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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with pecans, cranberries and balsamic vinegar make for an excellent holiday side dish or a flavorful fall weeknight staple. Plus, this perfect side dish recipe is gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian to fit all the dietary needs in your life!
There’s nothing more simple, more straightforward and more flavorful than roasted veggies. Who wants to babysit sautéed veggies on the stovetop, only to have them turn out soggy? Not this gal! Besides grilling, roasting vegetables is my favorite, most healthy, and most convenient way to cook vegetables. So, it’s no surprise that’s the method we’re using for this easy and flavorful brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes recipe. With only a few basic ingredients, you’ve got yourself a knock-out seasonal dish that is perfect for the holidays or your weeknight meal!
Why You Should Make This Recipe
A holiday favorite, this tasty side dish is perfect for serving at your next Thanksgiving meal or Christmas dinner. I even love it for a side in the fall on a weeknight because it’s so simple to make! Roasting the vegetables with a balsamic glaze brings out a deep caramelized flavor and crispy texture on the outside, while leaving the veggies tender (but not soggy) on the inside. Add in pecans and cranberries and you’ve got yourself the star of the holiday table! And it's a healthy recipe to boot!
Typically, this dish is served with a balsamic glaze that is reduced on the stovetop in a small saucepan and applied after the vegetable mixture has roasted. But I’ve eliminated the reduction step by combining everything in the glaze and pouring it over the vegetables BEFORE you roast. It simplifies steps and reduces time in the kitchen for you. The best part is that there's one less pan to wash too.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes is also a vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free recipe!
Ingredients Needed & Substitutions
With only a few fresh ingredients, you’ve got a delicious standout seasonal dish that is perfect for the holidays or your weeknight meal!
- Sweet potatoes – jewel or garnet sweet potato varieties are recommended. Look for sweet potatoes that have orange skin and orange flesh.
- Brussels sprouts – look for small to medium bright green sprouts that are about the same size, so they roast evenly.
- Shallot – you could substitute with half of a red onion or yellow onion.
- Dried cranberries – dried cherries would also taste wonderful in this recipe!
- Pecans – substitute with walnuts, almonds or pumpkin seeds.
- Garlic – minced or sliced work well with this recipe. In a pinch, you could use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Extra virgin olive oil – I like using a high quality EVOO for this recipe.
- Balsamic vinegar – again, try using a higher quality balsamic vinegar for this. You could use red wine vinegar in a pinch.
- Honey – I like to use unfiltered and raw honey. You could also use a splash of maple syrup instead.
- Salt – I like to use sea salt but you could use any salt you like.
- Black Pepper
See the recipe card below for quantities.
How to Make Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Cranberries
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the brussels sprouts by cutting the hard end of each brussels sprout and removing the outer leaves. Next, cut each brussels spout in half. Place halved brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
- Next, prepare the sweet potatoes by peeling and chopping them into bite-sized pieces. Combine the sweet potatoes with the brussels sprouts in the large bowl.
- Quarter the shallot and mince the garlic. Add both into the large bowl with the brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
- Combine oils, honey, salt and pepper in a separate bowl and pour over the large bowl with sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, garlic and shallots.
Next, dump the large bowl on to a large baking sheet and spread the vegetables out in a single layer. Make sure not to overcrowd the vegetables (overcrowded vegetables will steam instead of roast). Also, make sure to scrape the bowl with a spatula so all the minced garlic and balsamic vinegar mixture gets mixed and roasted with the vegetables.
Roast for about 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through. Place in serving dish and toss in pecans and dried cranberries and enjoy! See the recipe card below for more details.
Recipe Variations
This crispy oven roasted brussel sprouts with tender sweet potatoes dish is versatile. Swap out some spices or ingredients and you’ve got a tasty new side dish:
- Get savory by adding chopped bacon and mushrooms.
- Toss in feta cheese for some tang.
- Increase the fiber with other vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower.
- Add in rice, orzo pasta or quinoa to round out the dish.
- Put a pinch of red pepper chili flakes to add some kick.
- Make it a complete salad by adding in your favorite greens like kale, spinach or arugula.
- Use orange juice or lemon juice instead of balsamic vinegar.
Recommended Equipment & Tools
Not only does this recipe call for simple, basic ingredients, but it also uses staple kitchen equipment. All you need is a good baking sheet, a large mixing bowl, a mixing spoon or spatula, a cutting board and a good chef’s knife. Here are my favorites:
- large baking sheet
- large mixing bowl
- mixing spoon or spatula
- cutting board
- chef’s knife
Storage
This recipe is best served right after it’s made. Leftovers can be stored for 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure to cool completely before refrigerating.
If you plan to make these ahead of time, place ingredients on a baking sheet and roast for about 5-10 minutes at 400°F, or in the air fryer at 400°F for about 4 minutes. Microwaving will cause the vegetables to be soggy...but still tasty!
I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
Tips for Recipe Success
- Make sure not to overcrowd the vegetables on the baking sheet. Overcrowded vegetables will steam instead of roast, and you will lose the glorious roasted caramelized flavor and crispy texture.
- Chop the vegetables so that they are about the same size. This helps them roast evenly.
- For easy clean up, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend sweet potatoes with an orange skin and flesh, like the jewel or garnet sweet potato varieties found in the produce section of your grocery store.
For this recipe, I did peel the sweet potatoes because I have a little girl that won’t eat them with the skin on. However, you could leave the skin on and save you some time if that’s to your liking.
This recipe is best served right after it’s made so you can enjoy the glorious roasted caramelized flavor and crispy texture.
However, if you plan to make these ahead of time, prepare to step 7. Allow vegetables to cool completely prior to storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, place roasted vegetables on a baking sheet and roast for about 5-10 minutes at 400°F, or in the air fryer at 400°F for about 4 minutes.
Microwaving will cause the vegetables to be soggy...but still tasty! Then complete step 8 by adding in pecans and dried cranberries.
If you give this delicious side dish recipe a try, please leave a comment below, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to tag me @homesweetfarmhome on Instagram and use the hashtag #homesweetfarmhome. I’d love to see what you come up with and share with this community. Cheers!
Recipe Card
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potatoes roughly 1 large or 2 medium
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Adjust the rack to the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare the brussels sprouts by cutting the hard end of each brussels sprout and remove the outer leaves. Next, cut each brussels sprouts in half and place in a large bowl.
- Prepare the sweet potatoes by peeling and chopping into bite-sized pieces. Combine the sweet potatoes with the brussels sprouts in the large bowl.
- Quarter the shallot and mince the garlic. Add both into the large bowl with the brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
- Whisk the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and black pepper in a small bowl and pour over large bowl with sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, garlic and shallots.
- Next, dump the large bowl on to a large baking sheet and spread the vegetables out in a single layer. Make sure not to overcrowd the vegetables. Also make sure to scrape the bowl with a spatula so all the minced garlic and balsamic vinegar mixture gets mixed and roasted with the vegetables.
- Roast for about 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Place in serving dish and toss in pecans and dried cranberries and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure not to overcrowd the vegetables on the baking sheet. Overcrowded vegetables will steam instead of roast, and you will lose the glorious roasted caramelized flavor and crispy texture.
- Chop the vegetables so that they are about the same size. This helps them roast evenly.
* The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Erin says
so yummy! one thing I would do is at the 20 minute mark when you're flipping, I would add a tablespoon of maple syrup across the tray and then also add salt to taste. seriously delicious!!
I ate it as a salad instead of a side!
homesweetfarmhome says
Thank you so much for commenting Erin! I'm glad you liked them and your suggestion sounds so good - I'll definitely try it next time!
Jennifer says
This is a great recipe for fall. Easy, delicious and healthy. I'll be sure to include this in my holiday plans.
Stevie says
Thank you for making healthy taste great! Love this dish and can't wait to try other recipes of yours.