Hazelnut Brussels Sprouts | Cooking On The Weekends

Hazelnut Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts have a delicious nutty and subtly sweet flavor. This fall and winter side is pretty much impossible not to love!  It’s also the quintessential, super yummy brussels sprouts dish for Thanksgiving.

You really can’t go wrong when you roast brussels sprouts at a very high temperature in the oven with some kind of fat.

Whether it’s olive oil, bacon grease, coconut oil, or in this case, butter, they will caramelize beautifully and become sweet and crispy.

What makes it so delicious?

The brown butter alone is reason to make this recipe.

Really, the two keys to success here are the oven temperature and the brown butter. The nutty-sweet flavor from browning the butter is perfect with the caramelized hearty sprouts. The hazelnuts are delicious and the icing on the cake, if you will.

If you think you don’t like this lovely vegetable, this could be the recipe that will turn you. It’s that good.

How to Make it

– Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

– Trim the ends from the brussels sprouts, and slice them in half if they’re small, and in fourths if they’re larger. Add them to a large bowl and set aside.

Recipe Tip: Do not throw away any of the leaves that fall off of the brussels sprouts -roast them with everything else. Some will become too dark to eat, but others will be the most delicious brussels sprouts “chips” ever!

– In a small sauté pan, melt the butter with the hazelnuts. Let it cook over low-medium heat just until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes after the butter melts. (Keep a close eye on this!) Stir in the lemon juice and pour it over the brussels sprouts and mix to coat.

Recipe Tip: Try to chop the hazelnuts as finely as possible. The flavor will spread throughout the recipe a little better this way, and if chunks of the nuts are too big, they could burn.

– Add the sprouts to the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Use a rubber spatula to get all of the brown butter and nuts out of the bowl and onto the sprouts. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

– Place the baking sheet in the preheated 450°F oven and roast until the sprouts are golden brown and tender, about 20 minutes. They should be flipped/stirred mid-way through the cooking process. Cooking times may vary! Season to taste with salt.

Variations

• Use brown sage butter. While still benefiting from the delicious brown butter, you can change the flavor profile and make this same recipe with brown sage butter, which you can make a few days ahead of time.
• Vegan version. While I’m pitching this recipe with brown butter as the star, it is still incredibly tasty if you use extra virgin olive oil instead. If you choose to do this, it’s extra delicious with a tablespoon or two of roasted garlic.
• Other nuts. If you’re not a hazelnut fan, you can use pecans, almonds or walnuts. (Pecans are my second choice after the hazelnuts because of their fantastic maple-like flavor.)
• For a touch of sweetness, you can lightly drizzle maple syrup over the sprouts when they come out of the oven.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is amazing alongside all sorts of meat and chicken dishes during the fall and winter months. And I especially love it on a Thanksgiving menu. Here are a few recipes that are delicious with them:

Can you make them ahead of time?

• You can make them in the morning and reheat for dinner. (No need to refrigerate in between steps.)
• Or, the day before you can make them up to the step just before they go in the oven, keeping them refrigerated, covered tightly in between. Then follow the roasting instructions about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve.

More Delicious Recipes with Brussels Sprouts

I hope you love these Hazelnut Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts as much as my family and I do!

Hazelnut Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Valentina K. Wein

Hazelnut Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts have a delicious nutty and subtly sweet flavor. They’re pretty much impossible not to love!