Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Bourbon Maple Balsamic Glaze and Toasted Pine Nuts

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Anything air fried is immediately better than its oven baked or pan sautéed siblings in my opinion. These are super easy to make, and even people who don’t like brussels sprouts will love them. You can make these with fresh sprouts, but I like to use the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s because I don’t have to cook them before they go bad, and these are smaller which makes them fun to eat. You also don’t have to prep these like you would fresh ones which cuts down your prep time.

I seasoned these more than I did the sweet potatoes I made with these sprouts that you can find here, but it’s because the glaze is simple yet sweet. I wanted savory spices on the sprouts to offset the sweet glaze. Normally I would just use my favorite balsamic vinegar and heat it up to make a glaze, but this time I added the same TJ’s Bourbon Maple Syrup to keep with the theme of the two other recipes I made with these. You can find them here and here.

I like to use Trader Joe’s Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Aceto Balsamico Di Modena PGI because it is a good price for a solid vinegar. The basic ingredients are wine vinegar and grape must, which is mixed in exact proportions.

These are bursting with flavor and a great way to get fiber, protein, vitamin C and K, folate, calcium, iron, and potassium without fat or cholesterol. The pine nuts add vitamin E, protein, iron, and magnesium which is great for boosting your energy. They also have omega-3 fatty acids which is great for your brain, helping with keeping your sugar levels low with the balance of fats, fiber, and protein.

The sprouts only take like 20 minutes and the glaze takes minutes to get thick which makes this meal the perfect quick side or snack. This will be an option on the food truck I plan on having one day.

Do you like brussels sprouts like I do or is it a veggie you chose to avoid? Would you be willing to try them this way? Let me know in the comments below what you think.

Thanks for reading,

Jessica

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts with Bourbon Maple Balsamic Glaze and Toasted Pine Nuts

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Yield: 4-6

Author: Jessica Morton

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2-16 Ounce bags frozen brussels sprouts from Trader Joe’s (sub fresh or other brand if you don’t have a TJ’s near you.)
• 1 TBSP TJ’s vegan ghee (sub melted vegan butter if needed)
• 1 TSP Garlic powder
• ½ TSP TJ’s Mushroom umami seasoning
• ½ TSP TJ’s Green Goddess seasoning (leave out if you don’t have)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 TBSP Pine nuts for garnish (toasted)

Maple Balsamic Glaze Ingredients

• 2 TBSP Trader Joe’s Bourbon Maple Syrup
• 6 TBSP A quality balsamic vinegar (I love TJ’s Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Aceto Balsamico Di Modena PGI)

Instructions

1. Add the sprouts to a large bowl and pour the melted vegan ghee or butter all over the sprouts.
2. Toss to fully coat all the sprouts. If needed add a little more ghee or spray some avocado cooking spray on them to get them fully coated.
3. Add the dry spices and seasonings and toss to fully coat.
4. Add to air fryer and cook at 390 degrees for 15-20 minutes, shaking basket halfway until crispy and cooked through.
5. While the sprouts are cooking, toast the pine nuts over medium low heat stirring occasionally to evenly toast. Be careful not to burn the pine nuts, it doesn’t take long to toast these, about five minutes.
6. In the last 10 minutes or so, mix the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in a small pan on medium heat until bubbling.
7. Whisk consistently until the glaze thickens up, being careful not to burn the glaze. Remove from the heat as soon as it is turned into a glaze.
8. Serve the brussels sprouts covered in the balsamic glaze and garnish with the toasted pine nuts.
9. Leftovers can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to five days.