Sweet Potato (Yam) Apple & Fresh Cranberry Bake with Walnuts

I am so excited to introduce you to our favorite fall and winter holiday dish! We were turned on to this sweet potato, apple, cranberry bake recipe by Aaron’s boss many years ago, and have tweaked and fine-tuned it over time. Now, this dish makes an appearance on our table every Thanksgiving, and again in December around Winter Solstice – or to take along to a Christmas party, where it is always a HUGE hit! 

Follow the easy instructions below to make your own rich, chunky, flavorful sweet potato, apple, and cranberry bake! While this is a naturally semi-sweet dish, it is low in added sugar – making it a wonderful healthy substitution to super-sweet classic candied yams. You know… the ones with marshmallows on top? No offense, but those aren’t our jam. 

Instead, think of this layered yam apple cran bake as where roasted sweet potatoes and apple pie meet in the middle – to create a beautifully balanced sweet and savory dish! The addition of fresh cranberries gives it a beautiful pop of tartness, and the walnuts bring a welcome roasty toasted crunch. We usually serve this as a side dish, alongside the green beans and roasted brussels sprouts. Yet you could also enjoy it as a dessert! I’ll admit, we’ve had this with vanilla ice cream before… and it was far from bad.

All in all, this recipe is simple, beautiful, and delicious. You can’t go wrong!

INGREDIENTS 

The amounts below are to fill an approximately 3-quart or 9×13-inch baking dish, about 1.5 to 2 inches deep. We are using this oval 3.5 quart Le Creuset dish, but have made this in rectangular glass dishes as well!

• 3 medium-large sweet potatoes, also known as garnet yams (about 2 pounds)
  
• 3 to 4 large apples. I highly suggest using a crisp, sweet, semi-tart variety of apple, such as Pink Lady, Granny Smith or Fuji!
  
• (2) 12-ounce bags of fresh cranberries – If you can’t find the fresh-fresh cranberries in the produce department, check the freezer aisle for frozen fresh cranberries. They really make the dish. I would not suggest using dried cranberries instead.
  
• 1.5 to 2 cups of walnuts, halves and pieces. For those with nut allergies, substitute with pumpkin seeds! It is also fabulous with pecans! Sometimes we mix both walnuts and pecans.
  
• 6 tbsp of unsalted butter total – Feel free to replace the butter with your favorite vegan butter alternative, or even coconut oil – though do note that the dish will take on a slightly more coconut-esque flavor
  
• 5 tbsp light brown sugar
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• A pinch of allspice, and nutmeg (less than a ¼ tsp total each)

INSTRUCTIONS

Before getting started with the step-by-step, I want to let you in on a couple of important tips:

One – This recipe calls for two layers of the sweet potato, apple, cranberry, walnut and spice combo, and is assembled sort of like a lasagna. So keep that in mind as you go. You’ll use about half of each ingredient item in the list above in the first layer, and then repeated again in the second layer.

Two – While I usually encourage flexibility and creativity in cooking, I do suggest following the recipe closely in regards to how you pack and assemble your layers – and fill the pan with as much sweet potato and apple as possible. Otherwise, the seasonings don’t really match up with the total bulk. 

Three – This sweet potato apple cranberry bake can totally be prepped the day before you want to bake it. We have often assembled the whole shebang, stored it in the fridge overnight, and baked it the following day. Perhaps that is a handy tip for you and will reduce some of the chaos on a busy holiday full of cooking? 

Step 1) Prep Your Produce

Wash the cranberries, and discard (compost) any squishy mushy ones. Also wash your apples, but there is no need to peel them for this recipe! Next, wash and peel the sweet potatoes. 

Cut the peeled sweet potatoes into medallion slices, approximately ¼” thick. Cut the apples into slices of a similar thickness, or just a tad thinner – about ⅛ to ¼” thick.   

Step 2) Assemble the First Layer 

Begin by lightly greasing your baking dish with your choice of either butter, coconut oil, or vegan butter alternative.

Add a single layer of sweet potato medallions to the bottom of the pan, puzzling them together as needed to fill as much empty space as possible. Next, do the same with a layer of apple slices. This should use up about half of your total yam and apple, or just under – since the baking dish gets wider on top and fits slightly more in the second layer. 

Next, add 2 heaping cups of fresh cranberries on top of the sweet potato and apple layer. Move them around to create a fairly even layer, tucking them into the nooks ‘n crannies. Now do the same with ¾ cup of walnuts (we like to use walnut halves and pieces). Obviously, the walnuts are optional and can be omitted for those with nut allergies!

Step 3) Season the Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Bake

Now it is time to doll everything up a bit! If you’re using a stick of butter, cut off 3 tablespoons and then divvy it into about 8 to 9 even tabs to spread evenly over the dish. Or, follow a similar process with your butter replacement of choice. 

Next, sprinkle over a few shakes or pinches of salt across the entire surface – about an ⅛ of a teaspoon. Honestly, we don’t typically measure the salt. We simply salt it as we would most meals! Now do the same with a pinch of both allspice and nutmeg, but go slightly lighter than the salt – less than ⅛ a teaspoon each. Finally, evenly sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2.5 tablespoons of light brown sugar over the whole dish. 

Now would be a good time to preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 4) Repeat to Create a Second Layer

Wait, can my dish fit an entire second layer of this goodness? Why yes… yes it can.  Add another tightly-packed layer of sweet potato slices, and then press down to squish everything a bit. Then continue on just as you did before with the apples, cranberries, walnuts, butter, and seasonings. If some toppings are threatening to spill over the edge, you did it right! Everything will sink and settle as it bakes.

Step 5) Bake

Before putting the assembled sweet potato, apple, cranberry bake into the oven, cover the baking dish with foil (or an oven-safe lid, if your dish happens to have one). The trapped steam helps cook and soften everything inside, without it drying out or burning on top.  Bake at 400°F for one hour total – 50 minutes covered, and then uncovered during the last 10 minutes to lightly toast the walnuts. When it is done, the sweet potatoes and apples should be tender to the fork, but not total mush.

Step 6) Enjoy!

This sweet potato, apple and cranberry bake is best served warm, but honestly is pretty dang good cold too – like a pie. The good news is that it gets even better with time, and makes for excellent leftovers! Store the leftovers in the refrigerator, and enjoy within one week of baking.

I hope you love this dish as much as we do. See the printable recipe just below. Please let me know by coming back for a review or rating! Feel free to share it with your friends and family too. Here are some of our other favorite fall-inspired and holiday recipes:

• 20+ Satisfying Vegan and Vegetarian Holiday Recipes That Everyone Will Love
• Garlic & Herb Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Balsamic Vinegar
• Easy Vegetarian or Vegan Mushroom Gravy Recipe
• Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash & Sage Soup
• Vegan Roasted Sugar Pie Pumpkin 3-Bean Chili 
• Creamy Roasted Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup