Cranberry Bacon Green Beans

Cranberry Bacon Green Beans make a unique Thanksgiving side dish. This easy green bean recipe is loaded with garlic, bacon, cranberries, and chopped walnuts.

This cranberry bacon green bean recipe was originally published on 11/20/2012 as part of a paid SocialMoms and Calphalon blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. The post has been updated with new photos and additional information.

Creating Cranberry Bacon Green Beans Recipe

When my husband and I registered for wedding gifts back in the day choosing which pan set would best suit our needs was a big task. I don’t remember what pots and pans we ended up.

I do remember a plethora of different shapes and sizes. After a few years I realized many of those pans were rarely used, if at all.

Calphalon Your Set offers home cooks the ability to select the pots and pans piece by piece as they build their own custom set from the best of Calphalon.

Because Calphalon offers such a unique twist on classic pot and pan sets with their new customization options, they asked me to create a unique twist on green beans to be served at Thanksgiving.

What I Love About Cranberry Green Beans

My flavor inspiration: Cranberries, Green Beans, Bacon, Garlic, and Walnuts.

I love the challenge of tweaking old recipes into something new, or using a classic ingredient as inspiration for a new recipe. This is part of my creative process and occurs everyday that I am at work in my kitchen.

I opted to blanch my green beans and then sauté them in just enough butter and garlic. Then I mixed in just a bit of crumbled bacon for flavor.

For a little sweet and a little crunch I topped the green beans with dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.

Kitchen Tools Needed

You’ll need a few kitchen tools to prepare green beans with cranberries. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before beginning:

• Measuring Cups and Spoons – to measure the ingredients in this easy recipe.
• Cast Iron Pan – to cook the bacon (I like to make crumbled bacon in a cast iron pan).
• Large Saucepan or Pot – to blanch the green beans.
• Large Bowl – filled with ice water to plunge the green beans into after blanching.
• Large Skillet – to sauté the green beans and garlic in.
• Wooden Spoon – for stirring while sautéing.
• Serving Platter or Bowl – to serve the cranberry green beans with walnuts.

What’s in this Green Beans Recipe?

This green bean recipe requires just a few ingredients to make. Here’s what you’ll need to add to your grocery list:

• Fresh Green Beans or Haricot Verts
• Butter and Olive Oil
• Fresh Garlic
• Bacon
• Dried Cranberries
• Chopped Walnuts
• Salt and Black Pepper

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make cranberry bacon green beans, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Cranberry Bacon Green Beans FAQs

Got questions about how to these green beans with bacon and cranberries? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

What can I substitute for dried cranberries?

You could try substituting dried cherries, currants, or golden raisins. I haven’t tested it, but those are my suggestions.

Can I use a different type of nut?

Sure! Pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or pine nuts would be my suggestions for this recipe.

What can I substitute for the bacon?

I would use chopped pancetta or prosciutto in place of the bacon if you’re looking for an alternative, though you’re probably more likely to have bacon on hand than the other options.

Can I make this cranberry green bean recipe vegan?

Yes, simply replace the butter with additional olive oil and omit the bacon. You’ll likely need to add some extra salt to replace loss of flavor from those ingredients.

Will this recipe work with frozen green beans?

We prefer using fresh green beans to make this recipe, but you can certainly make it with frozen if you’d like. Here are my tips:

• Skip the blanching step. Frozen green beans are already plenty soft to go straight to sautéing
• Thaw and drain them completely first to remove as much excess moisture as possible.

Leftover Storage Instructions

Once the leftover green beans are cooled to room temperature, transfer them to an airtight container within 2 hours of serving and store in the refrigerator.

More Green Bean Recipes

Enjoy summer green beans all year long by freezing them! This post explains How to Freeze Green Beans, how to blanch green beans for freezing, how to thaw frozen green beans, and more! 

Garlic Bacon Sautéed Green Beans with Roasted Mushrooms make a great Thanksgiving side dish.

This Italian Sausage Soup with Orzo is a great clean out the fridge recipe! It’s packed with veggies, Italian sausage, orzo, and more!

This updated version of the classic Turkey Soup is loaded with vegetables, noodles, and plenty of flavor thanks to fresh thyme and parmesan!

Made with fresh green beans, minced shallot, and crumbled feta cheese, this Green Bean Pasta is quick and easy to assemble.

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

Get More Delicious Recipes via Email

Did you love this recipe for Cranberry Bacon Green Beans? Sign up for Good Life Eats email updates and never miss another recipe!

What are your tips for making a unique green bean recipe?