Festive Mini Pistachio Nut Roasts with Chestnuts and Cranberries

These Festive Mini Pistachio Nut Roasts with Chestnuts and Cranberries are rich, hearty, and full of festive warmth. Blending pistachios, chestnuts, and roasted squash with herbs and cranberries creates beautifully golden nut roasts that are perfect for vegetarian mains or elegant holiday sides.

Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well.

As the holidays draw near, it’s always nice to have something both comforting and impressive to serve – and these Festive Mini Pistachio Nut Roasts with Chestnuts and Cranberries deliver exactly that. Packed with roasted nuts, herbs, and warm spices, they’re baked into charming Bundt-style portions that bring instant festive flair to the table. So, let’s dive into these festive pistachio nut roasts.

Why You’ll Love These Festive Mini Pistachio Nut Roasts with Chestnuts and Cranberries

• Festive and hearty: The combination of pistachios, chestnuts, and cranberries delivers earthy richness with subtle sweetness.
• Beautiful presentation: Mini Bundt-style roasts make a charming, elegant addition to any holiday table.
• Perfectly balanced: Butternut squash adds creaminess, while rosemary and nutmeg bring cozy, aromatic warmth.
• Versatile: Ideal as a vegetarian main, side, or part of a larger festive spread.

Festive Pistachio Nut Roasts: Flavour and Texture Profile

These festive pistachio nut roasts strike a wonderful balance between rich, nutty, and subtly sweet. The pistachios add crunch, the chestnuts lend a buttery softness, and the cranberries provide a bright tangy finish. Smoked paprika and rosemary layer in warmth, creating a deeply aromatic and comforting holiday dish.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

To create these festive pistachio nut roasts, you’ll need a mix of earthy nuts, herbs, and warm spices that capture the season’s essence:

• Butternut squash or pumpkin: Bring moisture and natural sweetness.
• Pistachios: The highlight of this dish — nutty, rich, and festive.
• Chestnuts: Contribute a mild sweetness and creamy texture.
• Dried cranberries: Add tart sweetness and a pop of colour.
• Onion and garlic: Build a savoury flavour base.
• Egg and cornmeal: Bind the mixture for perfect texture.
• Olive oil: Adds richness and helps soften the onions and garlic.
• Rosemary and Italian herbs: Add aroma and depth.
• Smoked paprika, nutmeg, and chipotle: Infuse warmth and subtle spice.
• Water or broth: Keeps the mixture smooth and easy to blend.

How to Make Chestnut Cranberry Pistachio Nut Roasts

Making this holiday recipe is easier than it looks – just a few simple steps and your kitchen will smell like the holidays.

Cook onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add chestnuts, herbs, and spices, then simmer briefly with broth. Blend most of the mixture with squash, pistachios, and cranberries until smooth, keeping some pieces for texture. Stir in the egg and cornmeal, fill greased mini Bundt molds, and bake at 180°C (360°F) for about 25–30 minutes, until golden. Serve warm with cranberry sauce or your favourite festive condiments.

More Festive Holiday Recipes with Chestnuts

Are you looking for more fun chestnut recipes like this one? Be sure to check out these ideas below:

• Holiday Leftover Turkey Salad with Cranberries and Chestnuts
• Festive Cheese and Chestnut Biscuits – Holiday Savoury Treat
• Festive Mini Nut Roast with Chestnuts, Rosemary and Cranberries
• Crêpes with leftover Turkey, Chestnuts and Cranberries
• Chestnut Dip (or Bruschetta)

I’d love for you to try this recipe for festive cranberry chestnut pistachio nut roasts. If you give this holiday idea a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

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Festive Mini Pistachio Nut Roasts with Chestnuts and Cranberries

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Christmas, Vegetarian, Festive Mains, Chestnut RecipesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

18-24

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Festive Pistachio Mini Nut Roasts with Chestnuts and Cranberries are hearty and aromatic – a perfect vegetarian main for your Christmas.

Cook Mode

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Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 300 gr. cooked and peeled chestnuts, chopped

• 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced

• 1 tbsp. Italian herbs seasoning

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. chipotle powder

• 1/2 to 2/3 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/2 tbsp. smoked paprika

• ~1/2 cup water or broth (vegetable for vegetarian version)

• 250 gr. baked butternut squash or other pumpkin

• 1 to 1 and 1/3 cup unsalted pistachios (If using salted, start with 1/4 tsp. and then adjust the seasonings)

• 1/4 + 2 tbsp. cup dried cranberries

• 1 egg

• 1-2 tbsp. instant polenta (cornmeal)

Directions

• In a pan heat the olive oil over low-medium heat and cook the onions and garlics, for about 7 minutes until soft and translucent but not brown.
• Add the chestnuts, herbs, seasonings, and 2-3 tbsp. of water or broth. Simmer 5-7 minutes.
• In a food processor combine the butternut squash, 2/3 of the onion-chestnut mixture, 1/2 cup of the pistachios, 1/4 cup of the cranberries, and 1/4 cup of broth or water. Process until resembles puree (Pausing and scraping the sides if necessary.) Try and adjust the seasonings.
• Add the remaining onion mixture, 1/2 cup of the pistachios, and 2 tbsp. of the cranberries. Pulse just 2-4 more times, for the added texture.
• Transfer the mixture into a ball. Add the egg and one tablespoon of the cornmeal (polenta), mix with a spoon. If the mixture a tad thin, add another spoon of cornmeal.
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (360 degrees F). Lightly grease the Bundt pans with the cooking spray.
• This step is optional, and you can skip it. In a processor pulse the additional 1/3 cup of pistachios until roughly chopped. Sprinkle the bottom of molds with the pistachios. 1/3 cup of pistachios should be enough for at least a half of the roasts. You can grind more nuts if desired all roasts sprinkled with the pistachios.
• Take some of the mixture and fill the molds, pressing gently with a spoon or even better – palm. (If you find the mixture is too sticky, dampen the spoon or palm.) In my case, I used about 2 tablespoons (~35-40 gr.) of the mixture per each mold, but that will depends on the size of your molds. I got 23 mini bundt roasts.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes (Adjust the time if using bigger molds) then broil for a minute, if desired.
• If desired, serve the mini roasts with cranberry sauce, sour cream, and other condiments. The will be fine refrigerated for up to a week. They will get a bit too soft / soggy after a day or two, but that’s east to fix.  Just preheat the oven to ~400 degrees F, place them onto a baking sheet, and pop in the oven for 2-3 minutes, then remove and cool a bit before serving. Enjoy!