5 Sweet Ways To Make Your Brussels Sprouts Almost As Addicting As Candy

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Bitter green vegetables can have an entirely new meaning when they’re roasted with something sweet. Brussels sprouts are a solid example and should be a part of your life for a bunch of reasons. They’re cheap, easy to freeze or defrost, easy to roast and rich in nutrients. To offset the strong bitter taste, you can toss your Brussels sprouts with sweet caramelizing ingredients that’ll make you want to pop them like candy. Here’s the best ingredients to pair with those Brussels.

1. Honey

Your tea isn’t the only thing that should benefit from that jar of honey in your cabinet. To cut the bitter taste in half, roast your Brussels sprouts with a little salt, pepper and olive oil until browning begins and then drizzle with honey and roast for another five minutes or until they become golden brown. Try whipping up a batch of honey roasted garlic Brussels sprouts or honey Sriracha Brussels sprouts.

2. Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is just as good as honey when it comes to roasting Brussels sprouts. You don’t want to add the syrup too early in the roasting process, or else they’ll burn. Maple roasted Brussels sprouts (bits of pancetta or bacon encouraged) are always a good choice. For a sweet and spicy kick, try sprinkling some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes or paprika on your sprouts along with maple syrup.

3. Sweet Balsamic

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Sweet balsamic is the perfect sweet and tangy topping to help cover up the bitterness of Brussels sprouts. Here’s a recipe that combines a little balsamic vinegar with honey, sea salt, black pepper and olive oil. For something a little more indulgent, you can upgrade these sweet balsamic sprouts by adding pine nuts, parmesan and turkey bacon.

4. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the most versatile ingredients out there. For a healthy and sweet snack, roast your Brussels sprouts with organic coconut oil, garlic and sea salt. Here’s a recipe that’ll make the most out of your jar of coconut oil. For something a little tangy, try this recipe for coconut oil fried Brussels sprouts with garlic, chilies and lime.

5. Red Wine

If you have some red wine that you want to finish up, buy a bag of sprouts. Here’s a recipe that combines Brussels sprouts with brown butter, red wine, sage, salt and black pepper. Don’t worry if red wine isn’t your thing — you could also go with sherry or marsala wine, depending on what’s available to you. Port wine is great for a red wine reduction to coat the Brussels sprouts.