A popular chef says “sprout skeptics should step aside” and try her recipe for Britons’ most hated veggie.

Erren Hart, who has written thousands of recipes, says it only takes 20 minutes in the oven to make the “easy side dish [which] is now my family’s favorite”.

Hart recommends one surprising ingredient for “the best Brussels sprouts of your life”. According to her website, cooks – especially those on a keto diet – should opt for an anti-inflammatory alternative to regular cooking oils.

Coconut oil, available for as little as £3.35 at Sainsbury’s, has been touted as being particularly good at high temperatures, like the 200C Hart’s recipe advises.

Despite 19 per cent of Brits saying brussels sprouts are their least favourite veggie, more loathed than any other green according to the Craft Guild of Chefs, they are a big seller in supermarkets. One retailer, the discount chain Aldi, sold almost three million last Christmas.

One glowing reviewer raved: “I’ve never been much of a Brussel sprout lover but we received some from friends who were leaving to go out of town. Found this recipe and it changed my mind about this veggie.”

The recipe says only a small amount of preparation is required for delicious results. Smaller sprouts should be scored at the bottom for even cooking, while Hart says only the simplest of seasonings – salt and pepper and garlic – are needed. Once prepared and seasoned, a short blast in the oven, and then the dish is ready to serve.

Coconut oil, hailed for its antimicrobial properties, is not just handy in the kitchen, but has been recommended for problem skin and hair.

This comes as the government has set out plans to compel UK supermarkets to help customers make healthier choices. Rich in immune-boosting vitamin c and fibre – essential for a healthy gut – sprouts could be one swap shoppers could make to cut calories.

Data released by the government ahead of its soon-to-be-published 10-year plan for the NHS reports that if every Brit were to trim 216 calories from their daily intake, obesity would half across the nation.

Some of Hart’s additions might not be the healthiest, but are sure to make this an even tastier dish. She recommends grating parmesan on the sprouts before cooking for even crispier, golden-brown results.