This honey balsamic brussel sprouts recipe is sweet and savory, tasty, nourishing, and naturally low in sucrose for people with sucrose intolerance on a CSID diet.
(This recipe also happens to be GAPS diet friendly, and Paleo-friendly for folks navigating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) who feel better on a specific carbohydrate diet such as GAPS or Paleo.)
In my opinion, these honey balsamic roasted brussels go great on the side with proteins like chicken, fish, turkey or grass-fed beef, and a carb of your choice.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links*. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Brussel sprouts
For this recipe (and whenever roasting brussel sprouts in general), I recommend using FRESH (versus frozen) brussel sprouts if you prefer your brussels more crispy, versus watery/soggy.
I used a stalk of brussel sprouts from a local farmers’ market to make this recipe, you can buy brussel sprouts by the bag (whole, chopped, or shredded).
If you end up getting shredded (versus whole or chopped) brussel sprouts, you may want to consider reducing the cooking time since they will cook faster than chopped brussel sprouts. (Generally, the smaller you chop vegetables, the faster they will cook since they have more surface area exposed to the oven.)
Extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
You can technically use any type of oil for this recipe, but I prefer higher-quality oils like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil.
(Avocado oil* is generally my preferred oil for roasting at temperatures higher than 350 degrees Fahrenheit, since it has a higher oxidation point than olive oil!)
Unsweetened balsamic vinegar
Unfortunately, many people with sucrose intolerance aren’t aware that most types of balsamic vinegars on the market are sweetened and may contain sucrose.
To keep this recipe low in sucrose, I recommend using a high-quality unsweetened balsamic vinegar such as Blazing Bella’s barrel-aged balsamic vinegar*.
(You can also find other unsweetened balsamic vinegars by looking at the ingredient list which should exclusively contain “balsamic vinegar” (concentrated/cooked grape must and red wine vinegar).
Raw honey
Believe it or not, not all honeys on the market are low sucrose! For example, many of the pasteurized variations of “honey” actually contain added sucrose, to dilute the honey and thus make the product cheaper for manufacturers to sell.
While raw honey can be more expensive, it’s worth the investment if you want 100% honey.
On another note, honey is high fructose, so if you have a fructose intolerance you may want to reduce the total amount of honey in this recipe to 1 tablespoon or less.
If you have an allergy to any constituents in honey (such as propolis), you can swap the honey for agave nectar.
- The low fructose serving of agave nectar would also be 1 tablespoon or less for this entire reicpe.
Unrefined sea salt
Unrefined sea salts such as Celtic sea salt* and Redmond Real Salt* are higher in minerals, compared to “regular” salt, and even most other types of sea salt.
Making the swap to a mineral-rich unrefined salt can make a big difference over time. This is especially true for folks with sucrase-isomaltase deficiency, since you’re at increased risk of developing mineral deficiencies.
Garlic powder or garlic scapes
Garlic is technically not high in sucrose. However, it’s not always well-tolerated by people with congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (CSID).
If you don’t tolerate most regular types of garlic, which are high in fructans, consider swapping the garlic powder in this recipe for powdered garlic scapes* which are low in fructans.
Onion powder or green onion powder
Much like garlic, onions are also inherently low in sucrose, but high in FODMAPs.
Not everyone with CSID can tolerate onion powder.
If you feel worse after eating onions, consider swapping the regular onion powder in this recipe for green onion powder, which is made from scallions (“green onions”) instead of onions.
Black pepper (optional)
Feel free to add a sprinkle of black pepper to this recipe for an extra kick.
Additional notes
- This is not a low FODMAP recipe, since brussel sprouts are naturally high in FODMAPs.
Low Sucrose Honey Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, whisk the raw honey and balsamic vinegar.
- Dice brussel sprouts in halves or quarters (FYI: the smaller they're chopped, the faster they'll cook!)
- Toss all ingredients together in a 9 x 13” pan, and stir well.
- Roast uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked to your liking!
Notes
Sharing is caring
If you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to share it!
