An easy recipe for oven roasted Brussels sprouts. The sprouts are seasoned with butter, garlic and Parmesan, then baked until beautifully caramelized.
Roasted Brussels sprouts are a delicacy. It’s difficult to believe it when you look at – and smell – the raw vegetable, but when roasted and caramelized, it transforms into something amazing.
How do I make Brussels sprouts tasty?
The short answer: roast them in a hot oven until browned and crispy!
The long answer: I have a story for you about making Brussels sprouts taste good. 🙂
My late grandma, Miep, was Dutch. Like most Dutch grandmas, her baking was amazing – she baked with lots of butter. Her pannekoeken (Dutch pancakes) were out of this world.
However, like most Dutch grandmas, her method of cooking vegetables was to boil them, sprinkle with salt, and serve. Like other northern cuisines, traditional Dutch cuisine is very skimpy on seasonings – salt and pepper is usually all you get.
Boiled or steamed vegetables can be delicious, of course, especially when not overcooked (these simple boiled green beans are a good example, as are steamed carrots). Grandma’s Brussels sprouts were wonderful! She used fresh, young sprouts, boiled them until just tender and salted liberally. I loved them as a kid.
But not everyone likes boiled Brussels sprouts, and in fact, many people find them utterly unpalatable.
How I discovered roasted Brussels sprouts
A few years ago, at a dinner party, I tried maple roasted Brussels sprouts. It was my first time trying oven roasted Brussels sprouts, and I was amazed at how delicious they turn out when roasted.
Needless to say, maple roasted Brussels sprouts became a staple in our household. But something was nagging at me. As much as I loved the maple sprouts, I did not love adding maple syrup to them.
As a matter of principle, I try not to use sweet ingredients in savory dishes, or at least limit them as much as I can. The less added sugar we consume (even natural forms of sugar), the better off we are.
So tonight I tried roasting the Brussels sprouts in a 425 F oven without adding any maple syrup. They were wonderful! The secret is to use plenty of butter, mix everything so that the sprouts are well coated, then bake in a hot oven until the Brussels sprouts are very crispy and caramelized.
So how do you make Brussels sprouts crispy?
As it turns out, you don’t need maple syrup to make crispy and caramelized Brussels sprouts. You simply need to mix them with fat (olive oil or butter), and roast in a hot 425 F oven for long enough that the natural occurring sugars in the vegetable become caramelized.
It’s interesting to see that even without a sweetener, the baked Brussels sprouts contain enough natural sugar that they become beautifully caramelized.
To make life easier, I usually buy pre-washed, pre-sliced Brussels sprouts, but honestly, even with prepping the vegetable, this is a very easy recipe.
Preheating the oven and roasting at a high temperature are key to ensuring the sprouts are crispy and caramelized. If you don’t buy them pre-washed, you should make sure to dry them well prior to tossing with the butter and seasonings. The last thing you want is to steam them!
I still like simply boiled Brussels sprouts, and I do love maple roasted Brussels sprouts (who wouldn’t?). But these baked Brussels sprouts are now my favorite way to prepare this vegetable. They combine taste AND health in one dish.
Why do we call them Brussels sprouts?
Brussels sprouts are basically little cabbages, so why do we call them Brussels sprouts? It seems that historically, many of them were grown in Brussels, Belgium – and the name stuck.
Are Brussels sprouts healthy?
Yes! They are. Although I would add that just like any veggie that belongs to the cruciferous family, you should eat them cooked, and not overdo it. No one will deny that vegetables from the cruciferous family are very healthy. But they can potentially lower thyroid function, especially when eaten raw and/or in large quantities.
What to serve with this recipe?
Anything you want! They are very versatile and go with many main dishes. I often serve them with baked chicken legs, with keto fried chicken, with pork roast and with ribeye roast. Sometimes I make myself a plate of them topped with a couple of fried eggs for a yummy meatless lunch.
What about leftovers?
I’m actually not a big fan of leftover roasted Brussels sprouts. They lose their crispness when stored in the fridge. But if you must, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days, and reheat in a low oven (250 F) to crisp them back up.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Rinse the Brussels sprouts and dry well. Remove the outer leaves as needed, cut off the stems and cut each sprout in half.
- In a large bowl, mix the Brussels sprouts with melted butter, salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle with garlic and Parmesan, mix, and roast 10 more minutes, until caramelized and tender.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
