This clean eating holiday butternut cranberry bake recipe is perfect for your holiday table!
This is the first cranberry recipe I’ve done this year, and it set something off in me that has made me want to cook every dish hereafter with cranberries, cranberries, cranberries!!!
I think Mini Chef may go on strike if I serve him one more dish with cranberries. But hey, at least they’re clean and healthy. It’s the tart/sweet combo that gets me every time. I just can’t get enough. They are so nutrient dense and good for you, it’s hard to say no to them. I think they are truly one of my favorite things about Autumn.
I’ll be cooking Thanksgiving dinner this year. It’s the first time I’ve done it and mercifully, it’s for a small crowd. But I’m certain this will be on the menu. This is a fairly versatile dish. You can adjust the spices and maple syrup to your liking and even switch out the butternut for pumpkin if you prefer. Have some fun with this one! Just be sure to give it a good stir after baking. You want those cranberries to be popped and more of a jelly-like substance than full, whole berries. So if there are any whole ones left when you pull this out of the oven, just use a wooden spoon to smash them and then stir well. It’s a perfect dish for the upcoming holidays!
HOLIDAY CRANBERRY RECIPES:
BUTTERNUT CRANBERRY BAKE RECIPE:
This delicious butternut cranberry bake is sure to become a family favorite!
- 1 lb. butternut squash (chopped/cubed, peeled)
- 1 large apple (peeled and cored)
- 1/2 lb. fresh cranberries (227 g) bag
- 1 tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil in liquid state)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 scant tsp. ground cloves
Place all ingredients in a 1 gallon-sized ziplock bag or a large container with a tight-fitting lid.
Shake well to coat everything in spices and maple syrup.
Pour out into baking dish (Mine was 9x13) and bake at 350 F. for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Note that if you have a smaller, deeper baking dish that this will take longer in the oven. The bigger and more shallow the dish is, the quicker this will cook. (I do not recommend a cookie sheet due to the cranberries)
Add salt to taste after cooking if needed.
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Reposted from The Gracious Pantry archives from 11-16-13.
Luv What You Do says
Wow! This looks incredible!
The Gracious Pantry says
LWYD – Thanks! Not as pretty after it’s been cooked, but still really yummy. 🙂
Esther Barker says
That looks so good, I can’t wait to try it!
The Gracious Pantry says
Esther – I hope you enjoy it!
Lu Ann says
Wow, that looks so delicious! I’ve been searching for just the right extra dish… this is perfect – Thank you! We’ll definitely try it this year – I’m sure it’ll be a great hit!
The Gracious Pantry says
LuAnn – Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Katy says
I’m wondering if you could substitute sweet potatoes for the butternut squash?
The Gracious Pantry says
Katy – Sure! But the cooking time may be slightly different, so keep an eye on it.
Hayley says
My family really enjoyed this delicious recipe. Easy peasy!
The Gracious Pantry says
Hayley – Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Melanie @ M&M says
Trying this for lunch today. Yummy!
The Gracious Pantry says
Melanie – let me know how you like it!
Laura says
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! This may be to specific, but I’m new to cooking (and definitely clean eating). Is there a particular variety of apple that works better in the butternut cranberry bake? Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving
The Gracious Pantry says
Laura – As the produce guy (or gal) for the sweetest apples available. They can tell you. 🙂
jo says
I’d like to try this for Thanksgiving, but I’m not sure what butternut squash tastes like. We aren’t crazy about the sweetness of sweet potatoes. Is there anything you could compare the taste to?
The Gracious Pantry says
Jo – I would say it’s closer to pumpkin than to sweet potatoes. It’s really not sweet at all. But this dish is a sweet dish, so….
Kayla says
I know what I will be bringing to Thanksgiving dinner. Can’t wait to make this and I know it will be delicious!
The Gracious Pantry says
Kayla – Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Alicia says
How in the world do you peel a squash? Can’t do it like a cucumber. And squash is hard as a rock! Just cutting it in half makes me feel like I’m going to cut off a hand. Someone PLEASE tell me there’s an easier way!
The Gracious Pantry says
Alicia – If it’s really a struggle to cut it in half, then poke a few holes in it and microwave it for a few minutes first. It’ll soften up for you. You can also put it in the oven whole and bake until it’s soft enough to cut. I do cut mine in half raw and peel with a vegetable peeler. You can also purchase peeled and cubed butternut in some stores. Hope that helps.
Barbara D. says
Made these tonight and my hubby loved them. I used agave instead of the maple and they turned out great!
The Gracious Pantry says
Barbara D. – Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Pauletta says
Could this be cooked in a crockpot?
The Gracious Pantry says
Pauletta – I don’t recommend it.
Linda says
I have roasted squash and apples this fall adding only a sprinkle of cinnimon. You inspired me to use the cranberries; added them during the last 10 mins of roasting with a drizzle of honey, they turned out great. Thanks
The Gracious Pantry says
Linda – My pleasure! 🙂
jo says
Would this be as good if made a day ahead, or do you not recommend reheating in a microwave? Just wondering, as I don’t think I’ll have room in the oven for everything to be made at once.
The Gracious Pantry says
Jo – I think you could probably get away with making it the day before. It should hold up okay in the microwave as well.
Carrold says
I’m thinking about putting it in the crockpot. Do you think that will work?
The Gracious Pantry says
Carrold – I couldn’t say as I haven’t tried it. I think the sweetener would have a hard time caramelizing and you’d probably end up with a lot of liquid in the bottom with not much flavor in the dish itself. Just a hunch though.
donna says
I prepared this tonight and it is delicious! We had never eaten butternut squash before and it was so good with the apple, cranberries and all of the spices. Thanks…..
The Gracious Pantry says
Donna – My pleasure! 🙂
Angelique says
Trying this dish tonight, looks beautiful all tossed together. Can’t wait to taste it!
The Gracious Pantry says
Angelique – Let me know how you like it!
Marilyn says
I made this for Christmas dinner. I was very potent. I followed the recipe exactly. Although it was not eaten, it smelled wonderful!
The Gracious Pantry says
Marilyn – I’m not sure what you mean by “potent”?
Marilyn says
The flavors were super strong and overpowering. Maybe using less cranberries and spices would make it better. The flavor of the butternut squash was lost. Great idea for the recipe, my chef son-in-law took the leftovers and was going to make some type of sauce out of it by adding other ingredients. I would be interested to see other comments from people that have actually made this dish. Most of the comments listed are from people that will be trying this recipe.
The Gracious Pantry says
Marilyn – Sorry you didn’t care for it. I thought it was pretty yummy. But I do enjoy strong flavors. So it may not be for everybody.
Jo says
Marilyn, I made this for Thanksgiving for my daughter. She can’t eat anything that is too intense or spicy. She really loved this. My husband thought it looked and smelled good, so he tried it and loved it. I must add, he doesn’t like ANY strong flavors. He ate this until it was gone. I followed the recipe exactly. It doesn’t have anything that would give it a strong or overpowering taste. I thought it might have needed a little extra something, but I do like things a little stronger. But it’s definitely a keeper in my recipes!
The Gracious Pantry says
Jo – Thanks! Glad you liked it. 🙂
Jess says
Hi, first of all I am in love with your blog. Every time I am on pinterest looking for recipes, yours always comes up.
I have a qu re: clean eating specifically with this recipe. I am wary of fruits because of the sugar content, especially eating them at night. What would your view on this be? Are cranberries high in sugar?
I am trying to optimise as much fat burning and lean muscle gain as possible, would this dish conflict with these goals or is it a suitable side dish for my protein? (of course I am aware of the carb content/existence in butternut)?
The Gracious Pantry says
Jess – It would completely depend on how your body handles it. There are only about 4g of sugar in 1 cup of raw cranberries. The sugar goes up considerably though when they get dried as sugar is always added to make them taste good.
Bev says
Can acorn squash be used instead of butternut squash?
The Gracious Pantry says
Bev – I don’t see why not. Keep any eye on the baking time though. It could need a small adjustment.
Janet Fazio says
This will pair nicely with the prime rib for Christmas Eve. Looking forward to trying it.
The Gracious Pantry says
Janet – I hope you enjoy it! 😀
Jacqui says
Prepping this for Thanksgiving but have to bring it cold … how will this do reheated?
The Gracious Pantry says
Jacqui – If you use a casserole dish, you could just reheat it in the oven and it should be fine. I hope you enjoy it!
nina.cancellieri says
made this last night. Liked it very much. I did cut down on some of the spices and I may add salt and pepper next time. Felt it was missing something. Thanks so much for sharing this. am golng to make it again for Christmas.
The Gracious Pantry says
Nina – I’m glad you enjoyed it! I try not to cook with too much salt because different people like different amounts. You can always add salt, but you can never take it out! So you may find that many of my recipes require salt if that’s more suited to your tastes.
Kim says
Thank you so much for coming up with another use for fresh cranberries, other than sauce or chutney. Absolutely delicious!
The Gracious Pantry says
Kim – My pleasure! So glad you liked it! 😀
Jennifer says
I think this looks delicious, but I planned to put everything on a cookie sheet so that it roasts as opposed to steams, which is what happens when you crowd the pan. Then I saw your not about not using a cookie sheet because of the cranberries. What will happen to the cranberries? Thank you!
The Gracious Pantry says
Jennifer – They pop and basically cook down to nothing. They burn on the pan.
Elizabeth Jones says
I found your recipe 2 years ago and have been making it ever since! Whenever cranberries show up in the stores, I begin making this recipe! I absolutely love it and so does most of my family. My husband, however does not like butternut squash (it must be a texture thing!). I think I’ll substitute sweet potatoes next time so he will eat it. Thanks for such a great recipe!!!
The Gracious Pantry says
Elizabeth – I’m so happy you are enjoying it! Sweet potatoes might be a good sub. You could also try other squash if he doesn’t mind. Thanks for stopping by! 😀
Laura says
Currently baking this very yummy looking dish and cant wait to see how it turns out!!! 🙂 im a big fan of both cranberries and butternut squash!! 🙂
The Gracious Pantry says
Laura – Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it! 😀
Ann says
I made this for Thanksgiving. It was good but needs something to sweeten it a little. The scant tsp of cloves was a little much. Will go,with half teaspoon next time.
The Gracious Pantry says
Ann – Glad you could adapt it to your liking! 🙂
Hilary says
I cooked this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit!
One thing, the cranberries were still pretty tart. Do you have any recommendations without adding more sugar or maple syrup. Has anyone else had this problem? I was thinking about soaking them overnight with the apples, maple syrup, and olive oil, but I am not sure it would make a difference.
The Gracious Pantry says
Hilary – I doubt it would make a difference. Cranberries are supposed to be tart, but you could always add fewer of them.
Gergana says
I wasn’t sure with what to serve it, so I found out that this type of roast goes well with pork roast with rosemary. The combination is really good. Otherwise, I liked the roast, but it turned out a bit sour (from the cranberries) when eaten on its own. In any case – a great idea. Don’t forget to add some salt at the end, it brings out the flavors very well@
The Gracious Pantry says
Gergana – A tablespoon or less of honey can help too. But I like the sour cranberries, so I think it just comes down to personal taste. But I’m happy you enjoyed it in the end! 🙂
Erin says
Hi–if I wanted to make this as a main dish by adding chicken, what do you suggest for cooking time?
The Gracious Pantry says
Erin – I would just cook the chicken separately and stir it in.
Barbara Schall says
Have you tried this in the crock pot? I really want to make it for Thanksgiving, but fear I have too many dishes for the oven!
The Gracious Pantry says
Barbara – I don’t recommend it. A slow cooker is a very moist cooking environment which could ruin this dish. However, you can certainly make it ahead of time and then warm it up in the slow cooker the day of. 🙂
AZ@...And a Dash of Cinnamon says
This looks so good. I realize that I hadn’t posted any of my cranberry recipes yet either! Need to get on that.
The Gracious Pantry says
AZ – Please do! 🙂 You can never have enough cranberry recipes!
PDBlaeser says
I have made this and similar variations of this recipe (using butter and brown sugar instead of oil and maple syrup). I make it in the crockpot all the time and it turns out great. Also for the person asking if sweet potatoes can be used instead of squash, I routinely do both or a combination (love them combined. … Very easy recipe. Love the use of crockpot as I make a triple batch of this and it keeps my oven free for other things.
The Gracious Pantry says
PDBlaeser – Wonderful! Thanks for sharing that! 😀
Jenn says
HI! I’ve made this before and love it. I was looking for a way to add fat/protein. Is there a nut that would work well? Would I stir it in for cooking or use as a topping after?
The Gracious Pantry says
Jen – I think pecans would be nice, but I would sprinkle them on after. They would give the dish a nice crunch. 🙂
Loretta says
I absolutely love this dish and make it a regular carb staple for my meals. Many people have asked for the recipe, which I gladly shared. Sometimes I mix in a sweet potato because the pre-chopped squash is only 15 ounces ~ and I usually have an extra sweet potato available. It cooks the same as the squash because I cut it up into thin squares. I also use frozen cranberries, because the stores only carry fresh ones during the holidays. Thank you for this great recipe!
The Gracious Pantry says
Loretta – My pleasure! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it! 😀