Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake (Easy Whole30 Side Dish)

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Sweet potato, apple, and cranberry bake. YES. Any time I can put three of my favorite fall foods into one dish, I’m happy. Even better, this easy holiday side dish is naturally sweet, made with simple ingredients, and Whole30 compatible.

I originally made this recipe years ago after seeing a similar version on a Whole30 recipe site that has since closed. I made a few tweaks, shared my version on my clean eating Facebook page, and it was a huge hit. There was just one little problem: I hadn’t written down exactly how I made it.

Thankfully, I fixed that.

This sweet potato apple cranberry bake has become one of my favorite healthy side dishes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and fall dinners. The sweet potatoes and apples balance the tart cranberries perfectly, and there’s no added sugar needed.

Here is my version of the recipe:

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Ingredients for Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 tart apple, washed and diced (no need to peel)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, NOT dried
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil, for greasing the baking dish
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• salt to taste
• (Optional: 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnut pieces)

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need

• 8×8-inch baking dish (I like my Pyrex dish)
• Cutting board
• Sharp knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Large spoon or spatula for stirring

Instructions

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Peel your sweet potatoes and dice into evenly sized pieces. Sweet potatoes can be difficult to cut, so make sure you are using a really good knife. We have a set of Wusthof Classic knives that make a huge difference in cutting ability.

Cut your apples (tart apples have the best flavor — Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples are my favorite) into pieces the same size as your sweet potatoes. I don’t peel my apples for this recipe. The peels add color, crunch, and flavor to the final dish.

Wash the cranberries and sort through them to find any that are soft. A mushy cranberry does NOT taste good. Trust me.

Grease the inside of your 8×8 baking dish with your oil of choice. I usually use coconut oil or avocado oil, but you can also use cooking spray.

Add the sweet potatoes, apples, and cranberries to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and toss gently to combine, then spread everything into an even layer. I like to keep the dish fairly shallow so that everything cooks evenly.

Honestly I don’t measure my cinnamon, I just shake shake shake until it’s all over everything. I’m sure it’s possible to put too much, but that hasn’t happened yet!

If you aren’t following Whole30, you can add a couple of small pats of butter for extra richness. For a Whole30-compatible option, you could add a little ghee instead.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir once about halfway through cooking.

I check a couple of pieces of roasted sweet potatoes to make sure they are fork tender before removing from the oven. Sweet potatoes take the longest to soften, so you want to make sure they are done!

Now is when I sprinkle walnuts or pecans on top, and add a little salt to really bring out the flavors. Feta cheese is a delicious topping too!

Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake Recipe

Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 45 seconds

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes 45 seconds

This easy sweet potato apple cranberry bake is a naturally sweet, Whole30-compatible side dish made with simple fall ingredients. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or an easy healthy holiday dinner.

5.0 Stars (1 Review)

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Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato, about 1 large sweet potato
• 1 medium crisp or tart apple, diced, about 1½ cups
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, not dried
• 1 teaspoon coconut, avocado, or olive oil, for greasing
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt, or to taste
• Optional: ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
   
2. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, or your preferred cooking oil.
   
3. Add the diced sweet potato, apple, and cranberries to the baking dish.
   
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and gently toss everything together until evenly combined. Spread the mixture into an even layer.
   
5. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring once about halfway through, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
   
6. Remove from the oven and season with a pinch of salt to taste.
   
7. Sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired, and serve warm.

Notes

Try to cut the sweet potato and apple into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly.

Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well. If using frozen cranberries, there’s no need to thaw them first.

I don’t recommend using dried cranberries because they won’t soften and release juice the same way fresh or frozen cranberries do.

For a Whole30-compatible version, serve as written or add chopped nuts or ghee.

If you aren’t following Whole30, crumbled feta cheese is delicious on top.

This recipe is easy to double for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a larger family dinner.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 72mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 6gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

Serving Ideas and Recipe Tips

This sweet potato apple cranberry bake is one of my favorite healthy side dishes for fall and winter. I often serve it with our Thanksgiving dinner, and it makes an easy alternative to traditional sweet potato casserole or cranberry sauce.

If you aren’t following Whole30, crumbled feta cheese is delicious sprinkled over the top. For a Whole30-compatible topping, stick with chopped pecans or walnuts, or add a little ghee for extra richness.

Fresh or frozen cranberries both work well in this recipe. I like to buy extra bags of fresh cranberries while they’re in season and freeze them so I can make this later in the winter. I don’t recommend substituting dried cranberries because they won’t soften and release juice the same way fresh or frozen berries do.

This recipe makes about four side-dish servings. For Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a larger family dinner, simply double the ingredients and use a larger baking dish.

Let me know if you try out this easy Whole30 recipe, and tell me what you think! You can find more delicious Whole30 recipes here (a month of them, actually).

Check out all of our favorite recipes before you go!

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