Holiday Roasted Vegetables
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These holiday-roasted vegetables are an easy, festive side dish. Brussels sprouts, bacon, cranberries, and pecans are drizzled in maple syrup and then oven-roasted until golden. It couldn’t be an easier dish to make, and it’s ready in just an hour!
When I want a holiday side dish that looks impressive without adding stress, these roasted vegetables are my go-to. They’re sweet and savory, full of texture, and nearly foolproof to make—exactly what I want when there’s already a lot happening in the kitchen.
I chop up Brussels sprouts, carrots, red onion, and garlic, toss them with bacon and pure maple syrup, and let the oven do most of the work. Halfway through roasting, I add cranberries and pecans so everything finishes together, turning golden and caramelized with crisp edges and pops of tartness and crunch. Fresh thyme and rosemary, plus a good pinch of salt and pepper, tie all the flavors together.
Because the bacon releases plenty of fat as it cooks, there’s no need for added oil, which keeps things simple and flavorful. It’s all roasted on one pan, so cleanup is easy, and the mostly hands-off cook time gives me space to focus on the rest of the holiday menu. Cozy, festive, and dependable—this is a side dish I make every December.
Recipe FAQs
What’s the best kind of bacon to use?
Opt for regular bacon (rather than thick-cut) for a nice, crispy texture.
Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?
To save time, chop all your vegetables a day ahead. Then roast them in the oven until golden and crispy.
Can I use different vegetables?
Absolutely! Just be mindful of cooking time and try to chop them in a similar size so they cook evenly. Other root vegetables, such as parsnip, sweet potato, and butternut squash, also taste great.
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yep, honey can be a substitute for maple syrup, but it doesn’t have the same rich flavor.
Holiday Roasted Vegetables Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)
- 2 large carrots (sliced into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon EACH: minced fresh thyme and rosemary
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 4 strips bacon (sliced 1" thick)
- ½ cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup pecans
- 4 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1 medium red onion (quartered)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the brussels and carrots to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.1 lb brussels sprouts, 2 large carrots
- Add the maple syrup, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer then sprinkle the raw bacon over the top.1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon EACH: minced fresh thyme and rosemary, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 4 strips bacon
- Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and add the cranberries, pecans, garlic, and red onion. Mix everything together and then return the pan to the oven for another 20 minutes, until the veggies are golden and the bacon is crispy.½ cup cranberries, 4 cloves garlic, 1 medium red onion, ¼ cup pecans
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
More holiday side dish recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our side dish recipes!
Can I use dried thyme and rosemary?
Definitely! Only use about ⅓ teaspoon of each dried herb.
Hi Kristen,
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I want to try it for Christmas dinner, but is there a substitute for the cranberries and maple syrup?
Hi Priscilla! If you’re not a fan of cranberries, you can omit them. For the maple syrup, I love the touch of sweetness it adds so I would substitute with a little brown sugar if needed. I hope that helps!
Looks delicious! I was planning on adding beets with the roasted veggies, do you think it will pair well with this recipe? 🤔
Thank you!! & Merry Christmas!!
Oh yes I think beets will be wonderful in here! Just know that if you use red beets, they will color the other veggies. If you don’t want that, roast them either on a separate pan or with the other veggies but in their own corner. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your quick response Kristen! Great suggestions I’ll try putting them in their own corner. Looking forward to trying out your recipe on Christmas day with the family! All the best 🙂
WONDERFUL dish for the holidays: gorgeous + quite easy + delish! I doubled it, using two big sheet pans: plenty for 10 of us—including those “requiring” seconds. So happy I found this recipe!!
I am making this for our Christmas Eve family gathering which be 36 people. Any suggestions on prepping this for a crowd?
You can get everything chopped and mixed ahead of time. If you have room in your fridge, you can even put the veggies and bacon on baking trays so they’re ready to go. The main thing you’ll want to consider is how many baking sheets you can fit into your oven. You don’t want to squish too many veggies on one tray or they will steam instead of roast. If you don’t have a lot of room, you can cook them almost all the way on separate pans a day in advance and then finish them just before serving. I hope that you have a great Christmas!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now, varying the veggies each time. Tonight’s version with broccoli, cauliflower, red onion and butternut squash was perfect! The sweetness of the syrup, saltiness of the bacon and tartness of the cranberries is a wonderful balance.
Being a vegetarian, I made this recipe with some changes. I added beets, for openers, and doubled the garlic, olive oil, and red onion. To add the umami I was after, I use 4 tsp of miso, 6 Tbsp of Tamari sauce, and 3-4 Tbsp herbs de Provence in place of the rosemary and thyme, which it contains. Finally a few drops of Liquid Smoke rounded it all out. It was a huge hit with everyone! Thank you, this is a keeper!
I’m about to make this tomorrow, but also confused by the bacon…should it be diced?
We slice the bacon into 1-ich (ish) pieces then put it on top of the veggies raw. 🙂
Great recipe. I really appreciated having the ingredients listed below each step. But I was a little confused by some of the directions. Nothing was said about whether the bacon was to be cooked ahead of time.
Sorry for that confusion! The bacon is added raw and cooks along with the vegetables.