Name: Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Cranberries
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 1.1 pounds brussels sprouts; 6 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries; 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce; 3 teaspoons honey; 3 tablespoons olive oil; ¼ teaspoon onion and garlic granules (each); ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt and pepper (each)

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Brussels sprouts with cranberries are a delicious, easy to make dish perfect for the festive season. It consists of roasted sprouts and balsamic infused cranberries in syrup. Ready in just over 20 minutes!

Top down view of roasted brussels sprouts with cranberries in white bowl with spoon.

Why you will love brussels sprouts with cranberries

Roasting the brussels sprouts with a little seasoning brings out their natural sweetness and nutty flavour.
Dressing them with sweet and savoury, syrupy cranberries turns them into a delicious holiday dish.

Ingredients

Brussels sprouts: ensure they are firm and bright green, without any dark or yellowish spots.
Dried cranberries: briefly soaking them in the balsamic mixture and then cooking to make the glaze not only infuses the cranberries with flavour but also rehydrates and makes them juicy.
Balsamic vinegar.
Honey: adds sweetness and helps to thicken the glaze. Use maple or agave syrup.
Soy sauce: intensifies the flavour.
Olive oil: it's important to coat the sprouts in the oil mixture thoroughly so they don't become dry in the oven.
Onion and garlic granules: add flavour.
Salt and pepper.

How to prepare the brussels sprouts

Trim the brussels sprouts by cutting off the woody ends and removing any loose leaves. Cut the sprouts in half through the base. It's best to use medium or large brussels sprouts, but if some of your sprouts are very small you can use them whole.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220 C/ fan 200 C/ gas mark 7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the cranberries with the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and honey and stir thoroughly. Set aside.

Cranberries in balsamic mixture in white bowl with spoon.

2. Combine the oil with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic granules.

Halved brussels sprouts and oil mixture in bowl.

3. Place the trimmed and halved sprouts in a large bowl and pour over the oil mixture. Stir gently but thoroughly ensuring the sprouts are evenly coated (I like to use a pastry brush to do this).

Halved brussels sprouts coated in oil in white bowl.

4. Spread the sprouts on top of your baking sheet in a single layer cut side down.

Halved sprouts cut side down on parchment.

5. Roast in the centre of the oven for 15-18 minutes until fork tender and nicely browned on the cut side. Be careful not to overcook the sprouts or they might come out a little dry.

Roasted brussels sprouts on top of parchment.

6. Approximately 10 minutes into roasting prepare the cranberry glaze. Pour the entire mixture into a pan, bring to boil and cook over a fairly high heat stirring all the time for a few minutes until thickened and reduced in volume. It should still be pourable.

Making balsamic cranberry mixture in pan with orange spoon.

7. Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven and add the cranberry mixture. Give a gentle stir and serve immediately.

Side view of brussels sprouts and cranberries in white bowl.

Serving suggestions

These festive brussels sprouts and cranberries make an ideal side dish to serve with any holiday centrepiece whether meat or vegetarian. They are delicious as they are, but you can also serve them with:

crispy bacon
dry toasted pecans
roasted chestnuts
a knob of butter/plant based spread
freshly chopped parsley or chives

Can I boil the sprouts instead of roasting

Boiled brussels sprouts can also be used in this recipe, but they contain more water so you need to tweak this recipe a little. If you decide to use this method here are some tips you might find useful:

1) boil the sprouts whole in salted water for 5-8 minutes (according to their size) until tender, but still a little al dente and bright green. Remove from the heat and place in a colander to drain thoroughly.

2) Cook the cranberries mixture (with a knob of butter, salt, pepper and onion and garlic granules) a little longer until quite thick.

3) Add the brussels sprouts to the syrupy cranberries mixture and cook over a high heat for a minute to remove any extra moisture (if necessary) before serving.

Top tips

Use medium or large brussels sprouts and halve them before roasting. If some of your sprouts are very small you can roast them whole.
Do NOT overcrowd the baking sheet so the brussels sprouts roast evenly.
Soak the cranberries in the balsamic mixture while the sprouts are in the oven so they rehydrate and become infused with flavour.
Try not to overcook the cranberry mixture as the syrup might simply disappear. However, if that happens you can still rectify it by adding a splash of balsamic. Add to to the sprouts while hot (it will set as it cools).
The balsamic cranberry mixture can be used with ANY roasted vegetables.
Best served immediately.
Leftover brussel sprouts with cranberries can be reheated in a little butter. They won't have the texture of freshly roasted sprouts, but they'll still taste nice.
Not suitable for freezing.

Can I make this dish in advance

This is not a good idea. Roasted brussels sprouts should be served immediately, otherwise they lose their firmness and can become soggy (especially if they've been halved). I recommend making this recipe as the final dish of your dinner preparations.

Check out also these other easy side dish recipe ideas!

Keep in touch!

If you make this roasted brussels sprouts recipe with cranberries I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Cranberries