Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

November 6, 2024

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!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash brussels sprouts, Thanksgiving Brussels sprouts, Thanksgiving butternut squash

Prep Time: 20minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20minutes minutes

Total Time: 40minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 508kcal

Author: Julia

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
2-4 tablespoons maple syrup optional

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.