Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts with cranberries is a simple side dish recipe that both kids and adults love! They’re crispy and delicious. I get asked to make this dish every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
PS – Craving more crispy brussel sprout recipes? Be sure to try these Smashed Brussel Sprouts with Lemon Tahini Sauce or these Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.
Brussels sprouts get a bit of a bad rap.
Let me preface this post by saying these balsamic roasted brussels sprouts are not your grandmother’s brussels sprouts. Those ones from back in the day that were boiled and slimy…
These beauties are roasted until nice a crunchy and then topped with tart cranberries and a sweet, balsamic reduction.
My favorite part is the little leaves that fall off and get super browned and crispy, they’re almost like little potato chips!
Plus, just look at how pretty this dish is. I promise it tastes as good as it looks. Give it a chance at your holiday table for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I have served it to kids and adults and everyone ends up loving this dish! If you can believe it or not, kids actually ask me to make this recipe over and over again.
Do you have to boil brussel sprouts before roasting?
- No! Just pop them into a hot oven and let them roast. They will become tender and delicious.
What’s the best way to cook brussels sprouts?
I like to roast them in a 400-degree oven. It takes about 25-30 minutes for them to get perfectly browned and crispy brussel sprouts. If you’re preparing other dishes in the oven at the same time, you can also roast them at different temperatures:
- 350-degree oven for 35 minutes.
- 375-degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
- 400-degree oven for 25-30 minutes.
- 425-degree oven for 25 minutes.
- 450-degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
How do you get crispy brussels sprouts?
Roasting them at a high temperature ensures that they are crispy. I prefer to roast them at 400-degrees or above based on the cooking chart above.
How do you make balsamic brussels sprouts?
To make the balsamic reduction that I use to coat these brussels sprouts, I reduce some balsamic vinegar with brown sugar. Bring 1 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar to a boil and then let it reduce until it becomes thick and syrupy. This will take about 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on it and don’t let it reduce too much, or it will become one solid mass, like hard candy.
Tips for making balsamic reduction brussel sprouts:
- DO NOT try to make the balsamic glaze ahead of time. Once reduced, it keeps getting thicker and thicker, eventually turning into a rock hard mass! (Don’t ask how I know this…)
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil for easy clean up.
- Want to switch things up? Try swapping out the cranberries for some crispy bacon.
Wine pairings for roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic reduction:
- A light Pinot Noir with bright acidity, cherry notes and earthy notes will compliment the flavors in these Brussels sprouts nicely.
What goes well with brussel sprouts?
These roasted brussels sprouts make a great side dish for holiday dinners like roasted turkey or Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Ham. Or, try serving them with these Pork Chops with Cherry Sauce, Easy Roasted Chicken, One Skillet Chicken with White Wine & Mustard Cream Sauce, or Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs.
More brussels sprouts recipes:
If you loved these crispy balsamic brussel sprouts I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil. Pour them on two baking sheets and roast for 25-30 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.
- Meanwhile, combine the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until glaze is thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes.
- Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted sprouts. Sprinkle with dried cranberries and serve immediately.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2020 to add new information and photographs. The original recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
Watch me make these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic on the news!
Beautiful presentation! Live from Pacific city, Oregon.
The flavor is delicious; however, I do not recommend cooking until very thick. I recommend cooking until it starts to thicken. I cooked until very thick as the recipe stated, and 5 minutes after drizzling over the vegetables, it hardened and we were unable to eat it.
I agree Stephanie. As I mentioned in my tips, the sauce can harden quickly. I’ve revised the recipe slightly. Thank you for the feedback!
It hardens because the sugar in it cooks into hard candy. (its the ratio of sugar & liquid. ) If you want to insure you wont have hard candy, use a thermometer, and cook it to slightly under soft-ball stage.. dropping some as it ribbons off a spoon, into some ice water, will show you immediately how hard/soft it will be.
Rebecca – It’s definitely a good idea to drizzle the balsamic sauce immediately after heating it – Otherwise it definitely hardens up. Thanks for this helpful tip!
Love this and have converted brussels sprouts haters into lovers with a dish very similar to this. Here’s another thing to try – sub in pomegranate molasses (a reduction of pomegranate juice) for the balsamic glaze. You’ll love it!
Sounds great Beth! I think I have some pomegranate molasses leftover in my cupboard from this recipe.
My kids love brussels sprouts! I hated them growing up, but my mom always boiled them. My father in law cooked them all the time and he roasted them…what a difference! Now I make them all the time too. But I usually stick with a plain jane version. I need to try yours!
I grew up eating them boiled too… SO yucky 🙁 But kids LOVE this version – Promise!
To make a reduction that doesn’t harden to candy, simply add a fat! Add butter and the fat will stop the sugar from hardening.
Can you use fresh cranberries?
Hi Bridget – You can definitely use fresh cranberries. I would toss them together with the brussels sprouts and roast them together to soften them up and sweeten their flavor. Hope this helps. Happy Thanksgiving!
So glad I read this thread. Mine are cooking now. I added orange zest to mine.
Along with the fresh cranberries this is going to be awesome. I used honey instead of sugar
I made these for Thanksgiving and everyone love them. I read the comments about the sauce solidifying, so what I did was add a little dash of Cream of Tartar to prevent hardening of the sauce. It worked as I had some leftover sauce sitting in my pan and it was still liquid. Thanks for the recipe. I will be making these for Christmas Eve for my husband’s family.
Any thoughts on a sugar substitute?
Hi Maggie – I have not tried it yet, but you should be able to swap out the sugar for honey or maple syrup in this recipe. Both would be delicious!
Hey! My boyfriend and I are making this this weekend, and he doesn’t like things with a lot of sugar. I saw the suggestion to substitute honey or syrup; would the instructions for making the glaze be different then? Sorry if it’s a dumb question; I’m still a bit of a cooking novice. 😀 Anyway, this looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Laura – I would maybe make the glaze as is, but just add less of it to his portion. You can just drizzle it over the sprouts once they’re served up. Hope this helps!
Wow brussel sprouts have never looked so appetizing! I might have to try this recipe. My husband isn’t a big fan of many vegetables but I’m sure that he would be hard pressed to turn down a dish this delicious.
I swear that even kids love this recipe Kelsey!
I never was a fan of brussel sprouts until I had them roasted and now I’m hooked! We are hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, so a dish like this will definitely be on our table 🙂
Roasting is definitely the way to go I think!
Yes, roasting brussels sprouts is the best preparation for them!!!
Totally agree Pech!
Roasting brings out all the goodness of Brussels sprouts! I love the addition of cranberries here – both for the flavor pop and the color. Beautifully presented, as always, Erin.
This is my kinda side dish!! Looks amazing!
It’s definitely a hit in our house Karly!
[…] HERE for the balsamic glaze […]
Hi Erin! Big fan of yours 🙂 I’d like to make this recipe for my Thanksgiving next week–should I double this recipe for 12 people?
Hi McKenna – Thanks for stopping by! Yes, I would double the recipe to be safe… Maybe. Depends on how much food you’ll be serving. It does make a really bit batch, so you may be OK with just the original recipe as written.
Thank you!! Doubling it worked perfectly 🙂 And it was a HUGE hit!!
I’m so glad you liked it McKenna!
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Any suggestions on preparing this recipe ahead of time? I would like to make it the day before I serve it… does is save well in the refrigerator and reheat best in the oven?
Thank you!
Hi Maddie – I definitely prefer them made fresh the day of. But you can reheat in the oven or microwave. It’s best to make the glaze the day of if possible.
I have a version of these Brussels sprouts at the fine dining restaurant I serve at and I’ve been dying to recreate them and these are so perfect I’m obsessed!! I made it for just myself so I will have to eyeball the sugar to balsamic ratio going forward as the reduction was slightly too sweet for my taste. Love it thank you so much!