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Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries is one of the best holiday side dishes you'll ever try! It's a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, or any time you like! This side dish is packed with vegetables and nuts. It's healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian, and rich in fiber!
Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of my favorite holidays! I love the kinds of food we cook this time of year, bursting with Fall and holiday flavors. While we all love good old regular recipes that we are so accustomed to this time of year (green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, etc.) I hope you will also give a try to this side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner.
What I love the best about this roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts recipe is that it fits so well with classic Thanksgiving side dishes. It's such a perfect addition to a holiday table. It will look (and taste!) perfect next to traditional Thanksgiving recipes, such as green beans, potatoes, and stuffing.
And, I love the combination of ingredients here! Even if you don't like Brussels sprouts, you'll love them here. Roasted Brussels sprouts taste great when combined with all the classic Autumn flavors. Cinnamon butternut squash provides a nice, sweeter contrast to the Brussels Sprouts. And, you get a little bit of crunch from pecans and dried cranberries.
This holiday recipe will bring so many colors and lots of flavors to your holiday menu!
Thanksgiving Main Courses to serve with this side dish:
Pair Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts with one of these delicious main dishes:
- 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.
Want to try other delicious Thanksgiving Side Dishes?
All the dishes below are simple and easy to make. They make a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving menu.
- 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 Thanksgiving!
- Dijon Mustard Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Apples, and Gorgonzola cheese - Brussels sprouts smothered in heavy cream and mustard with bacon, apples, Gorgonzola cheese, and nutmeg. Cooked on the stovetop. Comforting recipe for those cold Fall and Winter nights.
Looking for a Thanksgiving Salad Recipe?
An autumn salad is always a welcome addition to the holiday table. Check out these Thanksgiving recipes:
- 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 Thanksgiving salad with Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing.
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries and Pecans - this holiday salad is all about crisp, shredded Brussels sprouts tossed with slightly sweet honey mustard vinaigrette, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. One of the best Fall salads you'll ever make!
Potato Side Dishes for Thanksgiving:
The holiday menu is not complete without a potato dish. Here are my recommendations:
- Scalloped Potatoes - Easy Scalloped Potatoes with Garlic, Thyme, and Parmesan cheese - delicious, super cheesy potatoes made with white cheese only (no Cheddar cheese).
- Cheddar, Thyme and Beer Potatoes Au Gratin - creamy and cheesy thin sliced potatoes that are deliciously seasoned with fresh thyme and baked to perfection with Cheddar cheese and dark beer!
- Buttery Mashed Potato Pie with Herb and Garlic Cream Cheese - a wonderful combination of potatoes, cream cheese, and buttermilk baked in the shape of the sliceable pie.
- Irish Mashed Potatoes with Bacon (Colcannon) - potatoes, cabbage, kale, and bacon all combined with butter and heavy cream. Yum!
This Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels sprouts recipe makes a beautiful presentation, too. It's a perfect Holiday side dish that will make a great addition to both Thanksgiving and Christmas menus.
How to Make Roasted Brussels sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash:
- Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil and salt. Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
- Toss cubed butternut squash in olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted cinnamon butternut squash, cranberries, and lightly toasted pecans.
- Add a small amount of maple syrup and toss it!
Tips and Tricks
- To save time, roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.
- Adding maple syrup to the salad at the end is optional. If you do decide to add it, add small amounts. Start with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.
Substitutions
Don't want to use pecans? Try this recipe with pumpkin seeds:
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seeds, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Cranberries - this delicious Autumn salad features all our favorite seasonal ingredients!
How to reheat it:
- First, if you plan to make this 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.
- You can also serve this dish cold if you like. Just add toasted pecans right before serving, so that they are crunchy.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries
Ingredients
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon 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:
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup up to 4 tablespoons
Instructions
How to roast Brussels Sprouts:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove yellow leaves.
- 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).
How to roast 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.
How to toast pecans:
- Toast pecans in the preheated oven at 350 F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.
- Note: pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterwords.
Assembly:
- In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, 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.
Video
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.
Other Butternut Squash Recipes:
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
- Creamy Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Sausage, Thyme, and Sage
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
The recipe was originally published on October 22, 2015, and republished with cooking tips and updates in November 2018.
Could you roast the brussel sprouts and the butternut squash in the same pan?
I wondered the same thing!
Yes, you can roast the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on the same baking sheet if it's large enough. Just make sure to keep the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash separate when roasting on the same baking sheet.
Do you think it would still be good if I made this two days before Thanksgiving (on Tuesday night) and then reheated it on Thursday? Has anyone done this?
Of course, this dish is best when served immediately - the Brussels Sprouts are crunchy, and so are the pecans. However, you can make it 2 days in advance and reheat it in the oven - it will still taste delicious!
Brussels sprouts are so good for you and what a unique way to integrate them into a wonderful recipe. Also, squash, pecans, and cranberries are a great combination on their own. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe.
I've made this beautiful dish before, without the syrup and cinnamon. Didn't have the cranberries, so I used dried black cherries and golden raisins. It was so tasty! Next, I'll try it with sweet potatoes, cinnamon and maple syrup, with cranberries and pecans!
Thank You!
Using black cherries and golden raisins sounds so good! And, yes, this will be great with sweet potatoes, too!
Can I make this recipe ahead of time and then reheat. Having Christmas dinner at my sister-in-law's at 4:00pm.
I was planning on making it a little earlier at home and then bringing the dish to her house to reheat. Do you think this would be okay and not ruin the taste and quality of the recipe?
Yes, you can make it ahead and reheat it. Don’t add pecans until just ready to serve, to keep their texture intact.
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.
You can also serve this dish cold if you like. Just add toasted pecans right before serving, so that they are crunchy.
I made a MUCH more complicated recipe using the same ingredients for Thanksgiving, but it was overkill with the spices and took forever to make. I'm excited to try this and actually be able to taste the ingredients!! 🙂
So yummy! I took it took a church Christmas party (potluck) and wasn't sure if the brussels sprouts would scare people off... But they ate it all up! Good thing I bought extra Brussels sprouts so I can make more! 🙂
Sara, so happy to hear that! So glad this dish was a success at the Christmas potluck!
This dish was AMAZING!! Thank you!
Thanks! So happy to hear that!
Enjoy!
My husband and I loved this recipe, in fact I would make just the brussel sprouts alone. I'm not a fan of butternut squash so I think I will experiment with sweet potatoes. We will see.
So happy to hear you liked the recipe! I had several people comment on this recipe that they used sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash and the recipe turned out great!
I'm trying to try some new foods, and eat healthier. This was quite good. I don't eat as many vegetables as I should. I'm usually fixing something quick, I saw this recipe last week. I didn't get it made for Thanksgiving but I'd made gingered butternut squash soup. So, I tried this today. I will make it again. It looks lovely and has a nice flavor. I'm anxious to share this dish tomorrow. Thank you.
Leigh, I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Even though it makes a perfect Thanksgiving side dish, it's a great side dish to have any day. Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hey Julia - I made this dish for Thanksgiving and everyone enjoyed it. Lots of positive comments. Thank you very much for creating delicious dishes for Keto!
Betty, I am so happy everyone enjoyed this dish for Thanksgiving! 🙂
This recipe is definitely a keeper! Not only for Thanksgiving but for any other meal. It's very easy to prepare and the taste is absolutely great!! Thank you for this recipe.
You're very welcome, Denise! Yes, this is a great recipe not just for Thanksgiving, I agree!
Made this for Thanksgiving. Everyone who ate some said it was delicious. Even people who have never had brussel sprouts before. Definitely needed the maple syrup added at the end. However, peeling a summer squash was a pain.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Made this recipe for a Thanksgiving side. My leftover were all taken! I'm getting requests to make this for Christmas too! I bought precut squash to save a little time. Truly Amazing!
Amie, your comment made my day! Thank you! 🙂
I forgot to pick up dried cranberries so I subbed dried sweet cherries. It was delicious. I will make often.
Cindy, what a brilliant substitution! Dried sweet cherries are so tasty and with a small amount of tartness they are PERFECT for this recipe!
How would you make it with frozen butternut squash?
I would let it thaw and then just proceed as described in the recipe.
Loved this recipe! It’s a healthy fall side dish for thanksgiving. It will be part of my traditional thanksgiving menu every year. Making it for the second year but my first time hosting a huge group. I’m sure it’s going to be a hit. Thank you for sharing!
Melissa, I am so happy to hear that! Enjoy your Thanksgiving! 🙂