Clean Eating Holiday Butternut Cranberry Bake Recipe (2024)

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This cranberry butternut bake recipeis perfect for your holiday table!

This is the first cranberry recipeI’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!!!

This dish is perfect for any Thanksgiving table. In fact, it’s even a great dish for a Halloween dinner party!

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.

Most dishes like this add a ton of brown sugar. But to make this healthier, I stuck with maple syrup, and I was not disappointed. The flavors are a fantastic blend of sweet, tart, and savory.

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!

What Squash To Use For This Butternut Bake

As I mentioned this recipe is versatile. You can use just about any winter squash you like. The important thing is to cut it into small, bite-sized chunks or cubes. You want the squash pieces to be hearty, but not so oversized that they are hard to eat. Try:

• Butternut
• Pumpkin
• Kabocha
• Acorn
• Sweet potatos – not a squash, but they work!

To Peel Or Not To Peel

Make sure you do a thorough job of peeling your squash, even if the squash you use has an edible skin, like Kabocha squash.

Do You Need To Peel Butternut Squash Before Roasting?

Yes! The skin of butternut squash, while edible, will not be very good here. The finished texture is much better without it.

Butternut Bake Cooking Time

Each oven will vary slightly. In the end, the important thing is to bake this until the squash is fork-tender and the cranberries easily pop.

Extra Additions

You can garnish this dish with chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins, or just a little cinnamon if you wish. You can even add dried cranberries. It might be a little over the top, but if you love cranberries, it could work!

Special Diets

If you follow any special diets, here are some of the diets this dish works great for.

Vegan Recipe

For those of you who are plant-based, this dish is naturally vegan! So enjoy!

Gluten-Free

This recipe is naturally gluten-free. That being said, I don’t know a lot about cross-contamination. So if any of the ingredients are a risk for you, make sure to purchase those labeled as gluten-free.

Paleo Recipe

This dish is naturally paleo! And if something here doesn’t fit into your personal Paleo plan, all the ingredients are super easy to substitute with something else.

What Goes Well With Butternut Squash Bake?

This is a Thanksgiving side dish. So it will pair well with pretty much anything you’ll find on a traditional Thanksgiving table.

What Protein Goes Well With Butternut Squash?

Your best bet for proteins are as follows:

• Turkey (obviously)
• Chicken
• Pork
• Salmon

Needed Ingredients

1lb.butternut squash– Peel and chop this into bite-sized cubes. You can also purchase pre-cut butternut squash.

1largeapple– Peeled and cored.

½lb.fresh cranberries – I used a (227 g) bag. If your store sells them in a slightly different quantity, it’s okay. Buy what you can get.

1tbsp.olive oil– Or coconut oil in a liquid state.

¼cupmaple syrup – Use the real stuff.

2tsp.ground cinnamon – Just the spice, no added sugar.

½tsp.ground nutmeg – You can use pre-ground, or grind it yourself from the nut.

1 tsp.ground cloves – This should be a scant measure.

How To Make Cranberry Butternut Bake

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 9×13) 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 unless it has edges, due to the cranberries.)

Add salt to taste after cooking if needed.

How To Store Cranberry Butternut Bake

You’ll want to store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can You Freeze This?

Once it’s cooked, you can freeze this in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge.

Need Recipe Supplies?

LARGE Glass Containers for Food Storage with Lids Container Baking Dish Set Glass Storage Containers with Locking Lid Set 3 120 OZ/70 OZ/35 OZ Large Glass Meal Storing Serving Food Leakproof Ovensafe

Emile Henry Made In France HR Modern Classics Large Rectangular Baker, 13 x 9″, White

Idomy 8-Piece Stainless Steel Buffet Serving Spoon, Large Serving Spoon

See Also

The Best Falafel Recipe • tender and bright green!

Holiday Cranberry Recipes:

• Roasted Rosemary Root Vegetables
• Cranberry Butter
• Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry Butternut Bake Recipe

Reposted from The Gracious Pantry archives from 11-16-13.