Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

These crazy easy sweet and spicy green beans are sure to become a family favorite! With just 5 minutes of prep and plenty of fantastic flavor, they’re the perfect side to just about any meal. Dairy free and gluten free with vegan option.

A white serving platter filled with Sweet and Spicy Green Beans.

Are you ready for a ridiculously easy recipe? As in, so easy that I probably shouldn’t even be posting?

These honey green beans are a complete staple at our house. We’re talking they show up on our dinner table a minimum of once a week. Ahem, usually more. 

And yet it never occurred to me to share them here. Not at all. 

But then. Then one of my friends picked an Asian theme for our monthly potluck dinner. Which led to a discussion about side dishes, that eventually somehow wound up on green beans.

And when another friend later asked me what recipe I use for green beans, I proceeded to provide a fairly unhelpful answer. I was all a little of this, a little of that. 

So I finally wrote it down. Like, really wrote it down. With measurements! About two months too late for that potluck dinner, but it’s here.

And I’m hoping that you completely dig these green beans as much as we do. A little sweet, a little spicy, barely any prep work.

That’s a win win win for a side dish – triple threat!

A baking sheet with Sweet and Spicy Green Beans and tongs.

Tips & Tricks For These Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

  1. I mention this in the recipe below, but be sure to buy the thin green beans for this recipe. French, haricot vert, slender. Got it? Good.
  2. The green beans that I buy come pre-trimmed. Which is awesome. But if yours aren’t, the prep time will likely be a few minutes longer.
  3. Play around with the amount of red pepper flakes to your taste – i.e. how spicy you like things. As written, it’s got a little kick but nothing too crazy (at least I don’t think so).
  4. A word on the yield: the husband and I can eat an obnoxious amount of these green beans in one sitting. I listed it as two to four servings down below … but take that as you will. You’ll probably get closer to four servings if you eat like a normal person (i.e. not like us).

A white serving platter filled with Honey Green Beans.

Additional Side Dish Recipes You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

A delicious, healthy and crazy easy recipe for sweet and spicy green beans! French green beans roasted with sweet honey and spicy red pepper flakes!

Sweet and Spicy Green Beans

Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

These crazy easy sweet and spicy green beans are sure to become a family favorite! With just 5 minutes of prep and plenty of fantastic flavor, they’re the perfect side to just about any meal. Dairy free and gluten free with vegan option.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thin (french / haricot vert) green beans, trimmed
  • 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons honey*
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  2. Add the green beans to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and honey, then sprinkle with the salt and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine. If the green beans are not all lightly coated with oil, drizzle on a little more and toss again. Spread in an even layer.
  3. Bake for about 20 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until tender and browned. Season with additional salt and red pepper flakes to taste, if needed. Serve!

Notes

*Pure maple syrup can be subbed for the honey to make these vegan.

Be sure to use a large rimmed baking sheet here (and not a glass baking dish). It makes a difference with this recipe - they brown much better with the sheet.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 398mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.