Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, and Cranberries - perfect Autumn salad, bursting with colors and flavors! Holiday side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Healthy, delicious, gluten-free recipe packed with veggies.
I love this Brussels sprout salad so much - to me, it looks so much like Autumn on a plate. Last year, I made a very similar recipe: butternut squash salad with pecans. This year my tastes have changed a little, and I now prefer to eat more seeds vs. nuts, so I just switched pecans for pumpkin seeds, and the result is delicious!
Why make this Brussels Sprouts Salad?
- If you're looking to add a beautiful and colorful holiday side dish to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, make this salad!
- It's a healthy holiday side dish, packed with nutrients and rich in anti-oxidants. This is a vegetarian and gluten-free recipe.
- This amazing Brussels sprouts salad not only makes a great Thanksgiving side dish, it is also a wonderful lunch.
Other delicious Brussels Sprouts Salads:
- Warm Quinoa and Brussels Sprout Salad in Honey Mustard Vinaigrette is loaded with pecans and cranberries. This Autumn salad is packed with nutrients, high in fiber and antioxidant properties.
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries and Pecans - tossed with slightly sweet honey mustard vinaigrette. Perfect salad to make in the Fall and in the Winter.
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples and Pecans with the homemade dressing made with honey, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar!
Thanksgiving Brussels Sprouts Side Dishes:
- Creamy Dijon Mustard Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apples - smothered in heavy cream, Dijon mustard and Gorgonzola cheese. One of the best Thanksgiving side dishes!
- Asiago Roasted Brussels Sprouts - crunchy, delicious little bites covered in melted Asiago cheese goodness.
- Creamy Mozzarella Brussels Sprouts and Bacon - easy 30-minute recipe for Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Main Courses to serve with this salad:
- Roast Duck - an ultimate Thanksgiving 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.
- Roasted Cornish Hen - roasted paprika Cornish hen with root vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes) and onions.
- Roasted Turkey Breast (Boneless) with Garlic Herb Butter – this is a rolled turkey breast recipe and is a great alternative when you don’t feel like cooking the entire turkey.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, and Cranberries
Ingredients
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts , ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 1 ½ lb butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Other Ingredients:
- ½ cups pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup optional
Instructions
Roasted Brussels sprouts:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Make sure Brussels sprouts have trimmed ends and yellow leaves are removed. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).
Roasted butternut squash:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
- Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
- Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.
Assembly:
- In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries, and mix to combine. (OPTIONAL): For more sweetness, add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, if desired – do not add all maple syrup at once, start with 2 tablespoons, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.
- Tip: You can add a small amount of apricot jelly or jam (1 or 2 tablespoons) to the maple syrup (stir it together) prior to mixing the maple syrup with the veggies. This will thicken up the maple syrup and get it to stick to the veggies!
Notes
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.
Suzanne
This looks so good! What a great way to get a lot of nutrients in a flavorful way!
Julia
Thank you!
Gerry
Looks fantastic!! I could see adding chicken and serving it as a main dish. Thanks for sharing
Julia
You are very welcome! Yes, it's easy to make this into a main dish just by adding cooked or grilled chicken.
TW
I made this for dinner tonight, substituted the molasses with honey and served it hot. It was a hit .....so healthy ....we loved it! Definitely a keeper!
Julia
So glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! 🙂
Oxana Joe
I just made this and tastes amazing and so yummy, making this dish for Christmas for sure!
Julia
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Diane
Can fresh cranberries be used?
Julia
Fresh cranberries can be a bit too sour. It's best to use dried cranberries here.
Midge
Is this hot or cold dish????? Could I make it the day before Thanksgiving???????Mi
Julia
You can serve this either warm or room temperature.
Becky
I’ve made this Delicious salad for the last couple of years and love it I just finished making it for tomorrow. Wondering if I need to refrigerate or can I leave at room temperature overnight
Julia
Refrigerate it in an air-tight container overnight.
Cathie Kilgard
Could you use fresh cranberries? And if so, how?
Julia
Fresh cranberries are quite sour, so they wouldn't work so well in this recipe. I would use dried cranberries.
Abby
Do you serve this hot or cold?
Lisa H
I was wondering the same thing.... hot or cold? I'm going to go with hot. Does anyone else think different
Linda
I like it room temp. I make this every year. So colorful, healthy and festive.
Breanne
It’s great both ways! Made it and ate some fresh at the warm/roasted temp and ate the leftovers cold. Both were delicious.
Jeannette
Has anyone made this? I was going to make this today and just wondering if you served it hot or cold. I’m also assuming served hot.
Julia
It's supposed to be served warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Julia
Serve this warm or room temperature.
Julia
You can serve this warm or room temperature.
Melisse
Does the calorie count / nutritional info already include the additional maple syrup mentioned at the assembly step?
Lisa Brown
Do you serve warm or cold?
Julia
It's best served warm, immediately after you made it.
Mary McCormick
Sounds delish ... will try this year
So did u roast the pumpkin seed or just buy already roasted ... you could also use pumpkin
Julia
I roasted pumpkin seeds right before adding them to the salad.
Nancy
Question:
Why didn't you or can you roast them together?
Lori Smith
Nancy, I think because the maple syrup and spices for squash is intended more for the squash and would be different effect if mixed with the Brussels
Julia
You can roast the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash at the same time, but I would keep them separated for reasons that Lori mentioned. Or use half-sheets and roast butternut squash on one half-sheet and Brussels sprouts - on another half-sheet.
Kim
Took this to a Halloween potluck before trick-or-treating and everyone loved it. Not only did it look beautiful, but it was delicious! The colors were lovely and the textures, flavors and sweet and salty were wonderful together. Thanks!
Julia
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a positive comment! 🙂
Jeannie
Can I make this the night before
Thanksgiving ?
Julia
While, of course, this is served best immediately, you can make it the night before. Keep it refrigerated in an air-tight container. Add pumpkin seeds right before serving to make sure they are crunchy.