Healthy Brussel Sprouts Recipe

I encountered these textured beauties, not that soon, but not too late to develop a love for them. Roasted Brussels Sprouts are easy to make, versatile, and healthy.

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They announce the beginning of the cold season and the last summer stories.

One thing I like about Brussels Sprouts is that whoever loves them is ready to get into a conversation about them, and the others don’t even care.  There are always tips and tricks to extract everything about these tiny but potent veggies for us, who love them.

These Roasted Brussel Sprouts with garlic are easy to make in minutes and share a place in my brain labeled “Easy, Simple, Wholesome and Delicious Side dishes” with their sister recipes.

These recipes have in common

• the appreciation of textures
• only a few ingredients
• short cooking time
• they are hassle-free
• require little time present.

This club has members like the Green Beans with toasted almonds, Artichokes with Dipping Sauce, pan-fried Romanesco Broccoli, and Perfect grilled asparagus, to name a few.

This healthy Brussel sprout recipe is also a Christmas Dinner table winner, along with our Vegan Roast, Maple baked tofu marinade, Vegan Gravy, and maple roasted carrots.

Jump to:

• 📅 Eating Seasonal
• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💡 Tips
• 🫓 Grilled Brussels Sprouts
• 👨🏻‍🍳 What to serve with Brussel sprouts
• 📖 Variations
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🫶 Health Benefits of Brussels sprouts
• ❓ Frequently asked questions
• 📚 More roasted vegetable recipes
• 📋 Recipe
• 🌡️ Food safety
• 💬 Reviews and Comments

📅 Eating Seasonal

Brussels sprouts season starts at the end of August through March in Italy; although you can find and eat Brussel sprouts year-round, they won’t be local. Usually, they are at their pick after the first freezing, as they benefit from cold weather.

We find the best Brussels sprouts during the Fall season, making it one of our preferred fall season recipes, next to our miso maple-glazed carrots fabulous side dish.

🧾 Ingredients

These Garlic Brussel sprouts are super easy to make.

• Fresh Brussels sprouts
• Garlic powder
• Olive or Avocado Oil
• Fine salt

See the recipe card for quantities.

🔪 Instructions

Cooking fresh Brussel sprouts is easy. This is probably the easiest of all the brussel sprout dishes you will find!

The best roasted Brussels sprouts should be golden and crisp on the outside and still tender inside. They’re full of well-balanced sweet and earthy flavors. We prefer eating them straight off the pan.

Soak and clean the Brussels sprouts

Pad towel dry them. Preheat the oven to 450ºF (225 ºC) of avocado oil or 400 ºF (200 ºC) of olive oil.

Prepare the sprouts—Trim the Brussels sprouts' bottom and then half them.

Add oil, powdered seasonings (we like garlic onion), sea salt (or kosher salt), and pepper until evenly coated. Stir them delicately to lose as few leaves as possible.

Mix and line up parchment paper on a large baking tray and place the halved Brussels sprouts face down.

Bake Brussel Sprouts. for 15-20 minutes at 450ºF (225 ºC) if using avocado oil or 17-25 mins at 400 ºF (200 ºC), if using olive oil.

💡 Tips

Remember that oven-roasted Brussels sprouts don’t require much seasoning. When cooking Brussels sprouts, roasting them right will make all the flavors come up nicely.

Then you add simple seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, balsamic glaze, or sherry vinegar, and you are fine.

We like using simple ways, such as adding garlic or onion powder and occasionally lightly drizzling thick balsamic vinegar on top (preferably Italian- from Modena).

If you are looking for all the tips on How to Roast Brussels Sprouts 100% right, take these tips into consideration.

Step 1. Choose fresh and spotless sprouts

Look for bright green Brussels sprouts with spotless leaves. Smaller sprouts tend to be sweeter and more tender. Choose sprouts about the same size, so they’re cooked evenly. Larger sprouts might take a couple of minutes longer to cook (about 10 minutes), but they are equally delicious.

Step 2. Halve the Brussels sprouts

Start slicing off the ends. Then, slice each sprout in half. This is how we will get the beautiful roasted, caramelized look that we are looking for!

Step 3. Space the sprouts on the pan

Brussels crisp up better when they have some space.

Step 4. Bake the sprouts at a high temperature, and don’t open the oven

The temperature should be high enough to get crispy, golden edges; this is where the Avocado Oil comes in handy. It has a higher smoke point than olive oil.

You could use olive oil. But in that case, try not to go above 400 ºF (200ºC) and bake a little longer (about 5 minutes). Keeping the oven closed allows the steady heat, delivering perfectly evenly cooked goodies.

Step 5. Roasting time

The roasting time will depend on the size of your sprouts. We find that we get crisp golden leaves starting at minute 15 but it could take up to 25 minutes.

Cook Brussels sprouts for 15 minutes when using high heat (450ºF - 225 ºC), and avocado oil and tiny sprouts; on the other hand, expect 25 minutes when using medium-high heat (400ºF -200ºC), olive oil, and larger sprouts.

Roast the Brussels sprouts until they are golden on the flattened sides. If you notice that half of your sprouts look deeply golden, it is time to take the tray out and serve your crispy Brussels sprouts.

What to do with loose Brussels sprout leaves?

You will lose some leaves when tossing the sprouts. If you place them in the oven, they will burn quickly.

They are not less flavorful or nutritional. We love steaming or briefly adding them to our pasta's boiling water when the pasta is almost ready, so they don't lose their color.

🫓 Grilled Brussels Sprouts

You can also choose to have sautéed Brussels sprouts; the method is similar. Instead of using a baking sheet, you can cook these cruciferous veggies using a cast iron skillet (cast iron pan) face down until they are golden brown.

The pan-fried Brussel Sprouts version is equally delicious. The textures will change a bit. You won't have the crispy outer leaves, but you can get the golden-halved bottoms.

Do everything as directed above, placing them on a lightly oiled or non-stick flat on medium—heat for 30 seconds.

Place the seasoned and halved Brussels sprouts face down, and place a lid on top for 2 minutes. The steam will ensure the sprouts are cooked inside.

Lift the lid and continue cooking until they look golden on the bottom. Check with a spatula.

Hint: when I make Brussel sprouts on a pan, I like adding ¼ cup of breadcrumbs, to make up for the crunchy bite. Add them, just 2 minutes before removing them from heat, so you don't burn them. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you are avoiding gluten.

👨🏻‍🍳 What to serve with Brussel sprouts

We love making the absolutely delicious Brussels sprouts and serving them as a side dish along with sweet potatoes, acorn squash, or roasted pumpkin as part of our Thanksgiving or Christmas table, which usually includes a Stuffed Acorn Squash, Vegetable casserole, Sweet potato crunch, or Nut roast as the main dish. Roasted sprouts are a healthy food that helps balance the holiday season's plate.

📖 Variations

This healthy dinner side dish is very customizable.

• Spicy - add red chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
• Deluxe - add vegan parmesan on top and drizzle with this balsamic vinegar.
• Onion vs. Garlic - add onion powder instead of garlic.
• Herby - add some fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary to the sheet pan.
• Smoky flavor - add a teaspoon of smoke liquid or smoke balsamic vinegar.
• Vegetarian - top with parmesan cheese or goat cheese.

🍽 Equipment

Make sure you use parchment paper, as it will make everything much easier to handle.

I like using a nice, flat, and large baking tray to ensure all the halved Brussels sprouts have some room while baking.

🫶 Health Benefits of Brussels sprouts

Wondering about Brussel sprouts calories? These babies are very low in calories.

• High in fiber and plant protein. These sprouts have a good fiber content, which aids digestive health, as they help to feed the beneficial bacteria in our guts.
• May help to protect against cancer. As is the case with all cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower.
• Vitamin K. Brussels sprouts are rich in this vital nutrient, which is an essential vitamin for coagulation.
• Sugar levels. Brussels sprouts may help to maintain healthy sugar levels steady.
• Inflammation. Since they are high in antioxidants, they can help neutralize the free radicals that cause inflammation.

Read on: High Protein Vegan Meals »

❓ Frequently asked questions

Growing your own brussel sprout plants

Brussels sprouts (a member of the cabbage family) are best started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant the seedlings outdoors after the soil has warmed and all danger of frost is past. Or direct seed in your garden 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Planting too early will often result in stunted growth.

Soil Requirements - Brussels sprouts are heavy feeders, so prepare the garden bed well before planting. Work in composted manure or other organic matter one month before planting. Sprouts require fertile, loose soil with good drainage to produce optimum growth rates. Pests & Diseases - Aphids cause small soft scale-like areas on the leaves.

Remove by hand or spray with insecticidal soap. Scab causes rough, small cork-like brown spots on the leaves and stems, which can interfere with water uptake; control by avoiding overhead watering.

Clubroot (a fungus) causes blackened roots - remove affected plants to stop the spread of disease. Blight causes brown spots on lower leaf surfaces. Remove affected plants - do not compost them!

Harvesting Brussels sprouts are usually picked when the heads are fully developed but still firm and before the sprouts start to open. The sprouts look like green pine cones attached by small stems at the top of the stalk.

Pick one sprout at a time, twisting off rather than breaking. Overripe sprouts will have loose or open leaves and a strong cabbage aroma.

Storing Brussels sprouts

How long do raw Brussel sprouts last in the fridge? Storage Brussels sprouts will keep in the refrigerator crisper bin for up to one week.

To freeze, blanch the sprouts in boiling water for 3 minutes and then place them in an ice-water bath (to stop the cooking process); this allows more of their vitamin content to be preserved. Once cooledLearn how to make the perfect roasted brussels sprouts recipe. It's quick, easy, and delicious! This is a must-have side dish for any holiday dinner table or everyday family meal., drain well and store in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer.

📚 More roasted vegetable recipes

We love our easy and hassle-free roasted veggies, such as roasted pumpkin, butternut squash, perfectly roasted spiced cauliflower, Miso Maple-Roasted Carrots, and the famous Spanish Escalivada. Each veggie has its own trick, here is how to roast cauliflower like a pro!

Try out this Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato Breakfast hash and Honey Roasted Vegetables with Brussel Sprouts; you will love them; they are so easy to make!

Also, explore more recipes using sprouts, like our hearty and spicy lentil sprouts soup, and discover how to grow your own lentil sprouts at home.

⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

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