Make these Maple Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Pomegranate for an easy no-fuss yet delicious and healthy side dish to accompany holiday meals or simply add some fanciness to a weeknight dinner.
When I was a kid I wasn’t much of a fan of Brussels sprouts. My mom loved them, but thankfully she accepted that its bitter taste isn’t something kids like, so she never pushed us to eat them, she gladly took them off our hands (or rather plates) and ate the Brussels sprouts herself.
Now that I’ve grown up I have a new-found appreciation for Brussels sprouts. And though I don’t eat them weekly, when the colder months roll around I’m always happy when I spot the cute little mini green cabbage looking sprouts at the market. But the only way I made them until recently was the boring “steamed” way. Nothing extra, nothing fancy, just steamed them until soft and ate them as a side-dish to “veggie up” the main attraction.
But a few days ago I read an inspiring recipe on one of my favourite food blogger’s site (Lee from Fit Foodie Finds is a Brussels sprouts afficionado – she has quite a selection of recipes featuring them) and since so far everything I have made from Lee’s recipes turned out great, when she said that grilling/baking/roasting the Brussels sprouts is the only (or best) way to eat them, I was up for the challenge to try them.
Then while my Brussels sprouts were roasting in the oven I stumbled upon this recipe of pan roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries and pecans by Joy Love Food, and though I had neither cranberries nor pecans at home it got me thinking how I could fancy up the “plain” roasted Brussels sprouts and that’s when the idea for these Maple Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Pomegranate Seeds was born.
The maple syrup and balsamic vinegar give these roasted Brussels sprouts a delicious caramellized glaze, which is wonderfully complemented with the sourness of the pomegranate seeds, the slightly bitter Brussels sprouts tossed in salty olive oil, and let’s not forget the toasted fragrant walnut bits!
This is one side-dish that is so fancy it could upstage your main dish if you aren’t careful. 😉
- 1 pound (or 500 gr) Brussels sprouts, washed, trimmed and halved
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or pomegranate or other fruit vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2-3 pinch of sea salt or my Homemade Fragrant Herb Salt (the recipe is included in the Ecookbook you'll receive as a frree gift when signing up for my newsletter)
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1 pomegranate
- Pre-heat your oven to 375 F (or 190 C) degrees.
- Wash, trim and half the Brussels sprouts, then place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Generously spritz with olive oil, add the vinegar and maple syrup, then sprinkle with salt. Mix the Brussels sprouts by hand so they are well covered in the mixture.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden.
- Meanwhile roughly chop the walnuts and when the Brussels sprouts are almost ready sprinkle them with the walnut pieces, and bake for a few additional minutes until the walnuts are toasted and fragrant (be careful as not to burn the walnuts, a couple of minutes should be enough).
- Take out the baking sheet from the oven, and while the Brussels sprouts chill, deseed the pomegranate (here is a handy tutorial on how to do that fuss-free).
- In a bowl mix together the Brussels sprouts, roasted walnuts and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy while warm!
I can’t get enough Brussels Sprouts this time of year, thanks for the fun little spin on roasted sprouts — this would make a great Thanksgiving side and the pomegranate seeds add that perfect holiday touch!
Thank you Lindsey for stopping by! Yes, adding the pomegranate seeds was a burst of genius, I still can’t get over how great those little sour bursts of flavour are, and they remind me of Christmas balls! 😀 Perfect holiday side-dish!
lately, im obsessed with pomegranate so this is making me droool.
Isn’t it such a delicious, unique and beautiful fruit? I love it! And also the fact that the seeds dress up any dish or dessert you add them to 😉
Mmmmm these sound so delicious! Like you, I didn’t really like Brussels sprouts as a kid, but now that I know what roasting is all about, I’ve been a big fan for all my adult years so far! Love the beautiful pops of pink pomegranate you’ve got going on here too. Great recipe!
Thank you Angela 🙂 Seems Brussels sprouts are such a vegetable, it grows on us (or simply require the more refined palate of adulthood? 😉 )
I absolutely love brussels sprouts and these sound fantastic! I refused to try them for the longest time and now I eat them constantly!
I know Ashley! During my childhood whenever my mom made Brussels sprouts I gave them to her as I hated their bitter taste, but nowadays I can’t get enough of them! And paired with pomegranate seeds, yum! 😀
These look delicious! Just shared them on the Simply Nourished Facebook page! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing it Stacie, Happy New Year! 🙂