Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

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Brussels Sprouts roasted until caramelized, with crispy bacon and a sweet, tangy maple glaze. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or roast dinners.

When I was testing this recipe, I found the biggest difference came from cooking the bacon first, then roasting the sprouts in the leftover bacon fat. Doing this cut-side-down also helps them get properly caramelized. I also found that adding the maple glaze right near the end of cooking is crucial to prevent it from drying up and burning.

close up shot of maple bacon brussels sprouts in large pan

Ingredient Notes

The awesome thing about this recipe is that you only need a handful of simple ingredients. The full quantities are down in the recipe card, but I just wanted to touch on each one quickly:

Bacon – You’ll want to use streaky bacon (just regular sliced bacon in the US). This is because it’s fattier than back/Canadian bacon, so you can use the excess fat to roast the sprouts. I prefer smoked, but unsmoked works great.
Brussels Sprouts – Try to use sprouts that are roughly all similar in size, just so they cook at an even rate.
Maple Syrup – Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup, rather than maple-flavoured syrups.
Dijon Mustard – I love adding a touch of Dijon to the glaze. It adds a subtle warmth and sharpness that stops the maple glaze from being too one-note.
Balsamic Vinegar – This also helps balance things out to make a more rounded glaze that isn’t one-dimensionally sweet.

overhead shot of maple bacon brussels sprouts ingredients

How to Roast Maple Bacon Sprouts

A neat little trick is starting the bacon off in a cold oven, then bringing it to temperature from there. This will render out the bacon fat more efficiently as it heats up with the tray, leaving you with perfectly crisp bacon and a good amount of excess fat to roast the sprouts.

You’ll also want to slice the sprouts in half, to expose as much surface area as possible and roast them cut-side-down. Just make sure they’ve got enough room on the tray so they don’t steam.

Finally, it’s important you add the maple glaze at the end; otherwise you risk it drying up and burning. A couple of minutes is all it needs to thicken slightly and coat the sprouts.

Process shots: add bacon to tray (photo 1), bake until crisp (photo 2), toss sprouts in bacon fat, oil, salt and pepper (photo 3), place cut-side-down then roast (photo 4), add diced bacon and glaze (photo 5), toss then bake again (photo 6).

6 step by step photos showing how to make maple bacon brussels sprouts

Can I prep these ahead of time?

You can trim and halve the sprouts a day or two ahead of time (tightly store in the fridge). You can also make the glaze ahead of time. I recommend making the rest fresh; otherwise the sprouts will soften as they sit and the bacon loses its crisp.

Serving Suggestions

These make the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but they’re equally at home alongside a classic Sunday roast. Serve them with turkey, chicken, beef or pork and all your favourite sides.

For another delicious twist on the Brussels sprout, check out my Parmesan Smashed Brussels Sprouts!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these maple bacon brussels sprouts shall we?!

close up shot of maple bacon brussels sprouts on spatula on baking tray

Full Recipe and Video

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

By: Chris Collins

Brussels Sprouts roasted until caramelized, with crispy bacon and a sweet, tangy maple glaze. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or roast dinners.

Prep: 15

Cook: 45

Total: 1

Servings: – 6

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Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Baking Tray (mine was 12″x15″ and worked perfectly)
Small Bowl (for glaze)

Ingredients

▢ 5oz / 140g Bacon (see notes)
▢ 1 1/2lbs / 700g Brussels Sprouts
▢ Olive Oil, as needed (up to 2 tbsp)
▢ 1/4 tsp EACH: Salt, Black Pepper
▢ 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
▢ 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
▢ 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

Instructions

Add the bacon to a large baking tray and place in the oven. Turn the heat to 400F/200C and cook until the bacon is crisp with the fat rendered out (approx 20-25 minutes, but just be vigilant).
During this, you can prep the sprouts. Just slice off the firm end (stem), then slice in half. Remove and discard any loose or discoloured leaves.
In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, mustard and balsamic vinegar.
Once the bacon is crisp, remove it and set aside, letting any excess fat drip back into the tray. Add enough olive oil to the bacon fat to make roughly 2 tbsp total fat (for example, if you have ½ tbsp bacon fat, add 1½ tbsp oil). Add the sprouts, salt and pepper, then toss to coat.
Flip them all so they're cut-side-down, then roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until very lightly charred and fork-tender. Timings will depend on the size of the sprouts, so just be vigilant.
Dice the bacon and add it to the tray alongside the maple glaze. Give everything a good toss, then pop back in the oven for 2-3 minutes, just until the bacon warms through and the glaze thickens a little.
Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Bacon – Use streaky bacon (UK) or just regular bacon in the US. I don’t recommend using back bacon/Canadian bacon – you want a fattier cut so the fat renders out into the pan and can be used to coat the sprouts. I also use smoked bacon, but you could use unsmoked if you’d prefer.

b) Brussels sprouts – Try to use sprouts of a similar size, just so they cook evenly.

c) Oil – The exact amount will depend on how much fat your bacon releases. You’re aiming for around 2 tbsp total fat (bacon fat + olive oil). This is enough to lightly coat the sprouts without making them greasy. You can just eyeball it, or pour the bacon grease out and measure it accurately if you’d prefer.

d) Maple syrup – I recommend using pure maple syrup, not maple-flavoured pancake syrup. The latter is usually much sweeter/thicker and won’t give you quite the same glaze.

e) Roasting – Make sure you space out the sprouts as best you can so they don’t steam. Don’t panic if the sprouts look a little charred. You want them deeply caramelised/lightly charred, rather than pale and steamed.

f) Calories – Whole recipe divided by 6.