These caramelized brussels sprouts with cranberry pear glaze were absolutely amazing! Just imagine these little cabbages coated with a sweet, caramelized sauce with a few crispy bits. Even your pickiest eater will love this side dish recipe.
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They are deliciously crispy, richly caramelized, and sweet almost like candy.
Recipe Inspiration
I had some brussels sprouts in the crisper in my refrigerator and thought I would just cook them in a pan with some olive oil. Sometimes, all we have the energy for on a weeknight is a simple meal.
As I stood there cleaning them, I realized I had this balsamic vinegar that was on the back of my counter by the olive oil, and it would most likely pair well with them. I added this to the pan along with the olive oil.
My husband and daughter are not big fans of brussels sprouts. However, they ate so many of these this evening for dinner that I barely got any. Hum, I think I need to make these little gems like this more often and make more when I do.
Simple Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Sometimes, it is those simple recipes with a few ingredients that become our favorites. This one is no exception.
These sprouts are so quick to make and healthy too. You can skip the bacon for this recipe; however, I do love the combination of sprouts with bacon. We are just not using that today and we still geta deep rich and slightly sweet, candied flavor.
The miniature cabbages come to life and take center stage with this recipe.
Healthy Side Dish Recipe
This easy side dish was made in a non-stick skillet, good thing too because I found out that the caramelized sauce does get a bit sticky.
A combination of brussels sprouts, cranberry pear glaze, and olive oil are the main ingredients in this recipe. Try this with and without a little sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese. To be honest, I loved it both ways.
It takes all of 15 minutes to make this recipe and even less time to disappear, as nothing was leftover.
I just love it when my family loves something that I have made that they eat everything or make comments about enjoying their meal.
How to Caramelize Brussels Sprouts
Often, I see recipes calling for boiling the sprouts first or baking them in the oven for quite some time. This recipe skips those steps and gets the job done extremely nicely.
Here is how got a delicious caramelization.
Add olive oil and the cranberry pear white balsamic vinegar to a non-stick skillet. I used a 12-inch skillet, so the sprouts had room to cook. If you pile in too many, they will steam rather than caramelize.
Using medium-high heat and add the sprouts that have been cleaned and sliced in halves or quarters if on the large size. I added about 3 cups.
Cook approximately 10-15 minutes until the sprouts are fork tender and the edges and sauce is caramelizing. The vinegar will get nice and gooey and sticky.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese if desired and enjoy.
It really is that simple and quick.
Quick and Easy Holiday Side Dish Recipe
This is the perfect recipe for a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish. If your oven is like mine during the Holidays, it is full and there is no room for making yet another side dish. Therefore, this quick stovetop recipe for caramelized brussels sprouts is just the thing. You are sure to get rave reviews for your easy side dish.
Tender and sweet ~ Just a perfect side dish to make for those busy weeknight meals.
If you love brussels sprouts like I do, here is another recipe you may enjoy.
Creamy Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Have you ever tried Fried Carrots and Parsnips? If not, give this easy and healthy side dish a try.
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Pear Glaze
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Brussels Sprouts cleaned and cut in half or quartered
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- ½ Cup Mozzarella Cheese Shredded optional
Instructions
- Add olive oil and the cranberry pear white balsamic vinegar to a non-stick skillet. I used a 12-inch skillet, so the sprouts had room to cook. If you pile in too many, they will steam rather than caramelize.
- Using medium-high heat and add the sprouts that have been cleaned and sliced in halves or quarters if on the large size. I added about 3 cups.
- Cook approximately 10 minutes until the sprouts are fork tender and the edges and sauce is caramelizing. The vinegar will get nice and gooey and sticky.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese if desired and enjoy.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.