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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Toasted Pecans, and Dried Cranberries is an easy Christmas side dish that will add colors and vibrancy to your holiday menu!
This is such a perfect Christmas recipe. Roasted Brussels sprouts taste great combined with the classic holiday ingredients, such as pecans and dried cranberries. Dried cranberries provide a nice, sweeter contrast to the Brussels Sprouts. And, there is a little bit of crunch from toasted pecans and chopped cooked bacon. This side dish is bursting with colors!
If you enjoy colorful holiday recipes, you will also love green beans with bacon and butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.
What I love the best about this Christmas Brussels sprouts recipe is that it fits so well with the traditional holiday side dishes, such as green beans, potatoes, and stuffing. It's a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve or any other holiday!
This side dish is packed with vegetables and nuts. It's healthy, gluten-free, and rich in fiber!
Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon have become one of my favorite holiday recipes.
Other holiday side dishes
If you want to discover other colorful and vibrant holiday side dishes, check out these recipes:
- Garlic and Bacon Green Beans - crispy and crunchy green beans sautéed with garlic and bacon in olive oil and butter on the stovetop.
- Creamy and Crunchy Salad with Peas, Bacon, and Pecans - easy and beautiful side dish for the holidays!
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries - this vibrant recipe will work perfectly for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!
- Winter Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing - the holiday ingredient list includes red apples, pears, clementine oranges (or mandarin oranges), kiwi fruit, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds.
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate - perfect healthy holiday salad features Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing.
Christmas main courses
Brussels sprouts and bacon will pair well with any Christmas main course. I recommend that you try one of these recipes for your holiday dinner, especially the duck:
- Roast Duck is a perfect holiday main course! This Roast Whole Duck has tender and juicy meat, crispy skin, and it's glazed with the honey-balsamic glaze to give the duck a beautiful roasted look.
- Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce - this recipe will make a perfect main dish for any special night, an anniversary celebration, or holidays, especially Christmas or New Year's Eve.
- Lamb Chops with Cranberry Balsamic Reduction - this recipe features holiday ingredients, such as pomegranate seeds and pecans. Simple lamb chops marinade is made of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Roasted Cornish Hen is made with root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes) and onions.
How to make Brussels sprouts with bacon
1) Start by cooking the bacon in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes. After the bacon is cooked, drain it of fat and chop it up into smaller pieces.
2) Next, prepare the Brussels sprouts by tossing them with olive oil and salt. Add them to a baking sheet.
3) Roast the Brussels sprouts in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
4) Finally, in a medium bowl, combine together roasted brussels sprouts, chopped cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries.
Tips and tricks
- To save time, roast both Brussels sprouts and bacon on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.
- Optionally, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the final dish. The dish should already have enough oil from Brussels sprouts and the cooked warm bacon.
- Soak dried cranberries briefly in hot water to plump them up. This will make dried cranberries juicier, softer, and more vibrant.
How to make it ahead
- If you plan to make this dish a day ahead, don't add nuts. Add nuts only when ready to serve (to make sure they are crunchy).
- Reheat this dish in a shallow pan, such as a sheet pan or a sheet cake pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the ingredients on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Reheat for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F. Then add toasted pecans, when ready to serve.
Serve this cold or hot?
- This dish is best served immediately, warm or at room temperature.
Substitutions
- Don't want to use pecans? Use pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or pine nuts.
- You can use dried cherries, raisins, or chopped dried figs instead of dried cranberries.
- What is a good substitution for regular bacon? Use prosciutto, duck bacon, or turkey bacon.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, and Cranberries
Ingredients
- 12 oz Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 1 cup pecans
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
How to Roast Brussels Sprouts
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Slice all Brussels sprouts in half.
- In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and toss to combine.
- Place Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet, cut side down.
- Roast in the oven at 400 F for about 25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be partially charred but not blackened.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
- Line the separate baking sheet with foil. Add the bacon slices in one layer. Bake in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is done. You can do it at the same time as roasting the Brussels sprouts.
- Drain bacon of fat and slice the bacon into small bites.
How to Toast Pecans
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add pecans in one layer.
- Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.
Prepare Dried Cranberries
- For best results, briefly soak the dried cranberries in hot water. Bring a small pot of water to boil.
- Add dried cranberries to a medium bowl. Pour hot water over the cranberries and soak them for about 10 minutes. Drain.
Assembly
- In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, warm chopped cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and soaked dried cranberries. Toss everything together. The olive oil from Brussels sprouts and fats from bacon should be enough to coat the ingredients. If desired, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to mix with the salad (optional).
Notes
- Drizzle with a balsamic glaze. Make the balsamic glaze by cooking down the balsamic vinegar together with a small amount of honey or brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half. For example, combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar and cook it down. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick.
- Drizzle with a very high-quality aged balsamic vinegar made in Italy. Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in specialized stores or sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. High-quality Italian-made aged balsamic vinegar is usually expensive but it does not need cooking down. Just use it as is. And, you don't need to use much.
- Or, use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette-based salad dressing.
- You can use white balsamic vinegar to brighten this dish!
Looking for more THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Looking for a complete THANKSGIVING MENU?
- Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012).
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Yummy!
I had some pomegranate balsamic and used a very small drizzle and that added a nice soft sweet taste. I love onions, et al in things like this; if you were to add shallot slices, where/how would you roast them to complement this already very yummy dish?
I would roast the shallots at the same time as Brussels sprouts but on a separate baking sheet - or if using the same, large-enough baking sheet, I would spread out the vegetables and avoid overcrowding to avoid the veggies steaming instead of roasting.
Can you use real bacon bits, I buy the ones from Costco.
Yes, you can!
Hi.. would like to try this for Christmas but wonder if it would hold up to being made in advance like earlier same day and reheated?
Yes, you can make this earlier in the day or even a day ahead and then reheat it in the oven. I would add pecans only before serving so that they remain fresh and crunchy!
20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit will not be long enough to cook Brussels sprouts; they will be raw and hard through the middle and will resemble biting through raw broccoli. Roasted Brussels sprouts is one of my husbands favorite dish, so I make it a lot. If you want them soft on inside with crunchy outer layers, roast them for 40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and broil them for about 1 minute at the end.
Alissa, great feedback! My Brussels sprouts always seem to cook much faster than your times. Maybe, it's because I use smaller Brussels sprouts. Also, it depends on which rack you use. If you use a lower rack in the oven - the Brussels sprouts will cook faster.
i would like a sauce for this is there one you know of
Carol, underneath the recipe instructions, under the Notes section, I have some sauce suggestions. Also, if you just want to use a store-bought sauce that's really good, here is my suggestion:
Use a high-quality aged Balsamic vinegar. Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in special sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. High-quality Italian-made aged balsamic vinegar is usually somewhat expensive but it does not need cooking down. Just use it as is. And, you don't need to use much of it. This type of balsamic vinegar has a much thicker (almost syrupy texture) and is not as acidic as the regular one. I use the balsamic vinegar labeled as Aceto Balsamico I.G.P. produced in Italy. Balsamic vinegar labeled as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale D.O.P. is also a great choice.
If made the day before how do you suggest reheating without making them soggy?
I would reheat it in the preheated oven at 400 F for 10 or 20 minutes. Maybe even broil it very briefly (1 minute or so) at the end.
Hi, I am looking forward to preparing this for Christmas. Could I use fresh cranberries in place of dried?
I think fresh cranberries would be too tart. But, if you make a cranberry sauce, you can actually use that.
This looks delicious. I would like to make it using my air fryer not quite sure about the temperature and timing. Any advice would be very much apreciated.
Erene, I don't have the air fryer unfortunately.
Maybe this will help with your time and temperature...
https://swirlsofflavor.com/air-fryer-brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-glaze/
Wow, thank you so much for the tip!
This was fabulous! We're having it again this year.
Tracey, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi, does it have to be served warm?
Thanks!
This can be served at room temperature, too.
Do you ever make this the day before serving? Thank you
Yes, you can make this a day before. Add nuts only before serving to preserve their crunch.
Hi Julia
This recipe looks lovely. How long do you think this would keep in a warming oven and still have a texture to it?
Thanks,
I would say for up to 1 hour. Enjoy! 🙂
Julia, would it be possible to use frozen brussel sprouts? As I can not get fresh ones here at the moment?
Julia, I absolutely love Brussels sprouts, saw this recipe and knew I had to try it. I made this recipe for dinner tonight and My husband who is not a fan of Brussels sprouts absolutely loved it and so did I. I did add the balsamic/vinegar dressing on it. It’s amazing. Definition will make again.
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing!!!
I cheated a bit and added the bacon grease from the baking sheet to the final mixing of ingredients.
I made this tonight and it needed an extra vegetable. Roasted butternut squash cubes would’ve been a great add just to get a bit more bulk and colour in there. We did add pumpkin seeds and roasted our own cranberries too (in lieu of Craisins). I’d make it again for sure but would add an extra vegetable to make it more filling. The bacon made it so delicious!
This looks good! How did you roast the cranberries? Didn’t they explode in the oven?
I made this at Thanksgiving and my family loved it! I used the balsamic glaze you suggested. My daughter just ate at a restaurant that served a dish just like this and had to pay $12 for it. So much cheaper to make at home and very yummy!
Christmas dinner side - FANTASTIC! Even someone who doesn’t like Brussels sprouts loved this! Going to make it again and mix with roasted broccoli! This recipe has now become a staple