I returned from our camping trip on Monday craving water and vegetables.
I certainly don’t mean to whine and boast that “I survived off nothing but peanut butter and hot dogs”, when in reality it was exactly the opposite. I survived our camping trip off of red wine and rich food. Naturally, it was all delicious but as I finished the last buttery crumb of my ginger scone from a Big Sur Bakery run early Monday morning (worth every bite by the way!), I vowed my next meal would be a little…greener.
And as I flopped my backpack down on the floor of my house upon finally getting home later that day, I knew I needed brussels sprouts.
But not just any brussels sprouts! Whispery little brussels sprout ribbons seared in olive oil and garlic, caramelized with brown sugar, and tossed with toasted pecans.
A version of this was the first recipe I ever made from a blog, back in 2007. I was in culinary school and just beginning to discover the realm of food blogs, 101 Cookbooks being my first and absolute favorite. Heidi makes a version of these sweet shredded brussels and tosses them with crispy pan-fried tofu, a meal that me fall in love with food blogs forever.
Since then, I’ve experimented a little with the recipe and created a go-to dish that I make whenever I want to feel “healthy” (usually made after a wine and food-filled weekend or vacation) without sacrificing any flavor . These brussels sprouts are quick, easy and taste great on their own or paired with a protein or grain. The other night I ate them with some whole wheat cous-cous on the side and it was the perfect “green” meal I was craving.
I’m telling you—even if you “think” you hate brussels sprouts, try this. It will make a believer out you!
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
serves 2-4 as a side-dish
adapted from 101 cookbooks
Ingredients:
12-14 large brussels sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
Directions:
Slice each brussels sprout very thin until you have a mound of feathery brussels sprout ribbons. Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large skillet and saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the brussels sprouts and continue sauteing for another 4-5 minutes, until bright green and tender. Add the sea salt and brown sugar and toss together. Finish by adding the toasted nuts.
Time:
20 minutes
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{ 106 comments… read them below or add one }
Ohmygoodness. I love brussel sprouts! I never thought of using brown sugar with them though, as I usually just toss them with olive oil and throw them in the oven to roast.
Are they very sweet with the sugar? Roo hates anything sweet, that in his mind, should be savory. Or do these just add an extra crunch to the dish?
The pecans are a total win though. Seriously, who hates pecans?
Brussel sprouts and I have an interesting past.
When I was younger I used to “hate” them, mainly because my favorite TV characters did too. But then, when I became a foodie, I decided to try them again and I fell in LOVE! I probably eat brussel sprouts every other day. Is that weird?
What a fantastic dish! I love the colour! Perfect side dish
Oh my goodness, this looks heavenly! Brussels sprouts get the rough end of the stick sometimes…I think they’re a gem, no?
Brussels sprouts…be still thy heart. I usually roasted them at home or always order them at a downtown restaurant where they shred, pan fry, and add capers, parm, and lemon juice.
I’m usually not into brussels sprouts – I can only think of one time I’ve actually enjoyed them (in a gnocchi with lemon butter) but this looks so different from the usual “roast with salt and pepper” method that I’ll have to give them another shot.
I have to admit, the only reason I eat brussel sprouts is because they are healthy. I am definitely going to try this recipe though and I think it may possibly change my mind and the next time I can say, I eat them because I LIKE them!
I was never a big fan of brussels sprouts until one year, my mom simply roasted them with some olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Suddenly I was hooked — so much so that I ate a plate of brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes and a biscuit for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving last year! yum…
LOVE bs! Looks like a great way to enjoy them. Last THanksgiving I cooked them in bacon fat… yum!
I’ve never tried Brussels Sprouts shredded but I am intrigued. These look delicious! My husband refuses to eat them when I roast them, but I may be able to fool him into eating them if I shred them. . . .
i have a big bowl of leftover brussels that i’m going to be eating all day today. they’re heavenly!
mmm brussels are my favorite veggie, but I always buy them frozen I wonder if I could get that shredded technique down with frozen veggies or not.
yes, shredding them works great with frozen ones…just microwave them a few seconds to thaw them a bit for slicing. ive been preparing them that way for years now. love it! ^^
MMMM!! If it wasn’t for the pound of asparagus in my fridge about to go bad, I would be making this tonight!
i’ve actually been craving brussels sprouts the last few days (weird craving, i know). like you, it probably means that i’ve had a little too much sugar/simple carbs recently. this recipe looks delicious and is going on my must-make list!
Brussels Sprouts are by far one of my favorite vegetables and I normally roast them but this looks just as delicious!
Love Brussels sprouts and love all things caramelized. I’ll have to try this!
This looks amazing! I was actually going to make brussels sprouts tonight for dinner and I am definitely going to use this recipe!
They look great and I love that you added brown sugar to the recipe.
In many raw foodie circles, raw brussels are common and the way people do it is by chiffonad’ing or making ribbons out of them. I mean, chomping into a brussel otherwise is pretty hardcore.
Love these pics, Jenna!
You have no idea how this appeals to my senses. I am borderline obsessed with Brussels sprouts! They’d have a restraining order on me if they could, I’m sure. Lol
Yum!
i have never tried shredding my brussels sprouts, but can’t wait to give this recipe a shot!
glad you enjoyed your trip… every buttery bite!
I love/hate how you tease us with all the delicious food you eat on your adventures!
they always look and sound amazing!
brussel sprouts are seriously beautiful, aren’t they? what a gorgeous dish! love the red cast iron as well..
This one looks like a winner. Nice combo, Jenna!
Can’t wait to try these!
Even my husband liked them!!
wow! these sound fantastic.
I love this idea! I definitely never would have thought to do this on my own. Things like this are exactly why I love your blog!!!
I am going to have to try this recipe! I was just talking about how I was craving brussel sprouts! Which is odd because as a kid brussel sprouts were the one veggie I hated! Now I just love them! Thanks for sharing!
That looks delicious, even at 5:45AM!
Just recently I have fallen in love with brussel sprouts. I never knew the right way to make them so they were always bitter. I have a bag in the fridge and know what’s for dinner!
This seems like a perfect way to cook these things – I try, but still haven’t found a good way so that I will actually enjoy them at home!
This is my faaaavorite way to eat the sprouts of the brussels variety.
DE-LISH.
This looks fantastic. I make a really similar recipe that I’m posting a little bit later this week – mine neeeed bacon and balsamic though
I am so happy it is time for Brussels sprouts, I have been eating them like crazy. This recipe looks great, look forward to trying it.
Thats a wonderful idea….
Loved the photos as well they are very bright and beautiful
I adore brussel sprouts. Usually just panfry them with olive oil and a little lemon–but this sounds even better!
That’s exactly how I feel after spending 6 days in San Fran eating a TON of rich food + desserts. I can’t wait for the green stuff when I get home today
Jenna, this looks amazing! I am a HUGE fan of brussels sprouts and usually roast or steam mine. This recipe will definitely change things up for me in a good way! Can’t wait to try this out!
Oh man.. your post comes 2 hours too late! just had brussel sprouts for dinner!!!
I have always been a little “scared” of brussel sprouts. I don’t know why, but I’ve just never tried them with the fear that they’d be really gross. However, this post has inspired me to try them – they look SO good in your photos, and this recipe sounds great. Hopefully my feelings will change after I prepare them like this! Thanks!
These look really good. I haven’t had brussels sprouts in a while, in part because I only know of two methods to make them. I may have to give this one a try.
Ummm I was so going to post on here – OMG someone I am following on Pinterest so posted your pic of this……then I noticed – it’s YOU!! LOL DUH
This looks so delish!
Those look awesome! I know I would love this! I love brussels sprouts.
Um…Yeah! I’ll be making these as soon as I get to the store to buy Brussels sprouts. Love!
Brussels are from the cabbage family so I could do this with cabbage instead?
Do you have a simple, healthy but warming soup recipe to recommend? Or perhaps something for a blog post soon? Please
This looks divine! I’ll definitely be making it one night this week!
Oh Jenna – I am so making these tonight. This may be exactly what I need to convince my 10 year old (the 4 year old already loves brussel sprouts) that she, in fact, does like brussel sprouts.
I’ve yet to try shredding brussels sprouts, but oh, I want to.
I could eat this as a side dish most likely every single day! Great post Jenna.
That looks delicious! I just planted some brussels sprouts plants and I’m so excited to get some and make this!
I love all of these brussel sprout loving commenters! I too learned my love of brussel sprouts just about a year ago… But it bums me out because I’ll be at the store and go “oooo brussel sprouts!” and usually anybody I’m with will respond with an “eh, no thanks.” If only they knew!
As some people have said before, maybe this could be a good gateway brussel sprout dish haha
I’ve just started a detox this week, which I WISH included those brussel sprouts! I am totally obsessed with roasted brusells sporuts (can’t spell it, never will be able to). I love them ‘marinated’ in maple syurp, olive oil, balsamic and mustard – and then smothered in salt and pepper! Its definitely one of my most favourite recipes EVER, although my husband disagrees when I say they taste like candy. whatever!
I hear yah Jenna…I really have to remind myself to get those veggies in me. I somehow gravitate towards fruit and carbs! Ooh…and dessert.
Yesterday I made a quick and simple Quinoa salad loaded with veggies (and of course cheese)! It was delish and it looked so pretty, I just had to blog about it!
I usually make my brussel sprout with orange and walnuts, but brown sugar and pecans sound just as good.
Yum! I admit I’m one of those people quite skeptical about brussel sprouts, but not only does your recipe sound delicious but the pictures practically prove it!
I always eat brussel sprouts roasted but this looks fabulous- thanks for the recipe. Love how easy it is too!
I made something similar to this for last Thanksgiving-
So yummy but also good for you.:)
Mmm, my co-workers and I were just talking about a recipe similar to this. I’m going to have to give them another try :>
These look amazing! I usually just roast brussel sprouts until they’re nice and crispy, but I will definitely be trying this!
I made that same caramelised tofu and brussels sprouts dish from 101 Cookbooks earlier in the year! So. Good.
Caramelised veges are the best. I swear you can make anything taste good with sugar! Will be bookmarking this one…
This recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it. Maybe even tonight. Thanks for sharing it!
Um, yum. Must get me to the store and a bag of brussels. <3
I just love brussel sprouts. I can eat them everyday. Now I have a new recipe to add to my sprout collection. TY!!
I loooooooove roasted brussels sprouts, but always slice them in half, toss with olive oil, freshly-ground sea salt, and freshly-ground pepper, and SOMETIMES fresh garlic. I’m a purist… I often don’t even use the garlic, although I LOVE garlic. but I have never thought of cutting them into ribbons. I’m not sold on the brown sugar… it’s not that I don’t think it would be good, but I leave it out when caramelizing onions, too… I don’t want additional sweetness. But mmmmmmmmmmm…. the idea of brussels sprouts and pan-friend tofu… I AM MAKING THIS TOMORROW!!!
I have actually only tried brussels sprouts once, but like them a lot. So, I have definitely wanted to try cooking some for myself, but wasn’t sure how to go about doing this. This recipe will definitely come in handy!
you literally made me drool. over brussel sprouts. wtf Jenna. How do you do these things??
I love caramelised brussels sprouts! I usually do them in the the oven though. I will have to try this recipe – thanks for sharing
I LOVE brussels and these look AMAZING!!!
As I was reading this my boyfriend walked up behind me and said, “I’d eat that. You can make it tomorrow.” Thanks for the recipe. And for creating a vegetable dish that he actually asks for.
love.that.
I made these tongiht. The sugar does wonders – they were way better than I expected! I tried them first without the sugar but knew they were missing something – after adding it, they were to die for!
I made this the other day when I read your blog. LOVED IT!! With a side of quinoa, it was a filling and delicious dinner for me and the Hubby.
I just made these tonight and they were so delicious! I subbed out maple syrup for the brown sugar and left out the nuts. Even my super picky husband really liked these!
I just finished eating these and I had to come back here and tell you how amazing they are! They’re not too sweet, absolute perfection! I love the blog, keep these amazing recipes coming!
So happy,
Fellow Florida girl
I made these for dinner tonight! It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe, Jenna!
I made this recipe last night for dinner with my boyfriend. The recipe was so easy, we did all the prep/cooking for this dish while our turkey legs and sweet potatoes were roasting in the oven. The brussel sprouts were delicious, my bf and I both had some, then I couldn’t help myself I finished the rest before having some turkey. I will definitely be making this again, maybe for Thanksgiving with the family.
This was the best! Served it along some grilled pork loin and mashed sweet potatoes. Perfect Sunday night dinner:)
I made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely wonderful!! The kids still wouldn’t eat it but my husband who said he didn’t like brussel sprouts loved it. He was eating it off of everyone else’s plate and asked me to make it again. Next time I’ll cook it a little longer than the directions since I thought it was a little too crunchy. I’ll also make more since it shrinks down a lot.
We just had for dinner this last night….so good! I almost doubled the amount of Brussels sprouts and just couldn’t stop eating it!
I made these tonight for dinner, and it’s safe to say I’ll never cook Brussels sprouts in any other way ever again.
This is incredible! I’ve been reading your blog for about a month now and I’ve wanted to make this since you posted this recipe. I’ve never ever tried brussel sprouts and I’ve never had any interest. But I made this tonight and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
I finally made this tonight and wow! Delish. My husband and I loved it! I’m adding it to my Thanksgiving menu.
i am so making this on thursday. thank you!
Made these for Thanksgiving yesterday and they were such a hit! Added a bit of bacon to up the savory factor…my non-brussels-believers are now converts. Thank you!!
I made these this week and they were a big hit. Even did a quick blog post about them with a link back to your blog. Great recipe – Thanks!
http://butteryum.blogspot.com/2011/11/caramelized-brussels-sprouts.html
These are delicious and seriously get better with every bite! I made them to share with my boyfriend, but he’s still not home from work and I’m really tempted to finish them off and hide the evidence!
I remembered I wanted to make this or another recipe I saw and sorta combined and altered it by adding some chopped red pepper, onion diced, and bacon chopped. We have nut allergies so I used sunflower seeds and it was great! My fussy husband who doesn’t like b. sprouts liked it and said, ” This is the way to eat brussel sprouts!” SCORE! Thank you.
This is AMAZING. Everyone who tries it loves it. Make it REALLY amazing by cooking bacon, removing bacon, cooking the shredded brussels sprouts in bacon fat, then adding the rest of the ingredients (plus the chopped up bacon!). It’s so good, the best way to eat brussels sprouts by far.
I am such a brussel fan fanatic lately! I usually enjoy them in a savory preparation but I recently tried them braised with pears and apple cider and they were amazing! This recipe is definitely something I will try- thanks!
Search for ‘carmelized brussels sprouts’ brought me to your recipe. My family does not like brussels sprouts and gave me one last chance to redeem this veggie. I made your recipe last night and it was a hit. They have requested that I make it again for Christmas. Thank you
I love brussels sprouts, so I tried this at Thanksgiving & it was such a hit, I’m making it again for Christmas. Even the non-brussels sprout eaters loved it!!!
I was looking around tonight for brussels sprouts recipes and decided to give yours a try. SO GREAT! Thank you so much! I had no idea that the brown sugar would caramelize everything so beautifully and so quickly. I may or may not have eaten the entire pan myself. Just sayin’.
Whoever created this recipe is an ABSOLUTE GENIUS!
Husband hates Brussel Sprouts. College daughter hates Brussel Sprouts.
This was easy, tasty and pretty. Now we have a healthy go-to side dish besides green salad. : ) Thank you!
I had recently decided I needed to try brussels sprouts as an adult, and when I found this on pinterest, I decided this definitely seemed the way to go. I tried them tonight and they were a hit! My husband and I devoured the entire bowl. And he hardly eats any vegetables!
This was a very delicious and easy recipe that I enjoyed very much. It was the first time I cooked brussels sprouts and I had no idea how it would turn out, but it was fantastic. I’ve share the recipe with several people already.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I tried it and it is so delicious! I think I’ll be eating more brussel sprouts in the future : )
Okay, so I know this post is like 6 months old, but I’m a little behind on my recipes to try list! Made these last night and they are A-MAZING! Even my hubby (who was highly skeptical, declaring “you’re not making cheesy brussels sprouts? All I can say is they better be good”) was in love, he finished the pan!
I actually made this last night but from a different recipe. Trader Joe’s sells pre shredded brussels sprouts. Instead of Brown Sugar I used Balsamic Vinegar. It was AMAZING! And I’m not a huge Brussels Sprout fan.
Just made these. Wonderful!!! Many thanks!
Sold!! I’m pinning!
One full year later…
I just made these, and they are amazing. My new favorite vegetable!
This were the best brussels sprouts!! I love brussel sprouts and I have roasted them many different ways, but never done them on the stove top. These were awesome!!
Holy deliciousness! My taste buds were in heaven. I shall have to make again. My partner wasn’t a fan, but that just leaves more for me.
My sister-in-law re-introduced me to Brussels sprouts a few years ago and o.m.g. Her version had bacon, and, well, we know how that went. Needless to say, from then on, I’m a believer. A born again brussels sprouts believer!
Must try this version. I always need something green and crunchy after a glutinous vacation. Thanks for sharing.
Everyone must try this recipe! I made Easter dinner yesterday and converted brussels sprouts haters with this one. It is SO GOOD I am making it again tonight with my remaining brussels. Had I known how good this is I would have made more.
This is hands down my new favorite ! I am cooking dinner for my boyfriends parents for the first time soon and this will be involved! I made a few substitutions due to what I had on hand… I mixed olive and coconut oil (I use coconut oil in almost everything) and instead or pecans I did thin almond slices and dried cranberries ! Oh my so good!
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