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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans and Maple Syrup

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These roasted Brussels sprouts with smoky bacon, pecans and maple syrup are so addictive you’ll want eat them right out of the oven.

roasted brussels sprouts

Thanksgiving just snuck up on me this year, so I’ve only got one week to share some new holiday recipes with you. First up, these golden roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, toasted pecans, and maple syrup. They’re so addictive, it’s hard to resist eating the entire pan right out of the oven.

What you’ll need to make roasted brussels sprouts

Ingredients including bacon, maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar.

How to make them

Begin by toasting the pecans in a 350-degree oven. Keep a close eye on them as they burn quickly! When the nuts are cool, coarsely chop them.

Pecans on a lined baking sheet.

Next, cook the bacon. You can do this in a frying pan or in the oven, but not in the microwave as you’ll need the rendered fat to cook the brussels sprouts. I think it’s easiest to cook bacon in the oven, as you don’t have to flip it or deal with curling pieces or splattering fat. Simply arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bacon slices on a lined baking sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes until crisp and golden.

Cooked bacon on a lined baking sheet.

Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the fat, and then finely chop.

Bacon on paper towels.

Toss the brussels sprouts with the rendered fat from the bacon, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Spatula stirring halved brussels sprouts on a lined baking sheet.

Roast for about 20 minutes, until the brussels sprouts are golden brown and caramelized in spots.

Baking sheet of brussels sprouts.

They’ll be delicious as is, but tossing them with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar will make them even better.

Balsamic vinegar pouring over roasted brussels sprouts.

Transfer the brussels sprouts to a serving dish and cover until ready to serve (the dish may be prepared in advance up to this point). Right before serving, top with chopped nuts and crispy bacon. Enjoy!

Bowl of roasted brussels sprouts with bacon, pecans, and maple syrup.You may also like

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans & Maple Syrup

These roasted Brussels sprouts with smoky bacon, pecans and maple syrup are so addictive you’ll want eat them right out of the oven.

Servings: 4-6
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pecans
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved (stem and ragged outer leaves removed)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.
  2. Place pecans on the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they can burn fast. Transfer the pecans to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Set aside.
  3. Turn the oven heat up to 400 degrees. Lay the bacon strips out flat on the same foil-lined baking sheet, leaving space in between so they don't overlap. Roast for 12-20 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back midway through, until the bacon is crisp (cooking time will depend on thickness of bacon). Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels; pour rendered bacon fat into a small dish and then discard aluminum foil. When bacon is cool, finely chop.
  4. Turn the oven heat up to 425 degrees, and line the baking sheet with fresh aluminum foil. Using a rubber spatula, toss the brussels sprouts with the rendered bacon fat, olive oil, salt and pepper directly on the baking sheet. Roast, stirring midway through with rubber spatula to promote even browning, until brussels sprouts are tender and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning, then transfer to a serving dish. Right before serving, top with chopped pecans and bacon. Serve hot or warm.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (5 servings)
  • Calories: 376
  • Fat: 29 g
  • Saturated fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 22 g
  • Sugar: 8 g
  • Fiber: 8 g
  • Protein: 11 g
  • Sodium: 570 mg
  • Cholesterol: 22 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • I tripled this recipe for a large crowd (20). Very easy to do – we roasted the brussels sprouts the day before and “prepped” everything else. The next day we put the brussels sprouts on sheet pans and roasted in the oven for about 10 minutes to rewarm/crisp. Then we added the Basalmic Maple glaze, rewarmed the bacon in a skillet and tossed with the sprouts and added the roasted pecans. We put everything in on a warming tray for service. They were excellent — not one leftover!

    • — Claudia on December 10, 2023
    • Reply
    • I served this dish on Christmas Day as one of my vegetable sides, and it was a big success. My sous chefs ( daughter and son-in-law) prepped the sprouts the day before. I did substitute prosciutto for bacon this time, and omitted the balsamic vinegar, which I would like. My daughter-in-law said it was just perfect. Everyone
      (except the young children) decided they like brussels sprouts now!

      • — Marjorie on December 31, 2023
      • Reply
  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans and Maple Syrup

    How do you increase the serving size? I need more than 4-6 servings.

    • — Cynthia Leon on November 22, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Cynthia, How many people would you like to serve? Are you looking to double the recipe?

      • — Jenn on November 23, 2023
      • Reply
  • What could I substitute for balsamic vinegar? I prefer to avoid that one but have several other vinegars.

    • — Ellie B on November 20, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Ellie, I like the sweetness the balsamic vinegar contributes here, but you could use red wine vinegar instead. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hello. Can this recipe easily be doubled? If so what size dish should I use?

    Thank you.

    Charlotte

    • — Charlotte on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yes, it can be doubled. I’d use two baking sheets. (You want to give them enough room so there’s not much overlap; if they don’t have enough space, they’ll steam instead of roast.)

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • O.M.G….. Amazing.
    Hubby and I will def. be making this again.

    • — Audrey Martinez on July 7, 2023
    • Reply
  • Had this lovely combination at a Christmas lunch and loved it (usually hate sprouts) Decided to google it and here is the exact recipe! Will enjoy my sprouts on Christmas Day now! Many thanks.

    • — Jan Simpson on December 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • This recipe sounded so delicious that I broke my rule to not make a new-to-me recipe for guests and made it for Thanksgiving. It was a big hit! I will definitely make this again and again. Thanks, Jenn.

    • — Deb on November 27, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn’
    Is 2lb Brussels sprouts counted before or after you trim them?
    THnak you so much!
    Cannot wait , I’m bringing these to a party

    • — Melissa Pickard
    • Reply
    • Before 🙂

  • Add one cup of dried cranberries reconstituted with 3 cups of boiling water in a bowl for 10 minutes. Drain and add to the rest of the ingredients.

  • can this be made one or 2 days ahead and refrigirate?

    • — Carmen D Berrios
    • Reply
    • Sure, they can be made a day ahead and you can include the syrup and vinegar — I’d just hold off on the nuts and bacon until after you reheat them.

      • how do you reheat?

        • Hi Judy, I’d reheat them in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, or until hot. I’d prepare everything in advance, but hold off adding the nuts and bacon until after you reheat them. Hope you enjoy!

  • This was delicious. I put my sprouts in a zip loc and coated them that way but I didn’t cut mine in half cause they were small enough..I added honey and more vinegar and more maple syrup. I also put garlic in it and OMGOSH….AWESOME I put it all in a skillet and did the browning and finishing touches.

  • Is there a substitute for the maple syrup?

    • Hi Viki, You can replace the maple syrup with honey. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

  • I have 25 year old aged balsamic. Should I use this or buy some at the grocery?

    • Hi Ellen, I’d buy some at the store. 🙂

      • I made this without the pecans cause they are way too expensive where I live. But hey, roasted brussel sprouts with bacon, balsamic vinegar and a brown sugar simple syrup is just as good!!

        • — Carmine on November 2, 2022
        • Reply
  • This recipe is great! I made it for a friend’s gathering and it was delicious. Thank you for the recipe Jenn!

  • This is a hit for every family gathering. I usually leave the nuts out and it’s still amazing!

  • Made these this past Christmas, and once since, and I’m sure many more times! I’ve made incarnations of this recipe a number of times, but this one has been by far the best. Many other recipes call for the sprouts to be roasted along with the bacon, and I find that just doesn’t work unless you’re using good size lardons of bacon. Even then they can burn.

    I like that you toss the sprouts in the rendered fat in this recipe… no waste of good flavor! And since all special occasion meal (and every other meal) has been only me and my partner since March 2020, I also like that the bacon and pecans are added after the fact, so hubby and I can just serve the sprouts we’ll eat that night, and put aside the sprouts, bacon and pecans in separate containers for leftovers… heat the sprouts on their own and then sprinkle with the pecans and bacon. They seem much less like leftovers this way.

    Thanks, Jenn!

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