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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.

Spoon on a plate with roasted green beans with cranberries and walnuts.

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

Ingredients including lemon, olive oil, and garlic.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by toasting the walnuts.

how to make dill soupWhile the walnuts toast, rehydrate the cranberries: Place the cranberries in a small heat-proof bowl.

how to rehydrate cranberriesCover with boiling water and let sit until the green beans are cooked.

how to rehydrate cranberriesTo 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.

Green beans on a lined 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.

Roasted green beans on a lined baking dish.

Add lemon zest, lemon juice, drained cranberries, and walnuts.

Cranberries and walnuts on a tray of roasted green beans.

Toss well.

Lined baking sheet of roasted green beans with cranberries and walnuts.Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.

Spoon on a plate with roasted green beans with cranberries and walnuts.

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Roasted Green Beans with Cranberries & Walnuts

Cranberries and walnuts dress up roasted green beans, making a lovely holiday side dish.

Servings: 6-8

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

  1. 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.
  2. Place the cranberries in a small heatproof bowl. Cover the cranberries with boiling water and set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. Drain the cranberries.
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • I see in one of the comments below someone used frozen green beans instead of fresh. I would like to try that also, but not sure how it will turn out. In your opinion, if I saute the frozen green beans and then add the other ingredients and then toss, do you think it would work out? Thanks for your input!

    • — Tricia on December 27, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Tricia, for the best results, I recommend sticking with fresh green beans — sorry!

      • — Jenn on December 27, 2023
      • Reply
  • I think there is a typo by the pictures. cover the CRANBERRIES with boiling water until cooked, not GREEN BEANS. Can’t wait to try it!

    • — Joann fahey on June 24, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Joann, thanks for taking the time to write – I just took a peek and the text is actually correct. What I’m trying to convey is that the cranberries should be covered with boiling water until the green beans are cooked. Hope that clarifies!

      • — Jenn on June 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn:
    If I make this recipe the day before the holiday and refrigerate it overnight, how long should I plan on reheating in microwave?
    Plan on making your brisket recipe for the holiday too. Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes. My family and I have enjoyed every one!
    Mary

    • — MARY E FELDMAN on March 20, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Mary, I’d start with 1 minute. If it needs more, I’d go in 20-second intervals. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on March 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn,

    Can this recipe be doubled?
    Thank you!
    SF Ana

    • — Ana on December 23, 2022
    • Reply
    • Sure, just make sure to use 2 baking sheets so you don’t overcrowd the green beans. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on December 23, 2022
      • Reply
      • Fantastic! Our new favorite bean dish. We used yellow beans because that’s what we had, and the taste is soooooo amazing!

        • — Diz Wayda on September 18, 2023
        • Reply
  • Made this tonight. Didn’t have lemon zest, but I did do the walnuts and cranberries. Oven temperature info was not given, so here’s what I did.

    used frozen green beans, set them out to thaw a couple hours before cooking. Did the hot water and dried cranberries thing for about ten minutes.

    oven = 425F

    walnuts in for 15 minutes.

    Then pulled out the walnuts, put them in a bowl with the (thawed) green beans, softened cranberries, some diced garlic (three cloves), olive oil, kosher salt, tossed them to mix thoroughly.

    Put the whole shebang onto a baking sheet in the 425F oven for another 15 minutes.

    Turned out pretty good, actually. Probably 20 minutes, even 25 minutes at 425F would have been more interesting if you’re into some charring of the beans.

    The upshot with this recipe is that even a retired engineer can make something approximating it, and have it turn out okay.

    • I see you used frozen green beans instead of fresh. I would like to try that also, but not sure how it will turn out. I don’t believe that Jenn recommended using frozen, but am curious since that’s what you used.

      • — Tricia on December 25, 2023
      • Reply
  • And what a fine thing it would be for us beginners if you actually described what “roast” means for an oven setting. Nowhere is temperature mentioned.

    I’m going to give it a whirl at 425F and see what happens.

    • Hi John, You may have overlooked it, but for future reference, the oven temp should be set to 450°F. Hope the green beans came out nicely!

  • Jen, do you think this would be okay to make ahead and just reheat?

    • Yes, Sure, you can get away with it. I’d reheat them briefly in the microwave before serving. Enjoy!

  • When you call for kosher salt, do you mean coarse or fine? I’ve checked a few grocery stores and only found “coarse” kosher salt. I’ve used fine sea salt, but I’d like to know what you use!
    Thanks!

    • Hi Sue, it’s coarse. I use Morton’s brand. Hope that helps! 🙂

  • Public Service Announcment: put the cranberries in the boiling water as directed, i.e. right before you toss the beans. If you try to put them in ahead of time, the cranberries will lose much of their colour and flavour.

    Great dish with good balance as always. My partner refuses vegetables and after forcing him to eat a bean, he said it was good and actually had a small helping. That’s a win in my book.

  • Loved the dish.

  • Jen-
    I wanted to make these tonight for dinner and I still have some fresh cranberries left over from the holiday that I would love to use in this recipe. How would you recommend that I go about doing that?
    Thank you in advance and I just love your recipes. I know I can usually count on them to be a grand slam.

    • Hi Susan, I wouldn’t recommend using fresh cranberries here — I’m sorry!

  • I substituted cherry tomatoes for the cranberries and omitted the sugar. We loved it!! Made it for Christmas Eve dinner and there were no leftovers! My daughter made it again 2 days later.

    • — Jeanine Kinser
    • Reply
  • Would this hold up if I made it ahead of time and reheated it at a potluck Christmas dinner?

    • Sure, Susan — I’d just reheat them briefly in the microwave before serving. Happy holidays!

  • Will trimming and washing beans alter the texture and cooking time, also can I reheat in microwave

    • Hi Camile, It’s perfectly fine to trim and rinse the beans. And I’d just reheat them briefly in the microwave. Hope you enjoy!

  • I made these and they are delicious! I had to reduce the cooking time though, 25 minutes was way too much in my oven.

    • — Michelle Holman
    • Reply
  • Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner (Canada) and it was a hit, everyone loved it! Doubled the recipe as we were serving 16. I made it ahead of time. I cooked it to the 15 min point then pulled it out, cooled and refrigerated. At dinner time, I tossed it then finished the remaining 10 mins (as called for in the recipe) as the last dish to be cooked. No issues with beans turning mushy. I squeezed half a lemon plus the rind for the doubled recipe and used half and half roasted walnuts and pecans (as I didn’t have enough walnuts to double it). Put them in a warming tray and they kept well. Definitely a do-over recipe.

  • Once again I followed our instructions out the window. And ended up with an overcooked mess to be thrown in the garbage. Your suggestion of roasting the beans for a total of thirty minutes cooks the life out of them and you wind up with a tasteless side dish. Wont’t be making this dish again. Really pathetic.

  • These green beans were outstanding. Cooking them in the toaster oven instead of steaming them made a phenomenal difference!

    • — Nancy Burroughs
    • Reply
  • Wonderful recipe full of flavor! Loved that beans were not watery. I used pinion nuts.

    • — Nancy Burroughs
    • Reply
  • Hi Jen
    You have become my first go to site when I need a recipe. I think I will make these green beans for Thanksgiving. One question: I don’t think I will be able to find dried cranberries where I live, but I know I can either find fresh cranberries or craisins. Which would you recommend? Would I need to tweak the recipe at all to accommodate one of those choices?
    Thanks

    • Hi Vivian – so flattered to be your go-to for recipes! :). Craisins and dried cranberries are the same thing (just different names) so you’re good to go. Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Looks delicious! Can you make it ahead – preferably Wednesday to eat on Thanksgiving? Thanks!

    • — Michelle Spott
    • Reply
    • Hi Michelle! Yes you can definitely make ahead and reheat in the microwave. Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

  • Make this every Thankgiving . Just be careful not to over cook the stringbeans.

  • Made this for Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint! I’m not a fan of the waxiness of green beans but there we no such issues with this. I ended up using orange zest and a small amount of the juice of an orange (one of my guests used the last lemon just before I made this :-l) but it was still perfect. I also toasted the walnuts prior to using and I think it added a nice depth of flavor to the dish. The ingredients were a great combination – definitely not your traditional old green beans. Highly recommended!

    • — J. Tamara Hackshaw
    • Reply
  • I loved this recipe except for the lime juice at the end. Next time I think I will leave it off. Still a fantastic recipe.

  • This is a recipe I make again and again, I’ve made it with almonds instead of walnuts and never add the garlic simply because I don’t like it. I’ve also used walnut oil instead of olive oil. I’ve also made this with and without lemon zest but the lemon juice is a must, it gives a extra zing. Delicious!

  • These were wonderful, loved the flavor! I had doubts about adding the cranberries, but it was a great combination. I did substitute toasted slivered almonds for the walnuts because my family has a walnut hater. I want to play with different combinations in the future, maybe with bacon. This recipe is perfect as is though. Oh, and I made them a day in advance and reheated successfully.

  • I made this side the other night to accompany grilled chicken. I didn’t make as many as the recipe called for, as it was just my husband and I enjoying the green beans. I did leave them in the oven a little too long, but they still tasted great. I love the flavor that the walnuts and cranberries added – I used a premixed bag of the salad topping mix and it was perfect!

    • — Stacey Roberson
    • Reply
  • Great — made last night & shared today on FB!!!

  • Hi, I’m making these tonight to pair with your onion braised beef brisket, which I made yesterday and is currently in my fridge to be reheated tonight to serve. Since these cook at a high heat, and the brisket needs to be reheated at a much lower temperature, do you have any tips for having these dishes be warm and ready to eat at the same time? Should I slightly undercook the beans and then reduce heat and add my pan of brisket?

    I’m also making your peanut butter pie. After trying your buttermilk chicken tenders, pecan chocolate chip blondies, and au gratin potatoes, I’m hooked on your recipes! All of those were “Grand slams” according to my guests. Thank you so much!

    • Hi Ally, Glad you’re enjoying the recipes ?! I’d make the beans a little ahead and then just reheat in the microwave. Hope that helps!

  • I would like to make this a day ahead. When should I add the lemon zest, lemon juice, cranberries and walnuts? On the day I actually cook the beans, or the next day just before I reheat them?

    Also, how long & at what temp should I reheat?

    • Hi Judy, You could include all the ingredients ahead and then 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. I’d reheat them at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

  • Easy elegance. A fresh and healthy addition to Thanksgiving. I substituted pecans for the walnuts and omitted the sugar. It doesn’t get any easier than this! Everyone loved it!

  • This is the first recipe on your site I have not been crazy about. I love the roasted green bean recipe with the Parmesan, lemon and pine nuts so I am not sure what happen with this one. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I did use the petite green beans but I believe I’ve done that with your other recipe. I found this recipe lacking in flavor.

  • No other description for this but 5 Stars. This recipe is healthy, scrumptious and a real crowd pleaser. Do not mess with this recipe – it is perfection!

  • Served this at Thanksgiving and even though with the last minute craziness I left out about three ingredients, it was still delicious! Thanks for bringing the green to my table.

  • Delicious and so easy! I wish I had taken them out abit earlier (I cut out 5 minutes), as I was traveling for Thanksgiving and reheating them (they got a tad mushy). I added some left over carmelized onions that had a splash of balsamic.

  • just wondering, as an amateur, whether the dried cranberries will conflict with the cranberry sauce I’m planning?

    • In my opinion, no. Because it’s Thanksgiving, you’re likely to have many other dishes, with a variety of flavors, that it shouldn’t be an issue. Feel free to leave the cranberries out, though, if you’re concerned about it.

  • I will be using at least 4 of your recipes for Thanksgiving!! Can’t wait!! I wondered if leaving the cranberries (& maybe walnuts too) out of this recipe if it would make a big difference..I’m asking because I always make fresh cranberry sauce and I will be trying your carrot slaw with cranberries recipe..just don’t know if that’s too much cranberries for one meal??!! I will also be making your Brussels Sprouts Gratin & French Apple Cake…Thanks.

    • — Wendy G Schoenburg
    • Reply
    • Hi Wendy, these will still be tasty if you omit the cranberries and nuts, but will just taste more like ordinary roasted green beans.

  • First, thank you for all of the wonderful recipes. It’s wonderful to have a reliable source for recipes and I have NEVER been disappointed by anything on your site. Now, onto my question: Can I use frozen French green beans for this recipe?

    • I just scrolled down and found the answer my self. Thanks!

      • I don’t usually like green beans but I like these. I made them for one so I cut the recipe down to a fourth. Yummy.

  • I made this recipe and it was fantastic, the lemon zest and juice gave it something extra. The instructions were perfect.

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