Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
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
There is, however, a trick to getting roasted carrots right. 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.
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.
What is the healthiest way to cook carrots? ›
Another study showed both boiling and steaming increased levels of beta carotene. But try to cook carrots whole, as cutting can reduce nutrients by 25%. Wait and wash veggies just before cooking to preserve nutrients. In fact, cooking veggies whole is often the best choice to preserve nutrients.
Do you peel carrots before roasting? ›
When to Skip Peeling Carrots. “Juicing and roasting carrots are good times to avoid peeling,” says Hilowitz. “If you are making a rustic dish, then leaving the peel on could potentially enhance the look and experience of the dish.
Why are my carrots still hard in the oven? ›
If your carrots are still hard, then they are likely undercooked. They should be good to go with somewhere between 20-30 minutes of roasting time, but add time as needed so that they're nice and soft.
Why aren't my carrots roasting? ›
You're Overcrowding the Pan
If the pan is packed too tightly, the vegetables will steam instead of caramelizing. The result is sad, limp, less-than-flavorful vegetables. The solution: Give your vegetables some room to breathe. Arrange the veggies in a single layer, keeping at least a quarter inch of space between them.
What makes carrots taste better? ›
For carrots, you can try steaming them instead of boiling or roasting them. Steaming helps to retain more of the nutrients and natural sweetness of the carrots. You can also add some fresh herbs, such as thyme or parsley, to the steaming water to infuse some extra flavor into the carrots.
How do you get the most flavor out of carrots? ›
Carrots are naturally sweet, cutting them doesn't affect the flavor. If you want them even sweeter, roasting is a good option. Toss them with some oil, and something sweet- maple syrup, orange juice or even a little honey.
Are roasted carrots better than raw? ›
Cooking carrots allows beta carotene, an antioxidant compound that gets converted to vitamin A in the intestine, to absorb more easily in the body, explains Beckerman. 2 This helps your body soak up even more health benefits, like boosting your immunity and promoting eye health.
What flavors go well with carrot? ›
For example, carrots are said to pair exceptionally well with butter, ginger, lemon, maple syrup, orange, parsley, and sugar. Other ingredients that are said to pair well with carrots include cinnamon, coriander, dill, lime, spearmint, olive oil, parsnips, salt, tarragon, thyme, etc.
It's best to cook carrots for the shortest time possible to preserve their nutritional value. Boiling, in particular, may lower some of the antioxidant activity in carrots and nutrients like vitamin C. But it makes it easier for the body to absorb the carotene in them.
Can dogs have carrots? ›
Yes, dogs can eat carrots. Carrots are an excellent low-calorie snack that is high in fiber and beta-carotene, which produces vitamin A. Plus, crunching on this orange root vegetable is great for your dog's teeth. Carrots are included as an ingredient in many dog foods as well as plenty of carrot dog treats.
Are carrots a good snack for losing weight? ›
In conclusion, are carrots good for weight loss? Carrots are indeed good for weight loss due to their low-calorie content, high fiber content, and various essential micronutrients. They can help create a feeling of fullness, support digestion, and contribute to a calorie deficit necessary for weight loss.
Is it better to boil vegetables before roasting? ›
Blanching the veggies before roasting them may allow you to have less salt on the vegetables and for them to caramelize a bit nicely without burning. Sometimes I have burned vegetables when roasting them until they were tender. So try this — enjoy the bounty.
Does carrot need to be boiled? ›
Carrots are a versatile and nutritious vegetable that can be cooked in many different ways. Whether you prefer them roasted, boiled, steamed, or sautéed, there are a few tips and techniques that can help you get the best results when cooking fresh carrots.
Should carrot be boiled? ›
Although raw carrot slices go well with a dip, cooked carrots are softer and easier to chew. But that's not the only benefit of heating the vegetable. Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw, according to a January 2008 report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
What does boiling do to carrots? ›
Some nutrients are lost into the boiling water, but they're not all destroyed and your body actually absorbs more of the carotenoids when carrots are cooked. You can minimize the nutrients lost by using the least amount of water and enjoy your boiled carrots.
