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Home » All Recipes & Inspiration » Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries, and Candied Pecans

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries, and Candied Pecans

Published: Nov 15, 2021 by Genevieve Morrison · This post may contain affiliate links

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These Brussels sprouts with bacon, cranberries, and smoked, candied pecans are the ultimate Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish! They’re baked in bacon fat till crispy, then mixed with cranberries and candied pecans, spiced with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper!

With only 6 main ingredients and a few spices, it takes only about an hour to make, and everyone at the Thanksgiving dinner table will be begging for the recipe. 

A bowl of Brussels sprouts, bacon, cranberries and candied pecans on a table with scattered leaves.
Contents hide
1 Why This Recipe is Special
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make these Brussels Sprouts – Step by Step
4 Common Questions
5 A Few Tips
6 A Few More Delicious Thanksgiving Sides
7 Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Pecans

I love jazzing up traditional thanksgiving side dishes, and this recipe is no exception. I’ve made Brussels sprouts with bacon before but thought they could use some smokey sweetness: that’s where the shockingly delicious, no-fuss candied pecans come in. Good luck not eating them all before the Brussels are done baking!

Why This Recipe is Special 

It’s a great make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish that reheats perfectly – You can just toss everything on a baking sheet, cranberries and all, and it reheats just as deliciously as when it was all first mixed together! No need to keep things separate if you don’t want to.

It takes just about an hour to make – Including the bacon, Brussels, and pecans!

Because bacon! – Who can resist eating their vegetables when there’s bacon all over them?!

Ingredient Notes

8 ingredients on a table with titles describing what they are.

bacon – Use a nice thick cut. You can also use more than the recipe suggests if you want a more bacon-forward dish.

pecans – You can substitute walnuts or even cashews if you wish.

sea salt – You can also use kosher salt or any flaky salt. Don’t use table salt.

cayenne pepper – I like a little spice in my candied pecans, but this recipe only calls for an amount that just gives them a teeny zing. If you want to spice them up a little more, you can use twice the amount listed.

vanilla extract – Only use real extract. Not imitation.

How to Make these Brussels Sprouts – Step by Step

First, make the candied pecans

A collage of 4 images showing how to make candied pecans.

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.

2. To a pan, add 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp. smoked paprika, ¼ tsp. vanilla extract, ¼ tsp. sea salt and 1 tbsp. water. Mix it all together and turn on MEDIUM heat. 

3. Allow sauce to bubble for 1-2 minutes, then add 1 cup pecans. Stir them around until each is thoroughly coated in the sauce.

4. Pour pecans onto the parchment in 1 layer. Do your best to spread them out a bit. Refrigerate them for 20 minutes to harden them. Once cooled, pull any that are stuck together apart with your fingers and set them aside.

While the pecans refrigerate, make the bacon and Brussels

A collage of 4 images showing how to prepare Brussels Sprouts and bacon.

1. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and slice 32 oz. Brussels sprouts in half and place in a mixing bowl.

2. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. (204 C.) Fry 4 slices of bacon until crispy and place them on a paper towel to dry. 

3. Pour all the fat onto the Brussels sprouts.

4. Liberally sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper, then stir until all are coated.

2 numbered images showing how to bake and mix Brussels sprouts.

5. Pour Brussels onto the lined baking sheet in one layer. I like to lay the Brussels sprouts face-down to make them crispy on the bottom, but you may not be as picky as I am about how your Brussels bake. Bake for 30 minutes, or until they’re looking crispy.

6. Pour them into a mixing bowl. Crush bacon into bits and sprinkle them in (not too tiny – you want nice bite-size pieces, not bacon dust). Add ¼ cup dry cranberries and candied pecans. Stir and serve.

A bowl of Brussels sprouts, bacon, cranberries and pecans.

Common Questions

1. My pecans are really sticky. Did I do something wrong?

Nope! They’re supposed to be a bit sticky, even after they cool. I think they’re more delicious that way. But if you want them to be dry, simply bake them on parchment paper at 350 F. (175 C.) for 5-7 minutes. after you’ve mixed them in the sauce.

2. How do I reheat this recipe? 

Simply pour everything out onto a foil-lined baking sheet (including the cranberries, pecans, and bacon) and bake at 350 F. (175 C.) for 10 minutes.

The bacon won’t burn and the pecans will just become less sticky, but still delicious. If you want to keep the pecans nice and sticky (like I like them), just keep them separate and add them after everything else is reheated.

3. How long will this recipe last in the fridge?

3-4 days. After a day, the pecans will lose a little bit of their pizzaz, however. You may also have to add more salt to liven it up again.

A Few Tips

1. You can use more bacon than the recipe requires, but you’ll only want to use about 2-3 tbsp. of bacon fat. I find 4 slices provide a perfect amount, but if you use more bacon, you’ll obviously have more fat, so just be careful measuring out the fat when it’s time to add it to the Brussels.

2. If you want to make these vegetarian/vegan, simply leave out the bacon and substitute 2 tbsp. olive oil for the bacon fat. If you want to add a little bit of that bacon flavor while keeping it veggie, just add a few drops of Liquid Smoke before baking.

A bowl of Brussels sprouts, bacon, cranberries and pecans on a table with a lace table cloth and scattered leaves.

A Few More Delicious Thanksgiving Sides

  • A salad with colorful vegetables, pears, berries and nuts on a lace table cloth with plates and forks in the background.
    Thanksgiving Salad with Beet, Pear & Apple Cider Vinaigrette
  • 2 bowls of pumpkin risotto, garnished with sage leaves, on a lace table cloth with 3 small pumpkins in the background.
    Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto with Caramelized Onions
  • A bowl of baked mashed potatoes on a table with a lace tablecloth.
    Baked Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese
  • A plate of stuffing with a victorian-style fork on a black table with a lave table cloth and a few sprinkles of thyme.
    Homemade Thanksgiving Stuffing with Anjou Pear and Mushroom

For more inspiration, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Instagram, on Pinterest, tiktok, and Facebook! And if you ever make any of my tasty drinks or treats, take a picture and tag me. I want to see!

A bowl of Brussels sprouts, bacon, cranberries and pecans.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Cranberries and Pecans

These Brussels sprouts with bacon, cranberries and smoked, candied pecans are the ultimate Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish! They’re baked in bacon fat till crispy, then mixed with cranberries and candied pecans, spiced with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper! 
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: International
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 344kcal
Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • tin foil
  • frying pan
  • mixing spoon
  • sharp knife & cutting board
  • large mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the Candied Pecans

  • 1 cup pecans
  • 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper – or more if you want them spicier
  • ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt – or kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. real vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp. water

For the Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Cranberries

  • 32 oz. Brussels sprouts – 2 standard packages
  • 4 slices bacon
  • ¼ cup dry cranberries
  • salt and fresh pepper – a nice sprinkle of each

Instructions

For the Candied Pecans

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
  • To a pan, add 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, ⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp. smoked paprika, ¼ tsp. vanilla extract, ¼ tsp. sea salt and 1 tbsp. water. Mix it all together and turn on a MEDIUM heat. 
  • Allow sauce to bubble for 1-2 minutes, then add 1 cup pecans. Stir them around until each is thoroughly coated in the sauce.
  • Pour pecans onto the parchment in 1 layer. Do your best to spread them out a bit. Refrigerate them for 20 minutes to harden them. Once cooled, pull any that are stuck together apart with your fingers and set them aside. While the pecans refrigerate, make the bacon and Brussels.

For the Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Cranberries

  • Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and slice 32 oz. Brussels sprouts in half and place in a mixing bowl.
  • Pre-heat oven to 400 F. (204 C.) Fry 4 slices of bacon until crispy and place them on a paper towel to dry. Pour all the fat onto the Brussels sprouts. Liberally sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper, then stir until all are coated.
  • Pour Brussels onto the lined baking sheet in one layer. I like to lay the Brussels sprouts face-down to make them crispy on the bottom, but you may not be as picky as I am about how your Brussels bake. Bake for 30 minutes, or until they’re looking crispy.
  • Pour them into a mixing bowl. Crush bacon into bits and add them (not too tiny – you want nice bite-size pieces, not bacon dust). Add ¼ cup dry cranberries and candied pecans. Stir and serve.

Notes

To reheat, simply pour everything out onto a foil-lined baking sheet (including the cranberries, pecans, and bacon) and bake at 350 F. (175 C.) for 10 minutes. The bacon won’t burn and the pecans will just become less sticky, but still delicious. If you want to keep the pecans nice and sticky (like I like them), just keep them separate and add them after everything else is reheated.
This recipe will last when refrigerated for 3-4 days. After a day, the pecans will lose a little bit of their pizzaz, however. You may also have to add more salt to liven it up again.
Keep in mind, the pecans are supposed to be a bit sticky, even after they cool. I think they’re more delicious that way. But if you want them to be dry, simply bake them on parchment paper at 350 F. (175 C.) for 5-7 minutes.
You can use more bacon than the recipe requires, but you’ll only want to use about 2-3 tbsp. of bacon fat. I find 4 slices provide a perfect amount, but if you use more bacon, you’ll obviously have more fat, so just be careful measuring out the fat when it’s time to add it to the Brussels.

Nutrition

Serving: 5servings | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 847mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1560IU | Vitamin C: 155mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 3mg
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Comments

  1. Bethany

    November 14, 2022 at 9:20 pm

    What size is a serving (approx how many brussel sprout halves)? 🙂

    Reply
    • Genevieve Morrison

      November 15, 2022 at 1:17 am

      I’d say 10 Brussels sprout halves are a serving, so 5 full Brussels sprouts.

      Reply
  2. Teresa

    November 15, 2021 at 11:08 am

    You are amazing! Love seeing a new post from you. Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • Genevieve Morrison

      November 15, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      Aww! Thank you! Happy holidays to you too!

      Reply
5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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