Maple Candied Brussels Sprouts with Bacon roasted in maple syrup and a little bacon grease (sorry not sorry,) topped with lots of crispy bacon bits!
Brussels sprouts + bacon = perfection
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon roasted in maple syrup and a little bacon grease, topped with lots of crisp bacon bits ~ it’s like candy!
If you’ve been looking for that perfect introduction to Brussels sprouts, you’ve found it. A touch of maple, a touch of smokey bacon pave the way for a delicious first impression. Nobody walks away from Brussels sprouts with bacon a sprout hater 🙂
Mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing…blah blah blah…this year give them something to talk about! Brussels sprouts with bacon and a touch of maple are easy to make and so addictive. They feel right at home on a plate with turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce.
Prep ahead for Thanksgiving
Feel free to fry up the bacon and prep the sprouts the day before, then just toss them with maple syrup and a little of that bacon grease and roast them in a hot oven. It only takes about 30 minutes. You can roast them ahead and reheat just before serving, too, which is a huge bonus for a busy night.
How to cook tender (not mushy) Brussels sprouts
- Always roast your sprouts, never boil. In fact, after their initial rinse, they should never touch another drop of water.
- Roast small sprouts whole, but cut larger ones in half so there is more surface area for quick cooking and caramelization.
- Toss in bacon grease and season. Make sure all the sprouts are lightly coated (the oil gives them flavor, a nice sheen, and helps them roast better.)
- Roast in a preheated 375F oven for about 30 minutes. Shake or rearrange them a couple of times during the cooking process so they cook evenly.
- Do a taste test, they should be firm ‘to the tooth’ but not crunchy, just like perfectly done pasta.
The magic is in the caramelization that happens in the oven. The sprouts take on a completely different personality ~ the outer leaves get crisp fried and the insides are buttery tender.
Don’t forget the bacon! I like to oven roast mine because it’s so much neater and easier. Lay out your bacon on an ungreased baking sheet and cook for about 15-20 minutes at 350F or until nice and crisp.
Brussels sprouts are the bomb, y/y?
- Creamed Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pomelo Salad
- Brussels Sprout Soup
- Brussels Sprout Carbonara
“I made this this morning and it was awesome. I could really eat this like candy!”
Linda
Maple Candied Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thick cut smoked bacon
- 1.5 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Lay out the bacon on an un-greased baking sheet and roast until crisp, approximately 20 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels and reserve the grease. When the bacon is cool, finely chop it and set aside.
- Raise the oven temperature to 375F
- Toss the sprouts with 2 Tbsp of the reserved bacon grease, the maple syrup, and a dash of salt, making sure all the sprouts get evenly coated. Spread them out on the same baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during the cooking time so that they cook evenly. (Taste test the sprouts for doneness ~ they should be firm but not crunchy.)
- Toss the hot sprouts with the bacon, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Perfectly delicious. I used applewood thick sliced bacon which I cooked in my air fryer. I measured out the bacon fat needed for this recipe and tossed it with the maple syrup and sprouts. I then spread them on a half sheet pan and roasted them. When finished I tossed in the chopped bacon, a bit of salt and pepper. We all loved them!!
Thanks Patricia!
Hi Sue
You mentioned that the roasted Brussels sprouts can be cooked the day before and reheated. How would I reheat them ?
Reheat them on a baking sheet in a low 325F oven until they are hot.
Hi there, if I make this a head of time how long should I bake them first and then re heat?
I’d roast them normally, and then reheat them for about 10 minutes, or until everything is hot and sizzling again.
The sprouts are delicious!! I maple syrup adds great flavor. And, of course, the bacon!! Thanks
…bacon… 🙂
I made this this morning and it was awesome. I could really eat this like candy!
BXL sprouts got upgraded! Great recipe and easy to do. Thank you Sue
Like candy I tell you! 🙂
I have been making something similar for years since I saw the recipe in a magazine. My family loves it!
There’s something magical about the combo of sprouts and bacon.
Bacon + anything
pretty much.
Gonna have to give these a try, I love brussel sprouts in any form, yum! I think my hubby will really like these, thank you!
This is definitely a guy kind of recipe 🙂
One of my favourite winter veggies! Yours looks fantastic!
one of mine too Angie 🙂 Thanks!
Oh yes!!!
A Brussels sprout lover, hooray!