Food + Drink

Mapled Brussels Sprouts.

Celebration Roast with Brussels sprouts

Oh, Brussels sprouts. How I love thee! It’s a tough call, but I think Brussels sprouts are the best cold-weather vegetable (broccoli rabe is a close second). There are so many ways to prepare them, but the classic boiling method is probably my least favorite—and also probably the reason why a lot of kids think Brussels sprouts are gross. The best way to make them? Pan-roasted.

I’m not going to lie, this recipe has a whole bunch of sugar and fat in it and probably a gazillion calories. I don’t care, though—there’s a time and place for junk food Brussels sprouts, and holed up after a hurricane is definitely it. Jen and I are both maple freaks, so I made this for lunch one day when she was visiting. Oh man, SO GOOD. I can’t stop thinking about it. Jen has now started using the word “maple” as a verb, so this recipe is named accordingly. The Brussels sprouts have been mapled.

Celebration Roast with Brussels sprouts

I served the sprouts alongside a slice of Celebration Roast, a grain-based roast stuffed with butternut squash, mushrooms and apples. I really like the whole Field Roast line of products, by the way, especially the grain sausages. I don’t really think of them as a “meat substitute”—they’re kind of their own thing. Definitely recommended.

Brussles sprouts cooking in a cast iron pan

(Adapted from this recipe from Food & Wine)

Yield: 2-4 servings

Mapled Brussels Sprouts

Celebration Roast with Brussels sprouts

The BEST Brussels sprouts! Sweet, salty, crunchy, earthy, and so so delicious.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs Brussels sprouts
  • 3 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil (any oil that can handle high heat is fine)
  • Kosher salt and fresh pepper
  • 2 tbsp Earth Balance or other vegan butter (coconut oil would also be OK, but it will affect the taste)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

Put the oil in a large, cast iron pan over medium-high heat. While it’s warming up, wash and trim the Brussels sprouts. I like to cut the end off, remove any weird-looking outer leaves, and then slice them lengthwise. It goes quickly with two people.

When the oil is good and hot, add the Brussels sprouts to the pan along with some salt and pepper. Toss quickly to coat, turn the heat up a bit, and then leave everything alone for a few minutes. The sprouts should get nice and brown and even charred a bit.

Add the Earth Balance and the brown sugar and slowly stir. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the maple syrup, and let everything get roasty for 10-ish minutes (more or less depending on the size of the Brussels sprouts) until tender. You want the sugars to caramelize, but if the pan is looking too dry you can add a couple of table spoons of water and stir gently. Add the vinegar and cool a minute or so more.

Once the Brussels sprouts are looking fully mapled, serve!!

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44 Comments

  • Reply Liz November 9, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    I LOVE brussels sprouts! I toss mine with agave nectar, olive oil and a little bit of sea salt and roast them in the oven for 18-20 mins. SO FREAKIN’ GOOD.

    Ps; Totally random but where is your spoon rest {pictured} from? I am in total need of one! I always end up making a mess on the counter because I’m lazy and don’t put it on a napkin or something, ha.

    • Anna @ D16 November 9, 2012 at 4:41 pm

      The spoon rest is actually from Martha Stewart’s old line at K-Mart, which is of course no longer. It’s really good quality, and such a simple design! I wound up buying a similar-looking one from her newer Macy’s line for my apartment kitchen, but the quality is terrible. It developed hairline cracks after only a few days. 🙁

      I’m sure there are other nice spoon rest out there, but I’ve never taken the time to research…

  • Reply sherry November 9, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    I was totally going to ask about that spoon rest too! Funny I was just craving maple roasted vegetables. I throw mine in the oven with other root veggies but I wonder if the carrots, parsnips, and turnips would pan fry if I cut them small enough?

    • Anna @ D16 November 9, 2012 at 4:56 pm

      I’m not sure about them “frying” well on the stove, but you could definitely roast them the same way that I did with the brussels sprouts. You’d need to use a huge pan, though, if you wanted to do them all together. Over-crowding doesn’t mix well with pan-roasting. Try to keep things to a single layer, if possible, and you’ll be fine.

  • Reply tdk November 9, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    Those are probably similar to the Brussels Sprout Hash with Carmelized Shallots recipe from Epicurious. I’ve been making this hash for about four years and turned my sprout-hating father-in-law into a fan.
    The recipe isn’t vegan but can easily be veganized.
    http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brussels-Sprout-Hash-with-Caramelized-Shallots-240411

    • Anna @ D16 November 9, 2012 at 7:50 pm

      Yum!! I love shredding Brussels sprouts, too.

  • Reply Fritz November 9, 2012 at 7:55 pm

    Looks like a great recipe will try it soon with my Krummenacher Maple Syrup
    thanks for posting it

  • Reply audrey November 9, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    Not that I don’t love brussel sprouts, but weren’t we promised some pics of glittery nails a while back? Ok, ok – I know you guys have been through a lot lately, so I will stop complaining. thanks for the recipe.

    • Anna @ D16 November 9, 2012 at 8:11 pm

      I was planning a manicure post for the weekend, actually! 😉

  • Reply Sadie November 9, 2012 at 8:45 pm

    This is a must-try. I just got into brussels after trying them in Big Sur. You can add a twist to this recipe with some chopped dates and and a bit of dijon in the dressing. Crazy awesome junkfood!

  • Reply Natalie R. November 10, 2012 at 4:10 am

    Looks fantastic! I will give it a try. Have you seen the vegan parody for the “ganam style”? http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4ubOaIhlRX0

  • Reply Isabelle November 10, 2012 at 5:53 am

    WOW, up to today I thought that I was the only person who likes Brussel sprouts. And yes, I also don’t like them much when they are only boiled.
    Here is my favourite recipe for Brussel Sprouts (your’s will be on the table this weekend, if I find the sprouts in my organic supermarket today):
    Brussel sprouts, potatoes, nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts), spices, cream (vegan of course).
    Cut the sprouts in normal slices and the potatoes in thin slices, crumble the nuts a bit (walnuts simply by hand).
    Take a narrower gratin dish, arrange the brussel sprout slices like shingels to cover the bottom of the dish so the overlap a little but not much, season with salt and pepper and some of the nuts, then do the next “shingel layer” with the potatoes, S&P again and continue like this with the sprouts and the potatoes (About 3-4 layers of each). Finish with a potatoe layer and cover it with grinded nuts. Then pour the vegan cream slowly over the dish allowing it to reach the lower levels (if the layers are too tight, then open them a bit with a fork) and to cover the top of the gratin. Then place it in the oven at about 400 degree (reduce the heat or cover if it gets to brown at the top) for about half an hour or until you feel that the potatoes are done. It’s a really filling winter dish, but the nuts and the cream give the brussel sprouts a very special kick, none of the bitter taste present. Try it out. It’s awesome!
    Amount of stuff needed: About 1 pound of potatoes and sprouts each, nuts according to the amount you like, but a cup of them should be good for a start; cream = about 1-1,5 cups according to amount of layers etc., no need to let the gratin “swim” in the cream, but layers should have enough moisture to be able to get cooked. Enjoy! ;-)))

    • Anna @ D16 November 10, 2012 at 3:12 pm

      That sounds SO GOOD, Isabelle!! Maybe I’ll make this dish for Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing the recipe…I can’t wait to try it. 🙂 🙂

  • Reply brenda November 10, 2012 at 10:32 am

    I think I’ve actually reluctantly only had brussel sprouts about three times in my life (and I’m eyeing retirement on the outskirts of my peripheral vision) soOO it’s not as though there hasn’t been a fair opportunity to have had them more often (I see them tucked between the other vegs at the grocery stores but they just cause my nose to turn up & wrinkle) … as a lover of maple though (and not to mention fats and the junk food catagorization), I think that before this month is up, I will hunt down some sprouts and give them another go again. Thanks for glamorizing them to such a high degree that I’m left with this craving for something that’s been reduced to the cellars of my existence forever.

    I bought the hurom juicer on your recommendation – one of the best decisions I’ve made on a small appliance. I’m now a juice addict and have had to set aside no small number of hours each week to chopping. Seriously – I thank you.

    • Anna @ D16 November 10, 2012 at 3:19 pm

      Brenda, definitely give them a second (okay, fourth) chance. I really believe that Brussels sprouts are just one of those vegetables that have suffered from years of people cooking them in all the wrong ways. Even without sugar/maple, roasting alone does a world of good for Brussels sprouts. It’s the charring that does it.

      Glad you like the Hurom! It’s my first juicer experience, and I’m happy with mine so far. I’ve been really lazy about juicing lately, but I’m trying to get back into it once I have more time for all that chopping… 😉

  • Reply Joy November 10, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    YUM! Brussels sprouts do love maple–one of my favorites. If you like it a little spicy I recommend adding a drop chili sesame oil and a pinch of smoked sea salt.

    I’m loving the diversity of posts, Anna. I’ll be curious to try the Field Road stuffs—thanks for the recommendation.

  • Reply Samantha November 11, 2012 at 1:17 am

    I really like brussels sprouts, but I only have them once every year or so. For some reason, I never think to get them, but I think you’ve inspired me to make some brussels sprouts happen this week.

  • Reply Simone November 11, 2012 at 8:31 am

    We used to have a fosterchild who came with a fobia for vegetables. After one month she loved all vegetables and sprouts were her favourite (we are vegetarians and eat heaps of veggies). Do you eat just the sprouts or do you add rice or something like that?
    Have a wonderful day!!!

  • Reply Simone November 11, 2012 at 8:34 am

    P.S. Just saw that you mentioned what you eat it with, I thought that was a sauce (vanity prohibits me from getting reading glasses).

  • Reply Paige @ LPD November 12, 2012 at 7:58 am

    Oh! This sounds really delicious. When I do my brussel sprouts I roast them, and top with a balsamic reduction.

  • Reply MFree November 12, 2012 at 12:54 pm

    These were amazing and totally sinful! Ok, I’ll admit I used real butter instead of Earth Balance. 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!

  • Reply katrina November 12, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    i must — no, i WILL — try this. this looks soooooooo delicious.

  • Reply Monica November 12, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    My grandmother always made brussels sprouts for Christmas dinner and added chestnuts. Pan-roasting and mapling 🙂 sounds perfect.

  • Reply Cortnie November 12, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    I completely agree about the wonder that are Brussels sprouts – so far my fave way to make them is pan roasted with apple, onion, butternut squash, and fresh cranberries. Uh-mazing. But now I can’t wait to try these!!

    xo
    cortnie

  • Reply Cassie November 13, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    I found this recipe a while back, and it could possibly be a healthier alternative to the delicious-looking brussels sprouts recipe you just posted:

    http://www.kalewithlove.com/2012/03/candied-brussels-sprouts.html

    I’m going to try yours for sure! Calories be damned.

  • Reply PhillyLass November 15, 2012 at 12:13 pm

    This recipe looks amazing, Anna! I don’t mean to threadjack, but does anyone know where I can find a cast iron skillet like this one that hasn’t been preseasoned? I’m afraid of how the factories may go about their preseasoning process. I’d rather do it myself the old fashioned way.

    • Anna @ D16 November 15, 2012 at 12:28 pm

      If you’re determined to find a US-made, non-factory-seasoned pan, then at this point yard sales are probably your best option. Lodge (the only company still manufacturing cast iron pans in the US) doesn’t sell anything that’s not pre-seasoned anymore.

      Adcraft sells raw cast iron, but I am unsure of the country of origin:
      http://www.bakertowne.com/servlet/the-621/Cast-Iron-Pans,-Cast/Detail

  • Reply louize November 16, 2012 at 4:36 am

    I made these yesterday – they were so delicious I think I might have eaten a kilo of brussels sprouts! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  • Reply Leslie November 19, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    This recipe looks delicious. What do you have with it? Is it bread, looks yummy too.

    • Anna @ D16 November 19, 2012 at 7:14 pm

      It’s a vegan roast. I wrote about it in the post! 😉

  • Reply Leslie November 19, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    Oh, I see the side is celebration loaf ,sorry! (blush).

    • Anna @ D16 November 19, 2012 at 7:31 pm

      That’s OK! 😀

  • Reply kelly November 21, 2012 at 12:02 am

    tried this tonight and my fam loved it! thanks for the recipe!

  • Reply TieDye64 November 21, 2012 at 12:25 pm

    I adore brussels sprouts so much and this recipe looks so yummy. I’ll be making this for Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing this with us.

  • Reply Paula November 24, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Made the sprouts for thanksgiving and put it to a vote for our 17 guests, mapled or our usual recipe with hazelnuts and thyme. Mapled won, hands down, so this will be the tradition going forward. Thanks from a long time reader!

    • Anna @ D16 November 24, 2012 at 10:28 pm

      That’s amazing, Paula! I can imagine hazelnuts being a nice addition to the mapled sprouts, actually, if you want to combine new + old traditions. 😉

  • Reply Marisa November 27, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Hey Anna, I made this recipe on Thanksgiving – with coconut oil – and it was a huge hits So good! Thanks for sharing.

  • Reply Mary November 27, 2012 at 11:28 pm

    I made these last night, and they were a hit! I absolutely love brussels sprouts, and this was probably the best recipe I’ve found for them. Even my four year old who usually doesn’t eat them devoured every morsel and couldn’t stop telling me how much he loved them. Hooray!

  • Reply Alicia December 9, 2012 at 8:11 pm

    I made these last night! True, they’re sugary, but vegetable fats aren’t bad for you in the way that animal fats are. Anyway, they were SO AMAZING that I can’t wait to make it again soon.

  • Reply YoshiBlue March 7, 2013 at 1:25 pm

    Brussels sprouts are a good side for hearty meals during colder weather. Thanks for posting.

  • Reply Bethany May 6, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    This looks amazing! I don’t have an iron skillet — how could I translate this into a regular pan, or oven?

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