Here’s how to make the best Brussels sprouts recipe…ever. They’re baked until impossibly crispy and drizzled with a maple balsamic glaze.
Every now and then, a recipe comes along that blows us out of the water. Such is the case with these Brussels sprouts. These really are next level, and here’s why. They’re impossibly crispy, baked until they’re caramelized and the outside layers flake off into darkened crunchy chips. Then they’re draped in a tangy maple balsamic glaze that heightens the flavors to their peak. One bite of these, and everyone around the table will be asking how you did it.
How to cook Brussels sprouts to perfection
Sure, you can fry up these mighty sprouts. They’re delicious, but it’s messy and it uses a lot of oil. So to us, the optimal cooking method for Brussels sprouts is roasting them until crispy. But there are a few tricks to getting that perfect charred caramelization. Here’s what to know:
- Roast at high heat, in a single layer cut side down. 450 degrees Fahrenheit is the ultimate temperature for roasting vegetables. Place all those cute sprouts cut side down for the best caramelization. You’ll want them in a single layer: no stacking!
- Use parchment paper to line your baking sheet: not a silicone mat! Parchment paper makes them the crispiest; silicone mats make them soggy.
- Bake one tray at a time. To get maximum airflow in your oven, bake only one tray at once. (We learned this the hard way.)
- Don’t stir! That’s right, don’t even think about stirring! Throw them in for 25 minutes and they should crisp up beautifully.
Accent with a maple glaze (optional!)
These Brussels sprouts are absolutely delicious roasted with olive oil and salt. The outer layers fall off and make crunchy, salty chips that are irresistibly good. Most of the time we eat them plain: because we like them savory! But want to take them over the top? They’re fantastic with a little sweet nuance from a tangy sweet glaze.
For the maple glaze, all you’ll do is heat equal parts maple syrup and balsamic vinegar until they reduce into a slightly thick syrup. We added a shake of soy sauce for good measure. Drizzle that over your Brussels sprouts, and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven.
More flavor variations
Want to get creative? There are lots more ways to flavor Brussels sprouts. Here are some ideas:
- Spicy: Make a spicy variation by adding hot sauce to the maple glaze (about 1 teaspoon), or try these Spicy Brussels Sprouts.
- Honey: Another great flavor pairing is honey! Drizzle simply with honey or even hot honey.
- Hoisin: Brussels go well with Asian-style flavors. Toss with purchased or homemade hoisin sauce.
How to make a larger serving of Brussels sprouts
Did you read all our tips above about crispy Brussels sprouts? Let’s see if you were paying attention. How many trays can you have in the oven at once? One tray. That’s right: to get the maximum airflow around your sprouts while they bake, the oven must not have any other food in it.
How to roast more than 1 ½ pounds at one time? You can do this if you have a larger baking sheet that covers the entire baking rack. That’s an 18 x 13 pan, also called a “half sheet pan“. You could comfortably fit about 2 to 2 ½ pounds of Brussels sprouts on a half sheet pan, making sure they have a little space around each.
More ways to cook Brussels sprouts
This Brussels sprouts recipe is a favorite healthy side dish, perfect for any easy dinner (or even Thanksgiving). But there are lots of other great ways to prepare this healthy vegetable. Here are some more Brussels sprouts recipes that show more ways to cook them:
- Shredded: Shred them to make a Brussels sprout salad or sweet potato salad
- Smashed: Try Smashed Brussels Sprouts
- Sauteed: Cook up Quick Sauteed Brussels Sprouts
- Fried: Pan fry them to perfection with fried Brussels sprouts
- Grilled: Throw them onto the grill for grilled Brussels sprouts
- Boiled: They work as boiled Brussels sprouts too!
- Soup: Thinly slice them to add to farro & Brussels sprouts soup
- Pizza topping: Add them as a pizza topping
This Brussels sprouts recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Print
Brussels Sprouts with Maple Glaze
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Here’s how to make the best Brussels sprouts recipe…ever. They’re baked until impossibly crispy and drizzled with a maple balsamic glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. (To get them perfectly crispy, make sure this is the only pan in the oven and you’re not roasting anything else at the same time.)
- Slice off any hard ends of the Brussels sprouts, as needed. Slice them in half lengthwise and place them in a large bowl.
- Mix the sprouts with the olive oil, kosher salt, and lots of fresh ground black pepper.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper*, then pour the spouts onto the sheet. Turn them all cut side down.
- Roast for 25 minutes until very browned and tender (don’t stir!).
- While the sprouts are roasting, place the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes on medium low heat until thickened slightly and reduced (this should result in about 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons glaze).
- When the sprouts are done, pour over the maple balsamic glaze. Serve immediately.
Notes
*Don’t use a silicone baking mat, since these can also make the Brussels sprouts less crispy. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can skip it and roast directly on the sheet.
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Brussels sprouts, Brussels sprouts recipe
More easy side dish recipes
This recipe is one of our top easy side dish recipes…ever! Sprouts are always a hit. But here are a few more ideas for vegetable side dishes:
- Whip up a batch of thin and crispy Carrot Fries (Ranch Seasoned!)
- Make colorful and healthy Ultimate Sauteed Vegetables or Easy Succotash
- Get your daily Vitamin C quota with tender and sweet Sauteed Peppers, Roasted Bell Peppers or Roasted Peppers and Onions
- Add a load of plant-based protein with Easy Canned Chickpeas or Easy White Beans
Made this with tamari and they were soooo good. I have the hardest time getting them crispy, but these baked to perfection.
So glad you enjoyed!
Can balsamic glaze be used instead of balsamic vinegar? Our daughter made these at Thanksgiving and they are absolutely the best brussel sprouts I have ever had!
Yes, that will work!
My wife and I are on GOLO and the maple glazed brussels sprouts recipe falls well within the latitudes of the program. Trying it tonight. Sounds deeelicious.
I made these last night and roasted a sweet potato along with the sprouts @ 425 instead of 450 but the sprouts got all nice and crispy dark like they were supposed to. It was fabulous!! The glaze worked as well on sweet potatoes as it did on the sprouts and the two together made a cold winter’s evening a bit warmer. Yum, yum, yum!
★★★★★
Sounds great!
I want to add bacon to this recipe. Should i bake the bacon with brown sugar or would that be too much?
That wouldn’t be necessary with the sweetness from the maple.
I made the roasted Brussels Sprouts without any glaze. They were very good, but much too salty. I’ll reduce the salt next time, but do everything else the same.
★★★★