Caramelized Brussels Sprouts! Golden, sticky, sweet, tangy, and a little spicy, they are absolutely impossible to resist, and will go with pretty much anything.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts coming in hot! We're tossing them in a sweet and tangy dressing, roasting until golden and caramelized, then tossing them in a little leftover dressing before serving. They are like little sponges and suck up all of the fresh flavor into their caramelized goodness.
After photographing this recipe I devoured the entire bowl. This Brussels sprouts recipe is that good!
Ingredients
Here is what you'll be needing to make Caramelized Brussels Sprouts:
I used apple cider vinegar but they are equally as delicious with balsamic vinegar.
Success Tip - The Brussels sprouts shrink a lot while cooking (almost by half) so be sure to make plenty. As a side this recipe will be a stretch for any more than 4 people so double if necessary.
How To Make Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
This is a really easy side dish. Here's a quick summary of how it's done:
- Mix up the dressing in a small bowl.
- Throw the halved sprouts on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss them in most of the dressing (but not all), place them cut side down, then roast. Don't line the pan. Parchment paper or silicone liners stop them caramelizing so well.
- Once deeply golden, caramelized, and tender, transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle over the remaining dressing before tossing gently. Give them a minute or two to suck it all up before devouring!
Success Tip - Be sure to place the Brussels sprouts cut side down on the baking tray. This helps them caramelize because more of the sprouts surface area is in contact with the hot metal tray.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Caramelized Brussels Sprouts as they are, or fancy them up with a sprinkle of pomegranate arils and shaved vegan parmesan cheese or crumbles of salty vegan feta. The salty cheese and sweet Brussels sprouts taste so good together!
This is a vegan side that will go with pretty much anything but it's particularly good for holiday feasting. I see it alongside Thanksgiving and Christmas favourites like your vegan roast, your vegan beef and vegan ham, and other vegetable sides like Brussels sprouts salad, air fryer carrots, red cabbage with apples, and vegan mashed potatoes.
Recipe FAQs
You can clean and half the sprouts then store them in a sealed container in the fridge, and you can make the dressing the day before and keep it in a jar in the fridge. Then it's just a case of tossing it all together and roasting on the day.
No. They do not need to be blanched, soaked, or parboiled.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Author:Ingredients
- 1lb (16 oz or 453 grams) brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup , (real not pancake syrup!)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic , minced very finely or grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Wash the Brussels sprouts, remove any damaged outer leaves, trim the bases a little, then half the sprouts vertically. Put them on a large metal baking tray. Large enough that they won't be crowded. Don't use ceramic or glass and I recommend not lining the tray for the best caramelization.
- Mix all of the other ingredients together in a small bowl to make a dressing.
- Toss the sprouts with about ¾ of the dressing. I find it easiest to use clean hands. Reserve the remaining dressing until the end.
- Spread them all out in a single layer, mostly cut side down and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until soft, golden, and caramelized. The time will vary slightly oven to oven, and depending on what kind of baking tray you use so keep an eye on them towards the end.
- Transfer the caramelized sprouts to a serving bowl and spoon over the remaining dressing. Give them a gentle toss then leave them for 1 to 2 minutes so they can soak it up before serving.
Cheryl says
Oh man, these were so good I was shamelessly licking the pan before cleaning dishes...lol.
Melanie McDonald says
Ha ha! So pleased you enjoyed them!
Susan Garriques says
These were AMAZING!!! My husband doesn't care for brussels sprouts, so I got to eat them all myself. They are even good cold!!
Melanie McDonald says
Love that! So pleased you enjoyed them!
Mary says
Thank you for the recipe Melanie! The Brussels sprouts were so tasty. My husband kept going back for “seconds”. I really like your website and continue to recommend your recipes it to others.
Deb says
Could these be air fried?.
Melanie McDonald says
I haven't tried it. You wouldn't be able to air fry them directly in the air fryer basket because they are too liquidy and you'd lose most of the dressing. They would need to go on a tray or in a container. Trouble is then they might not caramelize properly. It would be a case of experimenting!