These crispy roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries, and walnuts are festive for Christmas, and just as delicious any time of year! With sweet cranberries, toasty walnuts, and a maple-balsamic glaze, they are sure to be a hit as your holiday side dish! (gluten-free, vegan)

roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries and walnuts on a plate with a gold spoon.

If you didn't already know, I'm a huge fan of brussels sprouts. I'd eat them every day! BUT they have to be cooked right, which means roasting them until crispy. This recipe spruces up brussels sprouts for Christmas with festive red cranberries and walnuts!

Why You'll Love These Brussels Sprouts

When given plenty of space and roasted in a very hot oven until perfectly crispy, brussels sprouts are absolutely delicious - none of that mushy, sulfurous grey matter you might be weary of. Minced shallot plus a mixture of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar bring the flavor, while cranberries and walnuts add some festive interest. Vegan and gluten-free, these brussels sprouts are fun, flavorful and healthy. But most importantly, they're DELICIOUS! Perfect for your Christmas table (or any day of the year!).

halved brussels sprouts and minced shallot on a wood cutting board with a knife beside it.

The Ingredients

Brussels sprouts. Look for smaller, bright green sprouts with tightly closed, unblemished leaves.
Shallot. If you don't have shallot, use a couple cloves of minced garlic.
Maple syrup
Balsamic vinegar
Olive Oil
Cranberries. You can use dried or fresh. Fresh cranberries will be a little more tart.
Walnuts. You could also use pecans!

five image collage showings steps for making roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries and walnuts.

How To Make Them

Trim the woody bottoms form the brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Mince the shallot.
Mix the olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the brussels sprouts, shallot, and olive oil mixture to coat the brussels sprouts well.
Spread the brussels sprouts evenly in a single layer with the cut sides down on a baking sheet or in a large cast iron skillet that's been preheated.
Roast the sprouts at 425°F for 10-15 minutes (depending on their size and your oven), stirring once halfway through.
Add the cranberries and walnuts and continue roasting for 5 minutes. Give them a quick 1-minutes broil for extra crispy leaves!
Sprinkle with additional salt and serve.

Pro Tips for The Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts

To get really crispy sprouts that roast instead of steam, it's crucial that they don't get crowded. Make sure there is enough room for a single layer with space in between the sprouts.
Placing the brussels sprouts cut-side down will help them get a nice caramelization.
I love using a really big cast iron skillet that preheats with the oven for roasting brussels sprouts, but if you don't have one that's big enough, use a baking sheet.
Ovens vary, so the cooking time may be more or less than written in the recipe. If your oven tends to run cool, you might need to set it higher or roast a little bit longer.
Finishing under the broiler for 1 minute can help you get really crispy leaves, just make sure you watch them carefully!

Christmas roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries and walnuts on a plate with a gold spoon.

Recipe Variation: Bacon!

There is an older version of this recipe that included bacon, but I felt it was too similar to this recipe. If you'd still like to include bacon, you can use a similar method to version mentioned. Cooking 2 slices of bacon (but not super crispy) and reserve the bacon grease. Use the bacon grease in place of the olive oil in the recipe below, and add the chopped bacon when you add the cranberries and brussels sprouts.

Can't get enough brussels sprouts? Try one or more of these Delicious Brussels Sprouts Recipes!

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Christmas Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts

Print Recipe

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: side dish
Method: roasted
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tbsp shallot, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
¼ tsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt
¼ cup dried cranberries (you can also use fresh cranberries)
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. If you're using a skillet, place it in the oven to preheat.
Trim brussels sprouts and cut large ones in half. Place in a large bowl with minced shallots.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, vinegar and pepper. Pour over brussels sprouts and toss to coat.
Spread brussels sprouts evenly on the baking sheet or heated skillet in a single layer with cut sides down. Roast 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Remove sprouts from the oven and add cranberries and walnuts. Roast an additional 5 minutes, or until walnuts are toasted.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little additional salt (optional). Serve immediately.

Notes

Cooking Tips: Brussels sprouts need plenty of room to roast and get crispy. If they are too crowded, they will steam instead, and they'll be more mushy. If you don't have a very large cast iron skillet, I would use the baking sheet method. You can do a quick 1-minute broil at the end if you want them really crispy, just watch them carefully!
Leftovers: This recipe is best served right away. If you have leftovers, I suggest heating them in a hot skillet or in the oven at 400°F. They will be mushy in the microwave.
With Bacon: This recipe has been updated. The old version included bacon, but I felt it was too similar to this recipe. If you'd still like to include bacon, you can use a similar method to version mentioned, cooking 2 slices of bacon and adding the chopped bacon when you add the cranberries and walnuts. Use the bacon grease in place of the olive oil in the recipe above.

Keywords: Christmas brussels sprouts, roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries, holiday brussels sprouts, cranberry walnut brussels sprouts