Piloncillo Bourbon Glazed Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash

Leticia
Nov 17, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Dec 2, 2025

Welcome back food family!

Ay Dios mío… Thanksgiving is next week! 🦃🍂 And if this is the year you got assigned the veggies for la cena, don’t panic. Forget the sad, steamed brussels sprouts that make everyone roll their eyes. This dish is bold, sweet, smoky, and just a little boozy (like your tío after his second bourbon).🤫🥃 Brussels sprouts and butternut squash get dressed up with piloncillo syrup, bacon, pecans, cranberries, and yes—bourbon. It’s basically the glow-up your veggie side dish has been waiting for!

🇲🇽Piloncillo Roots, Bourbon Branches

Piloncillo is that cone of unrefined sugar your abuelita always keeps tucked away in the pantry. It’s earthy, deep, and tastes like home. Bourbon, on the other hand, is pure Americana—smooth, smoky, and perfect for holiday cooking. Put them together and you’ve got a flavor marriage that feels like my own life: rooted in Mexican tradition, but always curious to mix in something new. Brussels sprouts may not be native to Mexico, but trust me, once they meet piloncillo, they start dancing cumbia in the oven.

🥬 Why I Said “Sí” to Sprouts

Confession time: I used to side-eye brussels sprouts like they were the chisme I didn’t want to hear. Too bitter, too boring. But one year, I thought, ¿Por qué no? If I can make nopales taste delicious, I can make sprouts behave. So I roasted them with butternut squash (because balance, mija), added bacon (porque… bacon 🥓 🙄), and then drizzled them with piloncillo syrup and bourbon. The cranberries and pecans? That’s just me being extra. 😉And you know what? My family went back for seconds! Even the picky one — you know, the family member who thinks ketchup is a vegetable and only trusts food shaped like nuggets — went back for seconds! Milagro, verdad?” 😂

🎉 Sprouts, But Make Them Sexy

So if you’re on veggie duty this Thanksgiving, don’t show up with a sad salad. Show up with Piloncillo Bourbon Glazed Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash. It’s sweet, smoky, crunchy, and festive. It’s the dish that makes people say, “Wait… who brought this?” and you can just smile and say, yo, la chef de la familia.

And if anyone still says they don’t like brussels sprouts after tasting this, pues ni modo… more for you. 😂

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, rinsed, trimmed, halved
1 medium Butternut Squash, cubed
2 tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Pepper
1 (12 oz) pack Bacon, diced
1/4 cup Bourbon
1 tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
6 oz Pecans, chopped
6 oz Dried Cranberries

Ingredients for Piloncillo Syrup:

5 oz Piloncillo
1/4 cup Water

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the brussels sprouts and butternut squash onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

Add olive oil, salt and pepper to the brussels sprouts and butternut squash. Toss until they are evenly coated.

Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender when you insert a fork into them. IMPORTANT: The cooking time is for a convection oven. If you are not using a convection oven you will need to adjust the cooking time per your ovens settings.

While the veggies are baking, add the bacon to a skillet over medium high heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until crispy.

Turn off the stove. Remove the skillet from the stove. Using a spoon, remove the bacon to drain on a paper towel lined dish. Set aside.

Remove the excess bacon grease from the skillet, making sure to leave browned bits in the bottom and about 1 tablespoon of the grease.

In a separate small pot over low heat prepare the piloncillo syrup. Add the water and piloncillo. Continuously stir until the piloncillo melts. Approximately 7 to 8 minutes.

Making sure the stove burners are off, add the bourbon and balsamic vinegar to the same skillet that has the leftover bacon grease. Turn on the stove to medium low. Stir softly to mix.

Now add the piloncillo syrup and maple syrup. Continue to slowly stir the glaze while scraping up the browned bacon bits.

Bring the glaze to a soft simmer. Keep stirring constantly for 3 minutes or until the glaze begins to thicken. Be cautious as the mixture tends to splatter.