksgiving recipe recipe to quench my sweet tooth.
Luckily, the recipe needs very few substitutions and even less babysitting on the stove, since both apples & squash are quite forgiving of potential burning. Keep in mind, though, that the cinnamon in the recipe really brings together the whole dish. If your body can’t handle a pinch of cinnamon per serving, it is possible to omit it, but I’d recommend checking out some of my other dessert recipes instead, like these cookies.
I’ve listed tips for ingredient switches and substitutions in the recipe notes, but please comment below if you have any questions!
Thanksgiving Squash & Apples
This autumn recipe from my childhood is a sweet & sometimes savory addition to any table, whether you're serving it all up now or freezing it in single portions for later!
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (also called winter squash)
- 3-4 medium tart apples, like granny smith or pink lady
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
- 1 teaspoon pure monkfruit powder , [NOT monkfruit sweetener or any kind of blend]
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon camu camu powder
Instructions
- Peel, core, and slice up a whole butternut squash. Make sure you remove all the seeds and the stringy parts. If you can handle microwaved foods, popping the whole squash in the microwave oven for 3 minutes will loosen the skin and make it easier to peel.
- Measure out a quarter cup of coconut oil or ghee and add it to the pan. Over medium-low heat (3-4 out of 9 on my burners), slowly brown the butternut squash; this should take 40-50 minutes, with you stirring every 5 minutes or so. Don't stir too often at the beginning, or they won't brown.
- While the squash is cooking, carefully wash each of the apples, and then cut them into 1/4 inch slices, with the skin on (to take advantage of the natural quercetin in the peel).
- Once the squash is browned and softened, smelling a bit sweet and caramelized, add in the apples and stir well. Cook the mixture another 20-25 minutes, until the apples are soft but not falling apart.
- Once the dish begins smelling quite sweet, measure out the salt, camu camu, vanilla powder, monk fruit, and cinnamon (this is really necessary to bring the dish together, so if you can't handle it, I wouldn't recommend making this particular dish). Stir them into the pan and cook just two more minutes before turning off the burner and removing the pan from heat. Let it cool just a few minutes before plating it or freezing it in glass containers, otherwise you risk histamine build-up by leaving it on the counter!
Notes
Remember: BUY ORGANIC!! And clean the apples super well, even though they're organic, because it's important to leave the skin on for the health benefits (namely natural quercetin). You can also prep the apples while the squash is cooking for some time-saving on prep.
Ratios: The general rule for apple-to-squash ratio is one small apple per cup of cut butternut squash, but the more apple you use, the sweeter the dish will be. I usually go for 3 medium-sized apples for one large butternut squash.
Cinnamon: You can omit the cinnamon if absolutely necessary, but I really recommend it for the big flavor added by the tiny amount. If you do omit it, however, replace it with another 1/4 t. of camu camu powder.
Make it Sweet: For a sweeter dish, add 2 T. of coconut sugar when you add the apples, and serve with a dollop of coconut cream.
Make it Savory: For a less-sweet dish, omit the monk fruit & vanilla, and add in a 1/4 t. of ground black pepper. The savory version goes great with almost any pork dish, maybe with some brussels sprouts of broccoli on the side.
This dish freezes beautifully no matter what spices you use, so you can make a large batch and easily reheat on the stovetop on low.
I made this last week with my son and he loved it. We didn’t even add the monkfruit and it tasted great. thanks
You’re very welcome, Bahis! I’m glad he enjoyed it. 🙂