Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries is a great Thanksgiving side dish, that’s lovely for the whole holiday season! It’s full of beautiful, sweet and savory, fall and winter flavors.
I think I might have actually closed my eyes after the first bite went in my mouth. “It’s SO good!” That was my first thought when I tasted this delicious recipe.
Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries is the Ideal Fall Side Dish
This dish is like fall on a sheet pan! It’s seasonal first because of the warm colors, second because of the earthy flavors, and third because of the soft textures. This is a very warm and comforting recipe.
And therefore, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving.
Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries began when I bought a lot of extra produce for a job I did last week that involved all kinds of fall and winter squash. In fact as I was working, seeing what was getting used, and what wasn’t, I was already cooking up this new recipe in my mind.
What’s in Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries?
- orange squash (Acorn, Kabocha, Delicate, Butternut or Pumpkin — or any combination thereof)
- carrots
- onion
- garlic
- fresh cranberries
- fresh sage
- fresh rosemary
- balsamic vinegar
- orange juice
- unsalted butter
Are you hungry yet??
I served this with rice and roasted chicken and my whole family loved it.
And I’m definitely going to make it for Thanksgiving this year. Just imagine a bite of this mixed with Bacon Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey on your fork! Thanksgiving sides with squash are always a hit!
Can you use Other Winter Squash?
- You can use pretty much use any fall or winter squash you want.
- I used Kabocha and Acorn, but Butternut, Pumpkin and Delicate would also be fantastic.
- If you have one favorite you can use just one — though, while they are all similar in flavor and texture, the differences are enough that using a few different varieties makes for a more interesting dish.
If Acorn squash is a favorite of yours, Pecan-Crusted Acorn Squash with Crispy Sage Leaves also screams Thanksgiving. 
Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries is Easy to Make
- Cutting the squash will take a little bit of time, though it’s a really easy recipe to put together.
- If you’re making it for a holiday gathering, it can be made a day ahead of time. (Just heat it in a 375 degree F oven before serving.)
Enjoy this wonderfully delicious Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries.
A side dish, that's lovely for the holiday season! It's full of beautiful, sweet and savory, fall and winter flavors.
- olive oil
- 4 pounds orange squash Acorn, Kabocha, Delicate, Butternut or Pumpkin, or combination thereof — peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups yellow onion, cut into a very large dice
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 12 small to medium sized garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with root ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, washed and dried, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, washed and dried, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 475°F and adjust a rack to the center.
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Add the squash, carrots, onions, cranberries and garlic to a sheet pan. Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat all of the ingredients, and sprinkle with the rosemary, sage and salt and pepper. Toss again and then arrange everything in as close to a single layer as possible (there will be some overlap). Place in the preheated 475°F oven and roast for 20 minutes. At this point it should be sizzling and just starting to caramelize.
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Remove the sheet pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 400°F.
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Drizzle evenly with the balsamic vinegar and orange juice and and drop the pieces of butter throughout. Gently mix together, sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and return to the now 400°F oven, and roast until everything is very nicely caramelized, about another 20 minutes.
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Serve!
Hofterzielbeek says
This Balsamic Herb Cranberry roasted squash looks very delicious. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
valentina says
Thank you for visiting! 🙂
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Roasted veggies are always a delight, but that splash of balsamic really makes the flavors pop! And yes!! to easy and scrumptious Thanksgiving sides!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Deb! Can’t believe the holidays are creeping up on us already!
Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash says
What a great idea. I’m making this. I love the addition of the fresh cranberries.
valentina says
Thank you so much, Patricia! I hope you love it as much as I do. 🙂
Mary says
I love Kabocha squash! And you’re so right that this would be lovely at Thanksgiving!
valentina says
Thanks, Mary! 🙂
Dana says
I love this use of balsamic and I love the addition of cranberries! Perfect holiday side for sure.
valentina says
Yay! 😀
Jessica @Small Bites by Jessica says
This looks perfect for Thanksgiving! Love all those fall flavors and colors!
valentina says
Thank you Jessica. Hope you try it. 🙂
Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish says
This is screaming fall! Love it!
valentina says
Thank you, Suzy! 🙂
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Ohhh yum! I love squash but I haven’t tried it with cranberries. Such a good idea!
valentina says
Thanks Liz! So happy I tried the cranberry combination — that’s what happens with a bunch of leftover ingredients. 🙂
David says
Perfect for Halloween, too!
valentina says
Agreed! Or for tonight! 😉
sippitysup says
The holidays have officially started with this beauty. GREG
arj says
I know this has nothing to do with the recipe (which looks amazing btw), but I just discovered you can adjust the number of servings, and it ADJUSTS THE INGREDIENT AMOUNTS! OMG this is so brilliant. I have a small family of three and I’m really bad at math, so this is about the greatest invention I’ve ever seen. THANK YOU! I’ll report back on the recipe after I make it, too. 🙂
valentina says
Thank you! Thatfeature the came with recipe card I use. I love it too. 🙂 I hope you find the recipe as delicious as I do. Enjoy and thanks for sharing!
arj says
I made this for Thanksgiving as my main vegetarian option, and enjoyed it with all the traditional sides (rest of family had turkey and enjoyed this as a side). I regretfully ignored the advice to spread out the veggies and roast on sheet pan and instead did it in a casserole dish and regretted that the veggies didn’t get that full roastyness (more steamed than roasted). The fall flavors were fantastic though, and I think since everything cooked very soft, today I’m going to puree this with veg stock and see how it holds up as a soup. It was a bit fussy cutting up all the hard squashes, so I think next time I will go for the pre-cubed squashes you can buy in the deli or freezer section. Thank you for a very unique recipe!
valentina says
Thanks so much for sharing! I’m so happy it was a hit! And puréeing the leftovers for a soup is a fabulous idea! I’ll have to try that next time too. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!~ Valentina
Andrea Metlika says
This looks beautiful. All of the vegetables you used are fantastic and the flavors just take it to another level.
valentina says
Thanks so much Andrea!
Tracy says
Fall on a sheet pan indeed! How beautiful and delicious sounding! I just love all the squash this time of year and I also love a good sheet pan dish that doesn’t require a lot of dishes!
valentina says
Thanks so much, Tracy. 🙂 Enjoy!
Jenna says
It’s all the best parts of Thanksgiving side dishes in one meal! Going to try this for Christmas.
valentina says
I hope you love it, Jenna! 🙂
Mary says
I can’t get enough roasted vegetables this time of year! They’re so simple and satisfying!
valentina says
I totally agree, Mary. Thanks and enjoy!
Kelly Anthony says
I’m loving all the fall colors in this dish. It’s just so pretty and perfect for serving at Thanksgiving or really anytime.
valentina says
Thanks Kelly. I love it around Thanksgiving. 🙂