Maple Pecan Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Feta

These are the Brussels sprouts that get eaten before the main course reaches the table. They are roasted hard until the cut sides go deep brown and the loose outer leaves turn crisp, then glazed with maple and Dijon, tossed with toasted pecans and dried cranberries, and finished with crumbled feta.

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The whole thing is one baking sheet and about 25 minutes, which matters on a holiday when the oven is already full. It is good enough for Thanksgiving and easy enough for a Tuesday.

🛒 Ingredients

• Brussels sprouts. Two pounds, trimmed and halved through the stem so each one has a flat face. Look for tight, heavy sprouts of a similar size. Loose leafy ones fall apart on the pan.
• Olive oil. Enough to coat every sprout. Skimp here and the cut sides stick to the pan instead of browning.
• Pure maple syrup. The real thing, not pancake syrup. It has to reduce into a glaze, and the imitation kind just goes sticky and sweet.
• Dijon mustard. The sharp counterweight to the maple. Together they are what stop this tasting like a dessert.
• Pecans. Roughly chopped and toasted right on the pan in the last few minutes. Walnuts work too.
• Dried cranberries. Stirred in off the heat so they stay chewy. In the oven they shrivel and turn hard.
• Feta cheese. Crumbled over at the very end. Goat cheese is a good swap if you want the same tang.
• Salt, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. The flakes are optional and do not make it spicy. They add a low background warmth against the maple.

📋 Tips

• Turn every sprout cut side down. This is the part people skip and it is the entire difference between crispy and steamed. Flat face on hot metal is what browns.
• Give them room. Two pounds needs a full size baking sheet. Piled up they release steam and braise in it.
• Dry sprouts only. If you washed them, dry them properly first. Wet sprouts steam no matter how you arrange them.
• Watch the pecans. In those last few minutes they go from fragrant to burnt fast. Stay near the oven.
• Season again at the end. Roasting mutes salt. Taste on the platter and add more before the feta goes on.

🍱 Storage Instructions

• 🍱To Store. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sprouts soften as they sit, so they will not be crisp on day two.
• 🕒To Make Ahead. Roast the sprouts up to 3 hours ahead and leave them out at room temperature. Reheat at 400°F for 5 minutes, then add the pecans, maple, cranberries and feta.
• 🔥To Reheat. Back into a 400°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes to bring some crispness back. A microwave works but leaves them soft.
• ❄️Freezing. Not worth it. Brussels sprouts turn watery and limp once thawed.

📖Recipe

Maple Pecan Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Feta

Brussels sprouts roasted cut side down until the edges are crisp and caramelized, then glazed with maple and Dijon, tossed with toasted pecans and dried cranberries, and finished with crumbled feta. A holiday side that takes one pan and about 25 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Mixing Bowls
• Sharp Knife

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved through the stem
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ▢ ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• ▢ 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss the halved Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, salt and pepper, then spread them over a large baking sheet and turn every one of them cut side down. Give them space. A crowded pan steams instead of roasting.
  2 pounds Brussels sprouts, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the flat cut sides are deeply browned and the loose outer leaves have gone dark and crisp. You are looking for caramelized, not merely softened.
• Stir the maple syrup and Dijon together in a small bowl. Scatter the chopped pecans over the pan, pour the maple mixture across the sprouts, and toss everything on the sheet to coat.
  2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ½ cup pecans
• Return the pan to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the pecans smell toasted and the glaze has caught on the edges of the sprouts. Watch it closely at this stage, because the pecans turn from toasted to burnt quickly.
• Tip everything onto a serving platter and toss through the dried cranberries while the sprouts are still hot. Scatter the crumbled feta and the red pepper flakes over the top and serve straight away, while the sprouts are warm and the feta is still in distinct crumbles. If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating, thank you!
  ⅓ cup dried cranberries, ⅓ cup feta cheese, 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Notes

• Cut side down is the whole recipe: a halved sprout laid flat on hot metal browns properly. Tumbled on at random they roast unevenly and never develop that caramelized face.
• The maple and Dijon go in late: sugar added at the start burns long before the sprouts are tender. Adding it for the last 5 to 10 minutes is what turns it into a glaze instead of a scorched layer.
• Feta last, off the heat: added in the oven it melts into the pan and disappears. Added on the platter it stays in salty crumbles against the sweet glaze.
• Make ahead: roast the sprouts up to 3 hours in advance and leave them at room temperature. Reheat at 400°F for 5 minutes, then add the pecans, maple, cranberries and feta just before serving.

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