Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts + The Secret To Cooking Amazing Brussels Sprouts

Just 6 simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes and you can have this honey balsamic roasted brussels sprouts recipe for an incredibly easy side for any weeknight dinner.  These oven-roasted brussels sprouts are all you need right now.

Brussels sprouts...love them or hate them? Where do you fall?

If you're not a huge fan, it could be because of how they've been prepared for you

Did you know overcooked Brussels sprouts can taste bitter, mushy, and kinda gross?

This may be why they've historically not been a big winner for children and why they continue to get a bad wrap with adults, too.

Poor Brussels sprouts.

I, for one, LOVE brussels sprouts.  They're like little baby cabbages that soak up all sorts of flavor and have such a unique texture.  This time of year, I'm especially excited because I get to roast things without making it even more hot in the house AND I get to enjoy all the brussels sprouts.  Yep, all of them.

In this post, I share how to roast Brussels sprouts and ways to make sure you cook them the best way possible.  Spoiler: roasting them with balsamic vinegar and honey helps, too!

Are Brussels Sprouts Healthy?

Brussels sprouts are an incredibly nutritious vegetable. They are:

• low in calories with just 30 calories per half cup
• high in protein
• an excellent source of vitamins C and K
• good source of fiber
• high in omega-3 fatty acids (which basically means they help to reduce cholesterol and fight off strokes)  

Plus for those preggos out there, just one half cup of Brussels sprouts provides about 12 percent of the folate you need each day, which is an important B vitamin for pregnancy, among other things DNA-related. They also are believed to contain cancer-fighting properties and anti-inflammatory benefits.  So -- yea, they're good AND healthy.  Just like my Baked Asparagus Fries.

Does Roasting Brussels Sprouts Destroy Their Nutrients?

Experts seem to agree that roasting vegetables does reduce some of their nutrients (especially water-soluble vitamins, like vitamin C and some B vitamins) due to being subjected to the intense heat.  However, the majority of the nutrients remain even after roasting, including heart-healthy fiber, and lots of important minerals our bodies need.  Especially since these honey balsamic brussels sprouts are roasted so quickly and not for a super long timeframe, much of their nutritional makeup is left intact.

That all being said, it's a great idea to change up how you enjoy your veggies.  Try to have a healthy balance of raw, roasted, steamed, sautéed, and so on so you get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs.  Plus: yum!

How to Roast Brussels Sprouts

Good news: Roasting Brussels sprouts is so incredibly easy and doesn't require a ton of ingredients or steps.  While you can roast them whole, I like to slice the Brussels sprouts in half before roasting.  This is ideal for a couple reasons:

1. It reduces the amount of time needed to cook through and become tender, and
2. More surface area to pick up all the yummy flavors and get all crispy and delicious.

What do you need to roast brussels sprouts like a pro?  All you need is a rimmed baking sheet, your oven preheated to 425 degrees F, and you can have these roasted brussels sprouts within less than 20 minutes. TWENTY MINUTES!  The ideal amount of tenderness is right before they are mushy.  They are best when slightly crisp, yet mostly tender, and still bright green.

While making this roasted brussels spouts recipe with just olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper would make a tasty recipe, I like to add balsamic vinegar and raw honey to the brussels sprouts before roasting them in the oven.  The combination of the acidic flavors of the balsamic vinegar and the smooth sweetness of the raw honey intensify even more when they're roasted, leaving roasted brussels sprouts with ALL the flavor.

They're sweet.

They're crunchy.

They're smooth.

They're salty.

They're EVERYTHING you ever need.

How to Reheat Brussels Sprouts  

I'm hoping you now get that the secret for how to cook Brussels sprouts is to avoid overcooking them. Overcooking destroys a lot of their nutrients and makes them much more bitter and less tasty.  This may be a major reason why so many people dislike them.

Not overcooking Brussels sprouts can be particularly tricky when reheating them, whether they're frozen or being reheated as left-overs.  To avoid overcooking, make sure you remove them from the heat before they lose their bright green color. Once they lose this brightness, they'll become more grey-green in appearance, which is a sign they've been overcooked.

To prevent this, heat as minimally as possible (just to warm through).  Since they're already cooked and tender, more cooking time isn't necessary. Frozen Brussels sprouts can be added directly to a hot pan or reheated in the oven for best results.

Can Roasted Brussels Sprouts Be Frozen?

Yes, you can easily freeze roasted brussels sprouts to enjoy them later.  To freeze, allow the roasted brussels sprouts to completely cool.  I like to place the entire sheet pan into the freezer to freeze each sprout separately, but you can also place all the brussels sprouts directly into a freezer safe bag or container.

Note: If you place them all together in the bag before freezing, they will become a large clump of frozen sprouts and will be more difficult to defrost and/or separate and portion out once frozen.

Frozen roasted brussels sprouts can last for up to 12 months if properly stored.

More Easy Roasted Vegetable Recipes

Want more roasted veggie goodness?  Here are some of my faves:

• Easy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
• Parmesan Roasted Green Beans
• Lemon Roasted Asparagus
• Thyme-Roasted Carrots
• Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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