Pesto Brussel Sprouts Roasted Recipe {Vegan, Gluten-Free} (2024)

Last Updated on April 14, 2019 By Vicky 9 Comments

Pesto brussel sprouts, topped with crunchy sliced almonds. A super simple and healthy 4 ingredient 30 minute side dish. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.Pesto brussel sprouts are so good and healthy. Sadly, brussels sprouts get a bad rap. Kids are always hating on them. Parents are always shoving them down the kids throats. I don’t get it. Never understand the whole force feeding your children part.

I was never force fed anything – and that’s probably why I now love everything. Well, with the exception of licorice – might have been force fed that at some point? (jk, hope not).

I always hear about traumatic childhood memories of being forced to eat peas and brussels sprouts. I mean why? These can’t be the two most necessary vegetables for children to eat right? And then all you’re doing is instilling a whole bunch of bad experiences with these two awesome veggies, ensuring that come adulthood that grown up child will forever be reluctant to try these awesome greens again.

And I mean look at them. They’re so pretty. Light and green with outer leaves that can be torn right off.

To start this pesto brussels sprouts recipe, I prep the brussel sprouts by cutting off the ends and peeling off the tougher outer leaves. You can discard these or feed them to your chickens if you have those (which my parents do). I do love the idea of feeding kitchen scraps to an animal that eagerly awaits them as a treat – the chickens seems to thoroughly enjoy those leaves. It just feels so much better then just tossing them into the garbage disposal.

Not that I’m telling everyone to get backyard chickens or anything.

While brussels sprouts are great served raw in a salad (see my vegan kale and brussels sprouts salad with sunflower seeds, and my vegan brussels sprouts salad with apples and almonds) roasting brussels sprouts is truly my favorite way to cook and serve them. It just makes them shine. They get nicely charred, and the leaves that have come loose even crisp up a better, resembling paper thin crisp veggie chips. I usually pick those right out of the pan, before anybody else can spot ’em. You can see them up above right? Those darkened paper thin leaves. YUM. Really though. Kale chips, step aside, brussel chips are coming to town.

I used to eat roasted brussels sprouts with almonds and gorgonzola, but now that I’m staying away from the dairy I wanted an equally delicious vegan version.

Instead of the cheese, I’ve brought in vegan basil pesto to complete this delicious pesto brussel sprouts recipe.

Toss the roasted brussels sprouts with the pesto, giving them a thorough shake so that the pesto gets evenly incorporated and then sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.

I love the crisp smoky taste of toasted almonds, and usually just throw a whole bag into a dry frying pan to toast them all in one big batch, so I don’t have to do it for every recipe. I highly recommend toasting your almonds too – it really brings out their flavor of this pesto brussel sprouts.

This side dish of vegan roasted pesto brussel sprouts comes together quickly, with the oven doing most of the work. Only a couple ingredients required and you’ve got yourself an uber healthy and delicious side to any entree.

Or just eat a full bowl as your lunch, if you’re feeling bold.

How to makepesto brussel sprouts