Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
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Brussels sprouts roasted with maple syrup and crispy bacon. The kind where the outer leaves get caramelized and sweet, the bacon adds crunch, and nobody’s trying to hide them under their mashed potatoes.
Oven roasting makes all the difference. Those leaves brown up, the bitterness mellows out, and you end up with a side dish that people actually ask for seconds of. Skip the boiling or steaming, that’s how you get the lifeless, stinky sprouts everyone complains about.
Real maple syrup and bacon fat do most of the work here. Simple enough for a weeknight, good enough for the holiday table.
Don’t miss the good stuff! Scroll down past the recipe card for helpful Pro Tips and additional information.
Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
- Parchment paper or non-stick foil
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon thinly sliced
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts fresh
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or non-stick foil.
- Cut bacon into small pieces and fry in a skillet over medium-high until bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve the fat from the pan.
- Prepare the Brussels sprouts by trimming the hard stem end and removing any loose or yellowing leaves. Slice any large Brussels sprouts in half.
- Add Brussels sprouts to a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat, maple syrup, salt, and pepper and mix until all the sprouts are covered.
- Pour Brussels sprouts mixture onto the baking sheet and place into the preheated oven.
- Roast for 25 to 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Brussels sprouts are done when the outer leaves begin to turn medium to dark brown.
- Remove from the oven and add the cooked bacon. Stir to combine.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Brussels sprouts don’t hold as long as baked goods.
Refrigeration: Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The bacon stays crispy longer if stored this way.
Reheating: Microwave in 45-second intervals until heated through, or spread on a lined baking sheet and reheat at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes. The oven method crisps them back up better than the microwave.
Pro Tips
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Maple syrup gets sticky when baked, and you don’t want to scrub that mess.
- Cut larger sprouts in half so they cook at the same rate as the smaller ones.
- Trim the stem ends and pull off any loose or yellowed leaves before you start.
- Save 2 tablespoons of bacon fat for roasting. It builds bacon flavor right into the sprouts without needing extra oil.
- Cook the bacon separately. Raw bacon won’t crisp up in the time it takes to roast the sprouts, and you’ll end up with flabby bacon or burnt maple syrup.
- Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Pancake syrup has too much corn syrup and makes these overly sweet instead of balancing the bitterness.
- Stir every 10 minutes so the sprouts roast evenly. They’re done when the outer leaves turn medium to dark brown, not black.
- Brussels sprouts smell when they cook. They release hydrogen sulfide gas. There’s not much you can do about it unless you undercook them. The taste is worth it.
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This recipe was written and tested by a human.
Editor: Oliver Baysinger
Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller
Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller is a food journalist, CEO of Pear Tree Kitchen, and co-creator of Food Blogger Help. She also has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a registered nurse licensed in the State of Oklahoma. When she has free time between writing, blogging, and cooking, she can be found volunteering as an RN with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps.
