Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
These Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts are an easy side dish you can make in 30 minutes. Serve them tonight with perfectly cooked pan-roasted chicken breasts and some homemade cranberry sauce, or make them part of your favorite grain bowls.
Read on to learn all about Brussels sprouts, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar. Or just grab your roasting pan, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make some balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts!
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Ingredients
Brussels sprouts are cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage. If you don’t grow your own, pick Brussels sprouts that are bright green, on the small side, and firm.
Maple syrup labeling changed a few years ago to give consumers better understanding of the quality and characteristics of maple syrup. So you’ll see maple syrups labeled from golden to amber, dark, and very dark.
Use a dark maple syrup for cooking and making glazed Brussels sprouts, although an all-purpose amber will still give that maple taste. And if you love the flavor of maple, make my maple vinaigrette or maple donut cake too!
Balsamic vinegar, if true balsamic, is an Italian vinegar made from grape must. Aging gives the balsamic vinegar complex flavors, but you don’t need to use an expensive dipping vinegar in this recipe to get those flavors here.
Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations and substitutions
- Add peeled and sliced carrots
- Use honey or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup
- Top with dried cranberries or chopped, toasted nuts
- Add chopped, cooked bacon
Recipe tips and tricks
This recipe for Brussels sprouts with maple syrup is inspired by an Epicurious recipe for maple roasted delicata squash.
Step by step
To prepare the Brussels sprouts for roasting, trim off the stem end and any bruised or browned leaves.
Slice the Brussels sprouts in half from the top through the stem end. Hopefully you won’t have any that are huge, but if you do you may need to cut them in quarters.
Toss the sprouts with the oil, maple syrup, thyme, fennel, salt, and red pepper flakes. You can do this in a medium bowl or just your pan. Toss gently, but don’t worry if you lose an outer leaf or two.
Roast the Brussels sprouts until they are lightly browned and you can pierce them with a fork. Remove from the oven and toss immediately with the balsamic vinegar.
Serve immediately, warm, or at room temperature. You can hold them at room temperature for an hour or two. Any longer than that, and you should refrigerate them in an air-tight container until ready to serve.
What to serve with maple balsamic Brussels sprouts
- Thanksgiving dinner or roast chicken
- A pork dish like this apple bourbon pork tenderloin
- Make a Fall harvest bowl with these maple Brussels sprouts, delicata squash, farro and a variety of other goodies.
Check out other one-bowl meals like my Mediterranean lamb meatball bowl, a rainbow poke bowl, or Swimming rama tofu bowl.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, although Brussels sprouts and cabbage have origins in the Mediterranean region, Brussels sprouts as we know them were supposedly first cultivated in the area now known as Belgium in the 13th century.
Like many people, Mr. uglyducklingbakery won’t eat cruciferous vegetables because they release hydrogen sulfide gas. NPR once reported that you can eliminate the smell of Brussels sprouts by cooking them for no more than a few minutes.
You can store roasted Brussels sprouts in a covered contained in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Making Brussels sprouts with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar is my favorite, but you can also use Brussels sprouts in place of cabbage in a coleslaw recipe, or Molly Stevens has an amazing recipe for creamy braised Brussels sprouts.
Related side dish recipes
Check out other vegetable side dishes from the Ugly Duckling Bakery archives like:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Maple balsamic Brussels sprouts
Equipment
- 1 Roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts about 4 cups
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 375℉. Then trim your Brussels sprouts and slice them in half from the top through the stem end.1 pound Brussels sprouts
- Mix the Brussels sprouts in a medium bowl or your roasting pan with the olive oil, maple syrup, thyme, fennel, salt, and red pepper flakes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon fennel seed, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the Brussels sprouts are browned and you can pierce them with a fork.
- Remove them from the oven and toss them immediately with the balsamic vinegar. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar