Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Barley is a flavorful and healthy vegetable side dish recipe to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s easy to make and everyone loves the sweet, crispy Brussel sprouts, tart cranberries, and chewy barley!

Brussels sprouts with barley and cranberries

Any other food blogger probably would have brought you this dish months ago, so that you could include it on your holiday menus. But I am not like other food bloggers. I don’t follow rules, and I never, ever do things in a timely manner. Haha. But really, why should special and delicious dishes be reserved for only once or twice a year? And this dish, especially, takes almost no time at all to make.

bowl with brussels sprouts, barley and cranberries

I have recently fallen in love with brussel sprouts. I love them pan seared and roasted, and I love them with lots of other goodies in with them.

I’ve been trying to convince my father and husband that they can be good, but so far I haven’t won any battles. In fact, my father clearly stated that if he saw that I had posted about this and did nothing but talk about how delicious it was he was going to leave nasty comments. I suppose nasty comments are better than none, but still, we just can’t have that. BUT if you happen to already love brussel sprouts, or are open to trying new foods, I think you will enjoy this recipe!

Table of Contents hide

1) Looking for more perfect holiday side dishes? Try these great recipes:

2) Caramelized Brussel Sprouts Recipe Notes

3) Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Barley

Looking for more perfect holiday side dishes? Try these great recipes:

Italian Herb Roasted Carrots – These easy Italian Herb Roasted Whole Carrots are the perfect vegetable side dish for when you need a quick recipe you don’t have to think about! These tender roasted carrots are packed with flavor and are great with everything!
Greek Yogurt Green Bean Casserole – This easy Greek Yogurt Green Bean Casserole is simple to make and delivers on flavor while keeping the ingredients soup-free!
The Best Creamed Corn Recipe – This creamed corn is the absolute best. Easy to make, with real ingredients, your holiday table deserves this.
Roasted Asparagus with Brown Butter – This easy recipe is simple but it has amazing flavor and is perfect for special meals.
Cheesy Potato Casserole – Cheesy Potato Casserole is a staple at holiday meals. It is creamy, cheesy, and so delicious! You won’t be disappointed in your decision to enjoy it!
Orange Pecan Acorn Squash – This Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe with Orange and Pecan is perfect for fall. A little bit sweet, a bit savory, a bit zesty. The orange, cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans paired perfectly with the squash.

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts Recipe Notes

This healthy side dish can be pulled together very quickly and has so many awesome elements. The caramelized Brussel sprouts, the toasty pecans, the tart juicy cranberries, the chewy barley, and the creamy melty gorgonzola.

This recipe works best if you get all the elements in place BEFORE you start cooking! I like to use quick-cooking barley, cooking it while I am preparing the Brussel sprouts.

bowl of brussels sprouts with cranberries

Oh, yeah…

Yield: 8 servings

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Barley

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Barley is a flavorful and healthy vegetable side dish recipe to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It's easy to make and everyone loves the sweet, crispy Brussel sprouts, tart cranberries, and chewy barley!Note, this recipe works best if you get all the elements in place BEFORE you start cooking! I also like to use quick-cooking barley and cook it while I am preparing the Brussel sprouts.

Ingredients

1 lb Brussel sprouts, halved
1 TBSP olive oil
pinch of salt
2/3 cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1/3 cup freshly toasted pecans
1 1/2 cups quick cooking barley
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar (the good kind)

Instructions

Preheat your broiler.
Heat a 12" cast iron skillet on the stove to medium-high heat.
While things are heating, in a medium bowl, toss the Brussel sprouts with olive oil and salt.
Dump the sprouts in the hot skillet and arrange so the flat sides are down.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Toss in the cranberries and transfer the skillet to the broiler (be careful - the pan is heavy and hot!)
Broil for 3 minutes. You want the sprouts to be a little browned on top and caramelized on the bottom, and the cranberries should be just starting to pop.
Place the sprouts and cranberries into a large bowl and toss in the warmed barley, cheese and pecans.
Drizzle with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.
Season with salt and Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe works best if you get all the elements in place BEFORE you start cooking! I also like to use quick-cooking barley, and cook it while I am preparing the Brussel sprouts.*
Recipe from Cookie + Kate

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Barley

Looking for more perfect holiday side dishes? Try these great recipes:

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts Recipe Notes