Our honey-glazed carrots are a delicious side dish for a weeknight meal or holiday dinner. The sweet honey glaze, made with a handful of ingredients and just a few simple steps, is the perfect complement for roasted and grilled meats.
Rainbow carrots, aka heirloom carrots, are how carrots used to look before the color was standardized to orange. They not only add more color to the plate, but they actually taste better than the standard variety.
You can use any variety of carrots, including baby carrots or frozen sliced carrots, to make this simple side dish. Roasting the carrots brings out their natural sweetness. Add the floral, warm goodness of honey, and even the picky eaters in your household will be asking for seconds!
If you love roasted vegetables with a natural sweet flavor, try our caramelized onions and oven-roasted beets recipes.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our honey-glazed carrots recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I change up the recipe?
Absolutely. We kept the seasonings simple, so the carrots’ natural sweetness could shine through. But you can season the carrots with fresh herbs or any of your favorite seasonings. Fresh thyme is one of my favorites.
Cinnamon and nutmeg will add a little warmth to the flavor. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice will also work nicely. Seasoning blends also work nicely; lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, jerk seasoning, or Cajun seasoning are a few of my favorites. I promise you won’t hear anyone call them boring carrots!
To make maple-glazed carrots, you can use maple syrup instead of honey. To add brightness, drizzle lemon juice or sprinkle lemon zest after cooking.
You can also substitute your favorite artificial sweetener for the honey.
How to Make Honey Glazed Carrots
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make honey-glazed carrots in your home kitchen.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Rinse the whole carrots in cold running water, then peel them.
- Slice the carrots on a bias into similar thickness slices about ½ thick so they cook evenly.
- Add the unsalted butter to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the honey to the melted butter, and whisk to combine.
- Add the garlic to the pan.
- Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to the mixture.
- Whisk to combine and bring the mixture back to a light boil.
- Place the sliced carrots in a single layer in a baking dish or on a baking sheet.
- Remove the honey mixture from the heat, pour half of it over the carrots, and toss to combine.
- Pour the rest of the mixture over them.
- Mix to ensure all carrots are fully coated, then place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
Remove from the oven and transfer to your favorite serving dish. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Our honey-glazed carrots will turn a weeknight meal into a special occasion. Listen for the oohs and aahs as you bring them to the table!
How to Store and Reheat
Any leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container or well covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to two months.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely, you can cook them on the stovetop over medium heat using a large skillet. Cooking time will vary, so keep a close eye on them.
I always try to buy local honey, which helps your immune system as it adds flavor. But any good-quality honey will work. Clover, wildflower, or orange blossom are good choices.
Yes, you can. You can use Earth Balance or another type of vegan butter or olive oil. It will slightly alter the flavor, but the carrots will still be delicious.
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Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb whole carrots -we used rainbow heirloom carrots
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons local honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Rinse the whole carrots in cold running water, then peel them.
- Slice the carrots on a bias into similar thickness slices about ½ thick so they cook evenly.*You can also use carrot sticks, baby carrots, frozen sliced or whole carrots. Cooking times will vary.
- Place the sliced carrots in a single layer in a baking dish or on a baking sheet, and set aside until needed.
- Add the unsalted butter to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the honey to the melted butter, and whisk to combine.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to the mixture and whisk to combine, bringing the mixture back to a light boil.
- Remove from the heat and pour half of the honey mixture over the top of the carrots and toss to combine.
- Pour the rest of the mixture over them and mix well to ensure all carrots are fully coated.
- place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to your favorite serving dish. Garnish with chopped parsley.
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