Ok so, this recipe isn’t the healthiest. But oh my! It is so tasty!! I mean, the Brussel sprouts kind of make up for the fact that they’re deep fried… right?!!?! Just sprinkle ground mustard seed on it… Balance you guys..

(if you don’t understand my ground mustard seed joke, its a spice I sprinkle on all my cruciferous vegetables any time they are cooked to restore enzymes lost in the cooking process 😉 now ya know! Cool huh?!)

Anyways! Here is the recipe for these little balls of joy:

Ingredients:

To bake Brussels:

• 50 brussel sprouts
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Pinch sea salt

For bread crumb mix:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup vegan parm (to make this, grind 1 cup raw cashews, 3/4 cup nutritional yeast, and a little sea salt in a food processor)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

For batter:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp water)
• 3 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• Vegetable oil for frying

For creamy cashew pesto dipping sauce:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Wash and clean Brussels, then toss them with the olive oil, lemon, and sea salt. Lay on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. They should be bright green, but not over cooked.
While they are cooking, combine all the ingredients for the batter in one bowl, and the bread crumb mixture in another bowl. The batter should be loose, but not drip too much.  Adjust with more non-dairy milk or flour if necessary.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauce pan or a deep fryer if you have one. It should get to about 350-365 degrees. After coating each brussel well with batter and bread crumbs, fully submerge in small batches for about 2 minutes, until golden brown. Place fried Brussels on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

To make the cashew pesto sauce:
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

This recipe was modified from Hot For Food Blog! Hope you guys love it as much as I did!

Dana Stapleton, RDN

Hi, I’m Dana! Creating delicious plant-based meals and nutrition is my passion! Thanks for visiting!