Homemade green beans with cranberries and almonds are the perfect side dish for the holidays – bright, refreshing, and full of so much flavor! They take only 15 minutes to prepare, too, so you’ll have plenty of time for the rest of the holiday meal. Such an easy way to serve more fresh veggies!{Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan & paleo}
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Cranberry Green Beans for the Holidays
Everyone needs a go-to green bean side dish in their life! These sauteed green beans with almonds and cranberries is one that we love to whip up time and time again.
It’s a twist on an old-fashioned side dish called “green beans almondine.” It sounds fancy, but it just means “green beans with almonds.”
I like to add lots of citrus and dried cranberries for a really festive, seasonal side dish. You might not expect green beans to become the star of the meal, but people always rave about these ones!
Before You Get Started
Here are some tips for cooking up the best green beans:
- Make sure that you don’t overcook the beans. They only require a few short minutes in the boiling water so that they get only slightly tender and stay green and crisp.
- Transfer the beans to an ice bath immediately after boiling to stop the cooking and keep them tender-crisp.
- Keep an eye on the sliced almonds when toasting them in the frying pan as they can burn very easily. It also helps if you toss them frequently to prevent them from browning too much on one side.
For more delicious green bean recipes, you’ll also want to try these Fresh Green Beans with Bacon and Green Beans with Red Peppers!
Key Ingredients
- Green beans: You can use regular or French green beans for this recipe (see FAQs below to learn about the difference). Choose ones that are free from brown spots, feel firm, and snap when broken. Wash them well and trim the ends.
- Olive oil: Although traditional green bean almondine generally calls for butter, we switched it out for extra-virgin olive oil to give the dish a healthier twist.
- Toasted almonds: The almonds provide a nutty crunch and are especially delicious when toasted! We used blanched sliced almonds for the purpose of this recipe, but you could also sub in slivered or roughly chopped almonds if you prefer.
- Dried cranberries: The dried cranberries add a sweet flavor that complements the garlic beans and citrus flavors so nicely. Most dried cranberries are very high in sugar, so try to find naturally sweetened made with apple juice, if you can.
- Fresh orange juice and zest: Essential for maximum flavor! For best results, use freshly squeezed orange juice; not store-bought orange juice. (You can also swap out lemon zest and juice, if you’d like.)
- Fresh garlic: To give the green beans depth and more of a savory flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and generously salt it (this helps season the beans from the inside). Add the green beans and cook just until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3–4 minutes. Avoid overcooking so they don’t turn mushy.
- Step 2: While the beans cook, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Immediately transfer the beans to the ice water to stop the cooking and lock in their color. Once fully cooled, remove using tongs or a slotted spoon and drain well.
- Step 3: Toast the sliced almonds in a large skillet over medium heat for 4–6 minutes, stirring or tossing frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Watch closely, as sliced almonds can burn quickly. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Step 4: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and garlic and cook just until the garlic begins to turn lightly golden. Add the blanched green beans and freshly squeezed orange juice, tossing to coat and heat through, about 2–3 minutes.
- Step 5:Remove from the heat and add the orange zest, dried cranberries, salt, pepper, and toasted almonds. Toss gently to combine, transfer to a serving dish, and serve warm.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
How to Blanch Green Beans
One of my favorite methods for cooking green beans is blanching them because it ensures that they stay firm, green and crisp and not mushy and soggy. Don’t skip this step as it’s essential to the outcome of this recipe!
Although blanching may sound complicated, it simply means that you quickly boil the beans and then shock them in cold water to stop the cooking process.
1. To blanch green beans, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, then add the beans. Cook the beans until just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook.
2. Prepare a large bowl of water with ice cubes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked beans to the bowl of ice water. Once the beans have cooled, remove from the water.
This step is very important and is what will stop the cooking process and ensure nice crisp green beans.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
Refrigerator: You can store this recipe in the fridge for up to four days in the fridge in an airtight container or in a bowl wrapped tightly with saran wrap.
To reheat: Place the bean mixture in a large frying pan and heat on the stove top over low heat until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
You can use regular or French green beans. The primary difference between regular green beans and French green beans is their appearance, flavor and price.
French green beans (also known as haricot verts) are longer, thinner, and have a more pronounced flavor and tend to be a little more tender than regular green beans. I’ve used both types of beans for this recipe and it turned out equally tasty each time, but you may prefer French green beans if you want a more pronounced flavor.
Yes. If you wish to use frozen, skip the blanching step and simply steam the beans according to package directions. Pat them dry with a paper towel and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
The cranberry orange flavors in this recipe are right at home on any holiday table. Serve them as a side dish with Thanksgiving dinner next to Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast and Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes.
For Christmas dinner, the citrus and cranberry go perfectly with this Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple or Cranberry Chicken Meatballs. Add some sides, like Healthy Roasted Potatoes or this gorgeous Christmas Wreath Salad, and you’ll have a feast fit for royalty.
Honestly, they’re easy enough to throw together for quick weeknight dinners, too. It makes it a lot easier to get the whole family to eat their veggies!
Recipe Variations
- Add cheese: Feel free to sprinkle these beans with a bit of crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese at the end.
- Switch up the nuts: Try chopped pecans, cashews, or walnuts instead.
- Change the citrus: Use lemon juice and zest instead of orange for a brighter flavor.
- Add bacon: This dish would be delicious with a bit of crispy bacon mixed in as well!
More Healthy Holiday Sides
- Kale Salad with Cranberries
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Syrup and Balsamic
- Kale Beet Salad
- Spinach Pomegranate Feta Salad
- Christmas Fruit Salad
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, then add the beans. Cook until just tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Prepare a large bowl of water with ice cubes. Transfer the beans to the ice water. Once the beans have cooled, remove from the water.
- Meanwhile, toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat, tossing occasionally for about 4-6 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.
- Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and garlic and cook until beginning to turn golden brown. Add the beans, freshly squeezed orange juice and dried cranberries to the pan and toss until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add orange zest, salt, pepper and toasted sliced almonds to the bean mixture and toss to combine. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make sure that you don’t overcook the beans. They only require a few short minutes in the boiling water so that they get only slightly tender and stay green and crisp.
- Immerse the beans in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process after placing the beans in boiling water. This will ensure that the beans stay firm and are not overcooked and mushy.
- Keep an eye on the sliced almonds when toasting them in the frying pan as they can burn very easily. It also helps if you toss them frequently to prevent them from browning too much on one side.
Nutrition
This green bean recipe was originally posted in September 2020 and was updated in November 2023 to include more helpful tips and photos. The text and formatting was updated again in December 2025.
This recipe is great! Only thing I altered was that I added the dried cranberries to the skillet right after the orange juice to soften or plump them a little. I will definitely make these again!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe! I love how you added the dried cranberries after the orange juice — great tip! I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks so much for returning to leave a comment :)