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Home Recipe Index Sides & Salads Vegetables

Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Updated: 4/12/21
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Oven roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled in a balsamic honey reduction. It sounds gourmet but it’s easy to make at home! Use this Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts recipe anytime you need a delicious side dish.

Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts on a white dish

Original post and recipe by Jessica Ellingsworth. Retested and updated by the Thriving Home team in April 2021.

Mention the words ‘Brussels sprouts’ and the responses can be polarizing. I hear anything from, “ohmygoodness, LOVE them!” to “Um, I am not a fan of those baby-cabbage things.

Whether you are a fan or not, this slightly sweet-salty recipe will hopefully get into your regular fall rotation. You may even convert a loved one from being a brussels-avoider to an all out fan.

Hands holding a Brussels Sprout

These sprouts are roasted with bacon and a drizzling of olive oil so they come out of the oven crispy. Then, drops of a honey-balsamic reduction (tutorial included) are scattered around the pan making it full of flavor and completely foolproof.

What Ingredients Do You I Need?

  • Fresh Brussels sprouts
  • Bacon
  • Olive oil or avocado oil
  • Real salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Reduced honey balsamic vinegar (see method below)
Ingredients for Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

How to Make Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Step 1: Prepare the Brussels

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the root end off of the Brussels and then cut in half. (Remove any ugly leaves.)

Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Sprinkle uncooked chopped bacon over the sprouts and toss with your hands. Spread out in a single layer, making sure the flat side of the Brussels are face down on the sheet.

Sliced Brussels on a sheet pan

Step 2: Roast the Brussels in the Oven

Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 25 minutes, until they start to brown and the bacon is crispy. I like to cook mine on the bottom rack for the first half so they get a tad charred.

Roasted Brussels on a sheet pan

Step 3: Make the Honey Balsamic Drizzle

About Balsamic Reduction:

When vinegar is cooked, it reduces in volume and naturally gets sweeter and thicker, making it a luxurious addition to sweet or savory dishes. Balsamic reduction is also delicious, used sparingly, on hot sandwiches, grilled fruits, fish/meats, and even creamy desserts. Try to purchase the best quality vinegar you can afford; the better the vinegar, the tastier the reduction. Here is how to make it.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp honey

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, stir together the balsamic vinegar and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced by half and the liquid becomes syrupy. This took me about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn or overcook. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Reduced honey balsamic vinegar

Once the Brussels are cooked, remove them from the oven, toss them, and drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper to your preference. Enjoy while hot!

What to Serve with Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts?

The main thing to keep in mind with this recipe is you need to eat it ASAP. When planning your meal, make sure they come out of the oven last. Here a few main dish ideas to go along with them:

  • Oven Baked Pork Chops
  • Pan-Seared, Oven Finished Steak
  • Seasoned Pork Tenderloin
  • Balsamic Herb Chicken
Honey Balsamic Brussels

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Honey Balsamic Reduction

Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Sweet and salty roasted Brussels sprouts are a super tasty, healthy side dish. Try them with bacon and this balsamic vinaigrette reduction. The flavor combination is amazing!

Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 25 minutesTotal: 35 minutes
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Scale:

Ingredients

For the Brussels Sprouts:

  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (sub: avocado oil)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
  • 4–6 ounces uncured raw bacon, chopped into small pieces (about 5–7 pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons Honey Balsamic Drizzle (see method below)

For the Honey Balsamic Drizzle:

  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey 

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Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Cut the roots off of the Brussels and slice in half. Remove any ugly leaves.
  3. Place the Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle uncooked bacon pieces over the sprouts and toss with your hands. Spread out in a single layer, making sure the Brussels sprouts are cut side down.
  4. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 to 25 minutes, until they start to brown and the bacon is crispy.
  5. While Brussels are roasting, make your Honey Balsamic Drizzle: In a small pot, stir together honey and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half and liquid becomes syrupy. This takes roughly 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn or overcook. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
  6. Remove Brussels from the oven, toss them, and drizzle immediately with the balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper to your preference. Serve immediately.

Notes/Tips

Goat cheese crumbles would be a delicious addition to this recipe at the end!

© Author: Thriving Home
Cuisine: American Method: Roasted

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About the Author

Jessica Ellingsworth is a freelance writer, stylist, and recipe developer. She lives in Austin with her husband, two daughters, and son. She loves makeup artistry, interiors, travel, being in the kitchen with her kids, creative living, and exploring the streets of Austin for inspiration and the best food dives.

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarJessica says

    Posted on 9/19/13 at 11:39 am

    Yes, definitely cut them in half! I accidentally left that out of the method when writing the recipe.
    Cutting them also make them more bite sized for kids. You can also make extra reduction and store
    it in the fridge for several weeks. They sell reduction at the grocery store, but it is very pricey.

    Reply
  2. RachelRachel says

    Posted on 9/18/13 at 8:37 pm

    Hey Jess,

    I made your recipe tonight and it was really good. Jack (age 6) ate 3 of them! Next time, I think I might do two things differently: a) cut them in half so more surface area gets a nice crust and gets some of the yummy seasoning/sauce, and b) make more of that delicious reduction sauce. I’m so glad I learned how to make such a fancy but easy new sauce. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

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