My best brussels sprouts appetizer- brussels sprouts wrapped in bacon with a balsamic brown sugar glaze! Perfect for parties and tailgates. And I even included a creamy mustard dip, or you can serve them with our popular homemade honey mustard sauce for extra sweetness!
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Don't get me wrong, I love chips and dip, but little nibbles are always more popular at my parties. This easy appetizer makes a perfect Fall pairing with my goat cheese and beet appetizer and apple brie crostini.
Just whip up a batch of mulled wine and get the party started.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Make Ahead- The brussels and the dipping sauce can be prepared in advance. Just pop in the oven when ready to serve.
- Half Bites- Any recipe that tells you to wrap a whole brussels sprout clearly didn't test the recipe. Cutting them in half makes them much easier to eat.
- Balsamic Glaze- Bacon is great but bacon plus balsamic? Appetizer heaven.
Ideal for Fall and Winter holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, this easy appetizer is also gluten-free and dairy-free.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Brussels Sprouts - You will need about a pound, maybe a little is they are small. You want to pick small to medium-sized brussels sprouts.
- Bacon - Thin-cut bacon is preferred because it wraps more easily. Use a regular smoke variety and not additional flavors like maple or pepper.
- Balsamic Vinegar- No need to buy the fancy one. Because we are adding sugar and reducing a mid-tier variety is good enough.
- Brown Dugar- You can also use coconut sugar or white sugar if you prefer.
- Dijon Mustard- Brown or grainy mustards work fine as well. If you only have honey mustard, skip the brown sugar.
⏲️ How to Make Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts
Prep the Pan
Preheat your oven to 400˚F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and set a cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Set aside.
Trim and Wrap the Brussels Sprouts
Use a small paring knife to cut off any knobby stems. Remove any brown outer leaves. Then cut it in half lengthwise. I like to lightly season them with salt, but that is optional.
Wrap each sprout with a half piece of bacon and place on the wire rack, with the bacon seam side down.
Brush on the Glaze
Heat the balsamic vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar to make a syrup. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze on top of the sprouts.
Bake and Serve
Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Bacon should just be getting crispy. It is optional to turn them halfway through. You need the glaze to be fully crisped before turning. But do rotate the pan at the halfway mark to ensure even cooking.
Transfer to a serving platter and serve with mustard sauce.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- I can't emphasize enough that you should cut the brussels sprouts in half. These are meant to be one-bite appetizers.
- Depending on the length of the bacon you may get 3 wraps from one piece. Test one by cutting the bacon piece in half. The bottom of the bacon should just overlap.
- You don't want the brussels sprout to be wrapped more than once fully or the bacon won't crisp up.
- I prefer to use a saute pan over a saucepan for the glaze because it makes dipping the pastry brush in for the glazing easier.
- Propping the bite up in a cooling rack up will allow the air to circulate around the bacon and make them less greasy.
- Only glaze the top of the bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts. If you glaze the bottoms it will make them stick to the rack.
- Don't overcook the sprouts, we want them to be a little crunchy.
🌡️ Make Ahead
The brussels sprouts can be prepped and wrapped in the bacon the night before you plan on serving.
Go ahead and place them right on your baking rack set up. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. Glaze right before baking.
You can make the glaze the night before as well but I typically do not as it needs to be reheated and it only takes a few minutes to make fresh.
The creamy mustard dip can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving,
More Appetizer Ideas
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📖 Recipe Card
Balsamic Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 1 pound bacon thin cut preferably
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and set a cooling rack inside the baking sheet. Set aside.
- Trim the brussels sprouts. Remove any brown outer leaves. Cut in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper.1 pound brussels sprouts
- Wrap each sprout with a half piece of bacon. Place on wire rack, seam side down.1 pound brussels sprouts, 1 pound bacon
- In a small pan mix together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and reduce until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze on top of the sprouts.¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Bacon should just be getting crispy. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with mustard sauce.
Creamy Mustard Sauce
- While the sprouts are baking mix together all the ingredients. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
Notes
- Brussels sprouts can be prepped and wrapped a day in advance. Place on rack in a sheet pan and cover with plastic wrap. Glaze right before baking.
- Dip can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
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