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Roasted Carrots are one of the most versatile vegetable side dishes! You can go savory or you can go sweet. This roasted carrots recipe is all about classic flavor. Do you remember the glazed carrots from your childhood and from holiday meals? They’re perfect for weeknight dinners with the family too!
Whether you call them brown sugar carrots, carmelized carrots, or maple glazed carrots, you’ll call these delicious! Plus, they’re so simple to make! Use them for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Thursday night dinner!
SWEET ROASTED CARROTS
Carrot side dishes are often seen at the holidays, but they pair so well with a variety of main courses that I started serving them as part of our weekly meals too! I’m a huge fan of cooked carrots so I enjoy making them different ways.
When I am cooking for the holidays, I usually make my classic slow cooker carrots. While they cook, I can work on other dishes I’m in charge of making. On weeknights, I don’t often reach for my Crockpot for a side dish. If I’m breaking out the slow cooker, it’s going to be a one-pot meal night!
So oven baked carrots are a great solution. I get the brown sugar cinnamon carrots I love and still have a fairly convenient recipe going.
HOW TO COOK CARROTS
There are a lot of different ways to cook carrots. If you’re interested in trying some different methods, we’ve got you covered! Try Maple Glazed Carrots for a sweet recipe or Buttery Cooked Carrots for more savory flavor!
Most of my carrot recipes lean towards the sweet side of things and use ingredients like brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup. But you’ll find some garlic thrown in there as well!
For this recipe, you cook the carrots in the oven at 425°F to roast them. It’s easy to do and you can work on the rest of the meal while they bake!
DO YOU PEEL CARROTS BEFORE ROASTING?
The truth is you don’t have to peel carrots unless you want to do it. Some people don’t like the texture or the taste of carrot skin, so most people do peel them. If you peel them and have never tried a Y-shaped Peeler, I highly recommend trying one! You can get a Y Vegetable Peeler here!
I often use baby carrots to avoid peeling and doing a lot of chopping. But if you use whole carrots for this recipe (and you can!) then it’s up to you if you want to peel the carrots before roasting them.
HOW DO YOU CUT CARROTS FOR ROASTING?
If you’re not using baby carrots, I suggest you cut your whole carrots before roasting them with this recipe. There are a few options.
You can slice the carrots. If you slice them, I recommend slicing them into slices that are about 1-2 inches thick. You’ll want them all to be similar in size so you get more even cooking.
You can also chop them into chunks or slice them length-wise to make carrot sticks. No matter how you cut them, make sure the pieces are all about the same size.
If you’re using baby carrots but would like more bite-size carrots to serve, you can cut them in half too before roasting in the oven.
HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR ROASTED CARROTS
To get started, prep your carrots if you’re not using baby carrots. Then heat your oven and line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. You don’t have to do this, but it really helps make cleaning up easier when you’re glazing carrots.
Then mix all of the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Put the carrots in a larger bowl and once you’ve mixed your glaze, pour it over the carrots. Stir them around to get them coated with the glaze.
Spread the glazed carrots on the baking pan in a single layer and put them in the oven to roast! Cook the carrots for about 20 minutes or until they reach the desired softness and tenderness. I recommend flipping them over about halfway through the cooking time.
You can garnish them with parsley flakes and serve them with your favorite main dish!
SUGGESTED MAIN DISH RECIPES: Oven Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken, “Fried” Chicken Legs, Crockpot Turkey Breast
Easy Roasted Carrots
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 158
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter, maple syrup, salt, and pepper together until smooth.
Put baby carrots in a large bowl and pour glaze mixture over them. Mix to coat.
Spread baby carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until desired tenderness. Turn the carrots halfway through cook time.
Garnish with parsley flakes, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
You can substitute whole carrots for the baby carrots in this recipe. Slice or chop your carrots into similar sized pieces before roasting.
Please note: All nutritional values are estimates. Exact values depend on the specific products used.
Nutrition
Calories: 158 kcal
FAQs
Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.
How to make Gordon Ramsay carrots? ›
Cooking instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.
How to roast carrots in Jamie Oliver? ›
Method. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Toss your carrots with a good lug of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper, the thyme sprigs and the garlic cloves. Place in a roasting tray or earthenware dish, cover tightly with tinfoil and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until just tender.
What pairs well with carrots? ›
Apricot, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, corn, cucumber, endive, garlic, ginger, green bean, kale, kohlrabi, mushroom, peas, pomegranate, potatoes, spinach, sweet potato, radish, leek, lettuce, onion. Chervil, cream cheese, dill, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme.
What happens if you don't peel carrots before roasting? ›
As with many vegetables, roasting carrots brings out their sweet inner nature. Peel the carrots or don't peel the carrots—it's up to you. Peeling takes a bit more time, obviously, but also leads to a more consistent final texture to the dish.
What cooking method is best for carrots? ›
But now I've perfected how I make them so that I love them just as much cooked as I love eating them raw. The secret is to roast them. Roasted carrots have the best texture, and the flavor is amazing. Roasting draws out the natural sweetness and you get a nice caramelized flavor.
How do you get the most flavor out of carrots? ›
Here's some of our favorites to sprinkle on carrots:
- Garlic (minced, powder or granules)
- Onion powder or granules.
- Black malabar pepper.
- Cinnamon (Cassia for sweeter, Ceylon for sweetness with some more complex savory and vanilla flavors)
- Nutmeg powder.
- Cayenne pepper powder.
- Ginger powder.
- Aleppo chili.
Sweeten carrots.
Other citrus, such as lemon, can enhance the carrot flavors too. Add a little brown sugar to carrots to bring out the sweetness in carrots. Add one teaspoon of butter to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a pan and melt together gently; add boiled or fried carrots and coat well.
Why aren't my carrots roasting? ›
Don't Crowd the Pan.
This will cause the vegetables to steam instead of roast. Be sure the carrots are in a single layer and the pieces are not touching. If they are, divide them between two sheet pans and roast in the upper and lower thirds of your oven.
Why are my roast carrots soggy? ›
Too much oil and your veggies will turn out soggy and dense. But skimp on that oil and those vegetables will be too dry. Luckily, it's easy to find Goldilocks' just right amount. The solution: Before hitting the sheet pan, place the vegetables in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of oil.
Cooking breaks down the vegetable's cell walls, making its nutrients more available. Of course, how you cook them matters—boiling vegetables can leach out nutrients, so it's better to steam, sauté, or roast. If you still prefer boiling your carrots, throw them in the water whole—you'll keep the most nutrients.
What not to mix carrots with? ›
Mixing carrots and oranges can be very dangerous. This mix has been known to cause heartburn and kidney damage.
When not to use carrots? ›
How to Tell if Carrots Are Bad. Carrots that have spoiled or gone bad will usually have an odor, a slimy texture, or dark discoloration. They may also be wilted or soft. If you see mold growing on carrots, throw them out.
How do you cut carrots for side dishes? ›
Using a sharp knife, simply crosscut each carrot into rounds of whatever thickness is desired. This is a good option for salads and simple carrots side dishes (for side dishes, it's best to cut the rounds thicker so the carrots don't snap in half easily once cooked).
Is it better to boil vegetables before roasting? ›
Sometimes I've burned vegetables when roasting them until they were tender. Blanching veggies before roasting them allows them to caramelize a bit without burning.
Why are my carrots not getting soft in the oven? ›
You're Using Too Much (Or Too Little) Oil
But skimp on that oil and those vegetables will be too dry. Luckily, it's easy to find Goldilocks' just right amount. The solution: Before hitting the sheet pan, place the vegetables in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of oil.
Does carrot need to be boiled? ›
Full disclosure: boiled carrots aren't our favorite way to eat carrots, but boiling is a healthy option that lets you have more control the amount of calories you add in the seasoning. Here are some of our other favorite ways to eat carrots: Whip up a batch of these savory Perfect Sauteed Carrots.
Do you have to parboil carrots and parsnips before roasting? ›
Recipe tips
The vegetables and oil are being roasted from cold, so extra virgin olive oil's relatively low smoke point isn't an issue here. DO I NEED TO BOIL FIRST? Quartering the vegetables and removing the woody middles from the parsnips means boiling them first isn't necessary.
