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Made with only five ingredients, these Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts are your newest veggie obsession! The extra crispy bites come together with just a few simple steps: boil, smash, and bake until crispy! With over 45 million views, this viral recipe has been devoured by thousands of home cooks.
Pairs well with a side of Lemon Pepper Tofu and Creamy Chickpea Soup, or toss them into this Crunchy Kale Salad.
save this recipe!Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that most people grow up not liking…and then they have one dish at a restaurant and their whole world changes.
This is because Brussels sprouts are all about how you cook them.
These crispy smashed Brussels sprouts require boiling first, which normally I would say “no way” to, but then we smash and bake them. This, combined with nutritional yeast, creates a cheesy and crispy taste that’s totally vegan!
Reader rating
Key Ingredients
This is just an overview–jump to the recipe card for full measurements!
- The Sprouts: Fresh Brussels sprouts that have been cleaned and trimmed and good quality olive oil to crisp them in.
- The Seasoning: A combination of nutritional yeast (which adds an umami/cheesy flavor) salt, and pepper.
“Nooch” 101
Nutritional yeast (sometimes called “nooch”) is a deactivated yeast with a cheesy, nutty flavor, making it a popular seasoning in vegan and vegetarian cooking. It’s sold as flakes, usually in a bag near the flour.
What’s that sauce?
The green sauce I served the smashed Brussels sprouts with is pesto mayo! Just mix 1 part pesto and 1 part mayo. Happy eating!
Extra Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts (Viral Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs small Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed*, 900 g
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 15 g
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Oil, spray or drizzle
Instructions
- Boil: Bring a large pot of water (½ full) to a boil. Add 2 lbs small Brussels sprouts and cook until fork-tender, about 10 minutes.When finished, run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well then pat as dry as possible.Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Smash: Transfer sprouts to a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet and spread them out. Use a cup to gently but firmly smash each Brussels sprout to flatten.
- Dry: Using a few paper towels, pat dry the Brussels sprouts.
- Flavor: Spray or brush each flattened sprout with oil. In a small bowl combine ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Sprinkle mixture over the Brussels sprouts.
- Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If not crispy and browned at 30 minutes, switch your oven setting to "broil" and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, watching very closely the whole time, until they're golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Can you use cornstarch instead of the yeast?
The yeast is for flavor actually! You can just omit it or sprinkle on some parmesan cheese if you eat dairy.
They look delicious. I’m going to make them….yummy
I made the crispy brussels sprouts. I did not have nutritional yeast so i just seasoned it with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. it tasted great but did not come out as crispy as I would have liked, even leaving it in there a little longer. i followed the direction exactly except for the nutritional yeast, would that have made a difference @liveeatlearn
Can you do this in the airfryer?
Yes I think it would work! I’d do 400F for about 10 minutes 🙂
I was so excited about this recipe! But they aren’t crispy really at all. Very soft. I tried cooking for 30 minutes and did 2 min under broiler. Maybe I didn’t smash them flat enough? Other ideas?
Thank you! Valerie
It could be they were just a bit wet. Try patting them dry after boiling and smashing next time!
What’s the dip for the brussel sprouts
Pesto mayo! Just mix 1 part pesto and 1 part mayo. Happy eating!
Super yummy💕
Yummy Crispy! I followed recipe, and I think what made mine so crispy were these few steps. (1) Drying the cooked Brussels sprouts. I took two at a time, wrapped a paper towel around them and squeezed out the water then sliced them. (2) I added 1 Tbsp pure Maple syrup into the mixing bowl with the EVOO and coated them (3) I then added the nutritional yeast, salt & pepper. I used 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast. (4) I flipped them after 20 min, sprayed them ever so lightly with EVOO and sprinkled more Nutritional Yeast over them. I baked them another 5-8 min then turned off the oven while I prepared the meat. They stayed in the oven, (that was turned off) another 5 minutes becoming extra crunchy. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks so much for letting us know how it went for you!! This is super helpful for others looking to make it 😀
These look great but I am extremely allergic to nutritional yeast. Does it work with parmesan cheese or is there another good sub?
Parmesan cheese works well! 🙂
Look yummy. What is the green dipping sauce for the smashed brussel sprouts
It’s half pesto and half mayo! 🙂
I messed these up and I’m still giving them five stars! They’re delicious! I’ll definitely make these again many times.
Love hearing this, thanks for being here!
My brussels aren’t small. Should I cut them in half or how should I adjust?
Thanks.
Yes, any that are larger than bite-sized can be cut in half 🙂
I have food sensitivity to yeast. Is there some that can be substituted or just omit.
Thanks.
You can just omit it! If you eat dairy, parmesan would be tasty 🙂