By April Swiger, Contributing Writer
Sweet and salty with a bit of crunch, these brussels sprouts are enjoyable to even the hardest critics. This cold-weather vegetable from the cabbage family is often seen as undesirable for having a bitter taste. I believe it all depends on how you cook it though. For those who typically overlook these tiny buds, you may be pleasantly surprised by this combination.
Maple syrup is in abundance where I live in New England, and I love finding ways to incorporate it into my recipes. For a vegetable like brussels sprouts, where a bitter taste may need to be tamed, I knew this natural sweetener would be the perfect addition, along with the tang of balsamic vinegar. Throw in some chopped almonds, or your nut of choice, and it’s reminiscent of my favorite homemade candy, almond roca.
There’s something about roasting vegetables that makes my mouth water. I love the golden brown pieces that are left in the pan, drenched in butter and salt. If I have a vegetable that I’m not sure what to do with, I will typically roast it, knowing it will likely turn out delicious. This is the only way I’ll prepare brussels sprouts from now on!
If you’re tired of soggy boiled brussels sprouts, you may just fall in love with this sweet and salty caramelized version. It only takes minutes to prepare. Also, you may love Kim’s version of Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon. Yum!
Other recipes you may enjoy:
- Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables
- Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms with a Lemon Butter Sauce
- Easy Pan-Fried Cabbage and Apples
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, rinsed, stemmed, and halved
- 3 Tbls Coconut oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbls Maple syrup
- 1 Tbls Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ Cup chopped almonds
- Preheats your oven to 400 F. Rinse the brussels sprouts, trim the stems, and slice them in half.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roast the Brussels sprouts with coconut oil, and salt and pepper, for 20 minutes. Toss them after 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar, and coarsely chop the almonds. Drizzle the maple and balsamic mixture over the brussels sprouts, sprinkle the almonds over them, and roast for 5-7 more minutes.
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These are, hands down, THE best Brussels Sprouts I’ve ever had. I made them in my cast iron skillet in the grill and they were just heavenly. I did cut the coconut oil in half in order to cut back on the fat and calories and they were still amazing. The combination of balsamic and maple syrup is unbelievable and the almonds just put the whole thing over the top. This is a keeper and will be my go-to for Br Sprouts from here on out. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Sandy! I’m so glad you tried them and liked them 🙂