This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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.
Can anyone tell me what the approximate number of servings is??? I wish this was included with all recipes.
It's about 6 servings as a side dish.
I made this for a work pot luck. It was a huge hit! Multiple people asked for the recipe. The only thing I did different was use pecan pieces instead of halves. I did roast the veggies the night before and I served it warm. Thank you! This one is a keeper:)
Alicia, thank you so much for taking your time and leaving a comment! So glad you liked the recipe! Thank you for the tips!
I wasn't thrilled with this recipe. Everything tastes good by themselves, but the brussel sprouts didn't quite mix with the sweetness of the squash and maple syrup to me. Everyone's taste is different, though. Next time I will just leave the brussels out 🙂
Thank you, Kristin, for your feedback. I am glad you tried the recipe! 🙂
I was at a wine pairing party where this dish was served. It was fabulous! Beautiful to the eye and scrumptious on the taste buds. I will be making this for our family Thanksgiving feast.
Thank you, Cristi, for trying this recipe for your wine pairing party! I am glad you liked it! I bet some fruity wine would go really well with this recipe!
DELICIOUS! I made this today for our office Fall luncheon and it was a HUGE HIT!
(Because) I had sweet potatoes on hand, I replaced the butternut squash with sweet potatoes. Other than that, I followed the ingredients listed above.
I roasted both the brussels sprouts and the sweet potatoes in a large roasting pan for a total of about 25 mins (pulling out and stirring about halfway through). They were perfect, although the brussels sprouts didn't brown as well as I'd like them to. Next time, just for that reason, I may roast separately. Otherwise, there is absolutely no need to.
I (did) roast my pecans too (just plain) because I agree, they just are that much better tasting, roasted!
I also (did) add more than the extra 2-4 T. of maple syrup, as well as added more cinnamon. I started off with 2 T. of the maple syrup and then just taste-tested them until they were perfect. (same with the cinnamon .. I just kept adding a few sprinkles until I thought they were perfect.
I roasted the veggies the night before and then had them in a crockpot (the larger oval crockpot. This recipe filled it up about half-way) on low and warm for the morning (which turned out to be about 3 hours).
It was warm and yummy and got sooooooooooo many compliments AND requests for the recipe.
And this was SUCH a nice addition for the non-meat-eaters (and otherwise healthy eaters) who will be dining with you. When all of your other familiar recipes are taken for thanksgiving or Fall luncheon (potatoes; stuffing; casserole-type stuff), this is an excellent alternative!!
A sure-to-be huge hit for you too!!
THANK YOU for this KEEPER of a recipe!!! Yum Yum!!!
Thank you, Kerry, for taking your time to leave such a thoughtful and detailed comment. I really appreciate it! First of all, SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT! Second, thank you for your feedback and great tips!
I do not eat refined sugar and cannot find dried cranberries without sugar where I am. I do have fresh cranberries. Can this dish be made with fresh cranberries with a little additional work?
We are wondering the same thing! All we have is fresh - any ideas on how to add?
Can frozen brussel sprouts as fresh aren't around Thanksgiving?
Can u use roast Broccoli instead of Brussel sprouts
I made this last night and served it cold today as part of a work potluck. It got rave reviews. I may have also over roasted my brussel sprouts a little so I think cold worked in my favour!
Excited to make this dish again!
Can you use sweet potatoes instead of the squash?
Loved it!!! My husband and I loved this recipe, and as we are big fans of left overs, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it reheated.
So I cooked the cranberries and pecans in with the the squash in a deeper pan with a cover and the flavor mixture was great! I didn't like the big pecan halves though. Next time I will use chopped pecans. I also sprinkled a tiny bit of basil onto the sprouts and it added a slight herby flavor that was a nice balance with sweet.
Looks delicious. A bit annoying that your advertisers information shows up in the list of ingredients but a simple copy to Word fixed that.
Sorry if this is a silly question but could I use frozen veggies instead of fresh? Thanks!
Nice post. I have same thoughts sharing on my book. Join My Intuitive Eating Program http://www.theconnollymethod.com.au/live-your-ultimate-life
Kate Connolly
kate@theconnollymethod.com
How is it with little or no maple syrup for diabetics? I would think it would be plenty sweet just with the cranberries?
I added a little basalmic vinegar to the brussel sprouts and took away a little bit of maple syrup... perfect