Roasted Green Beans with Cranberries and Walnuts
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Cranberries and walnuts dress up roasted green beans, making a lovely holiday side dish.
If you’ve never tried roasted green beans, you’re in for a treat. Unlike boiled green beans, which are bland and squeaky, roasted green beans are caramelized, tender, and packed with flavor. Here, dried cranberries add a pop of color and tart-sweet flavor, while walnuts add a savory, earthy crunch. This is a lovely side dish for the holidays.
What you’ll need to make roasted Green beans with Cranberries & Walnuts
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by toasting the walnuts.
While the walnuts toast, rehydrate the cranberries: Place the cranberries in a small heat-proof bowl.
Cover with boiling water and let sit until the green beans are cooked.
To roast the green beans, line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Toss the green beans with the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and sugar directly on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast the beans for 15 minutes, then stir with a spatula to promote even cooking. Continue roasting until beans are tender, slightly browned and just starting to shrivel, about 10 minutes more.
Add lemon zest, lemon juice, drained cranberries, and walnuts.
Toss well.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.
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Roasted Green Beans with Cranberries & Walnuts
Cranberries and walnuts dress up roasted green beans, making a lovely holiday side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, stem ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced into quarters
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one lemon
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, from one lemon
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place the walnuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake until until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on the nuts so they don't burn. When cool enough to handle, transfer the nuts to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Place the foil back on the baking sheet (you'll use it for the green beans) and increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
- Place the cranberries in a small heatproof bowl. Cover the cranberries with boiling water and set aside.
- Directly on the foil-lined baking sheet, use a rubber spatula to toss the green beans with the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar. Roast the green beans for 15 minutes, then stir with a spatula to promote even cooking. Continue roasting until the beans are tender, slightly browned and just starting to shrivel, about 10 minutes more.
- Drain the cranberries.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, drained cranberries, and toasted walnuts to the green beans. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 104
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Sugar: 9 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 301 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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I love this recipe ! I made a balsamic vinegar and butter reduction to drizzle over the top before serving. Yum !
Okay, this may seem like a dumb question, but…If I make this ahead and reheat, would I add everything together before re-heating, or just re-heat the cooked green beans, then add the remaining ingredients? Is it better to re-heat in the oven, or in the microwave? Thanks! This recipe looks perfect for Christmas dinner!
You could reheat everything together in a casserole dish in the oven, but I would suggest undercooking it just a bit the first time around so the green beans don’t get too soft.
Made this recipe a few years ago and searched for it again…it was a hit at Thanksgiving!
Wonderful! I’ve never tried roasting green beans! Loved them. I added thick cut portobello mushrooms and for the nuts, I had cranberry/ candied pecans mix in the pantry so I thought what the heck, let’s try them! Every recipe I make, always turns out perfect! Thank you!
Did you roast the mushrooms with the beans the whole time? Thank you.
What is the temperature for the oven? Is 400F ok? I want to make this for thanksgiving this year!
Hi Maggie, See the first line of the recipe; it is 450°F 🙂
OMG, this is so wonderful! LOVE all the ingredients individually and they are spectacular put together! So easy to make, too.
I’ve never liked green beans before – until I tried this recipe. They’re perfectly scrumptious this way! I tried it for the first time several months ago and we now have this as a side dish regularly – I don’t change anything in the recipe.
Has anyone tried other nuts? I’m allergic to walnuts.
Can I make this a day ahead of when I plan to serve it?
Hi Carol, Yes, that’s fine.
Based on all the great reviews, I plan to make the green beans with cranberries and walnuts for Christmas. I noted that it can be made ahead and reheated. Would reheating in a covered casserole dish be okay. I assume maybe for 30 minutes. Thank you.
Hi Libby, Yes, that would be perfect.
Can I use frozen haricots verts in this recipe? What changes – if any – do I make?
Hi Sharon, I don’t think frozen (or even fresh) haricots verts will work for this recipe. Sorry!
Can I prepare ahead and heat up in a casserole dish.
Also, can I triple the recipe?
Hi Candy, Yes and yes 🙂
We like our green beans a bit crisp. Will these beans be completely soft after roasting?
Hi Patsy, Yes, they will be very soft. Try cooking them for less time.
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I made these beans last year for Thanksgiving they were the first empty dish.
Delicious!!!! Five stars.
A wonderful change from the standard mushy green bean casseroles.
Will craisins work for the dried cranberries?
Hi Kathy, Sure that should work fine. Whatever you prefer!
Planning to make this for Thanksgiving this year. Can I prepare it early and then cook it the next day? I love your recipes!
Hi Sam, Yes it’s fine to prepare this dish ahead of time.
I made these tonight and they are amazing! Love them! Will make these on a regular basis! Thanks for sharing!
I love the combination of colors in this simple recipe. I’ve served these beans a few times to my family and they still rave about them.
This is a great recipe. Sometimes I omit the sugar, cranberries and nuts and add sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese after the beans have roasted. But, both ways are incredible.
Awesome!!!!! I made these tonight and they are definitely going on my Thanksgiving menu. Thanks for a great way to may flavorful, non-mushy beans.
How would I make this recipe with frozen green beans?
Hi Judi, I’m afraid this recipe won’t work with frozen green beans…sorry!
Yum. My kids loved these beans! Easy and delicious.
These are the best green beans I’ve ever eaten! I used sesame oil instead of olive oil, just for fun. They were amazing! Thank you!
served with pork tenderloin…yummy!!
This is one of the best things I have ever had. Green beans come in season soon and I will be sure to make these bad boys up. And if you are planning a fancy dinner you can easily make them ahead of time and just reheat.
Made this for Thanksgiving dinner last year. It was a hit!
I made this with brussel sprouts instead of green beans and it was amazing! Definitely recommend both versions.
I absolutely love these beans & it’s such a simple recipe. I made them for Christmas & everyone asked for the recipe. This is a great way to get your kids to eat their beans! Thank you Jenn!
I made these along with your mirin glazed salmon for our three friends the other night, and they all loved it. The cranberries, walnuts, and lemon zest and juice went so well with the green beans. Roasting them made it extra special as well. Thanks, Jenn!
These green beans are fantastic! Everyone in my family loves green beans so I’m always trying new ways to make them. These were a big hit.
My favorite green bean dish EVER! This is definately sure to impress at any holiday feast. The flavors go so wonderfully together!
This sounds tasty – why wait until Thanksgiving to try them?
This looks great!! Going to add to my menu for the weekend.
This was delicious! It’s the only way I’ll eat green beans!
This was delicious! It’s the only way I’ll eat green beans now!
The bean squeek! Ha! I have never had a name for it, but that’s perfect. 🤣 Anyway, this is a great replacement for the “traditional Thanksgiving green bean casserole,” which I find mushy and unappetizing. I used almonds because that’s what I had, but it was otherwise great!
I’ve now made this half a dozen times, including for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. It’s outstanding! I have cut back a bit on the amount of olive oil called for but otherwise followed the recipe as is. Even as an empty nester just cooking for myself, this is now one of my go-to recipes. Love the combination of crunchy walnuts and slightly sweet dried cranberries with the beans. More, please!
Made this dish for thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit!
My roommate and I have been trying to cook more often and eat healthy. These green beans were delicious. Thanks for all the great recipes!
These were tasty and looked just like your photo! Thanks!
This is what I love about your blog & recipes … made this last night for a houseful of people, 1st time and it was a star! Your instructions, photos & hints make for a no-fail dish on the very first time. Great recipes, great stories, great pics … when’s the cook book coming out???
These received rave reviews at the Thanksgiving table last night. I think it took me almost 10 mins extra to get them tender. I’m sure this will be on our Thanksgiving table again next year!
Elizabeth, These would be fine made ahead of time and you can reheat them in the microwave. Hope you enjoy!
So if I wanted to make this for thanksgiving, could I roast the green beans ahead of time? How would you suggest reheating them? Oven, stove top, microwave?
I had to make this dish and it was fabulous. The tiny bit of sugar and then, the lemon juice, just made these beans pop with flavor! Of course, roasting them was also key. I just made them for myself. I am home alone this weekend and like I said, just had to make them, and couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving. I have already forwarded the recipe to at least 4 friends. Thank you again for another simple, tasty recipe and may you and your family have a safe, and delicious Thanksgiving!
Made these the other night and they were delicious. Even my kids loved them. Thank you and look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Beautiful – and it looks so easy! I’ll have to incorporate this into my holiday menu. 🙂
That looks so pretty!!! 🙂 Yum…
The beans were so tasty. I made them last night and the family loved them. I didn’t have dried cranberries and used frozen ones instead – delicious. Thanks for your blog. Every recipe I have made, my family has truly enjoyed. Keep coming up with great recipes.
Looks yummy. Just in time for a new Thanksgiving idea 🙂