Technically, the holiday season is already upon us, but with Christmas just around the corner and Thanksgiving just been, I’m in busy “prep” mode (aka testing new recipes to impress!). This year, it’s time to share my favorite method for honey-roasted carrots (aka honey glazed carrots!). This honey carrots recipe requires minimal prep, a handful of ingredients, and simple steps with outstanding results. If you’ve never tried it before, prepare to be amazed. When you roast carrots with honey, they end up perfectly sweet and savory with the lightly caramelized charred outside and tender-crisp middle. AKA, these sweet roasted carrots are great for pairing and balancing the savory/heavy dishes like mashed potatoes, gravy, and other favorite holiday sides or tons of other main dishes. Surprisingly, these honey-glazed carrots also manage to appear very “fancy” while actually super budget-friendly. Turning a humble carrot into something extraordinary (a challenge I also had when taking part in Channel 4’s Crazy Delicious. Best of all, there are tons of ways to adapt the recipe no matter what you’re serving them with or what’s in your pantry (like mustard, garlic, ginger, or balsamic). You can even adapt this recipe to vegan either as maple carrots or using vegan dandelion honey. Made even better by the fact that the honey-baked carrots pair with so many dishes!
How to make honey-roasted carrots
How to serve
These honey-glazed roasted carrots make for the perfect side dish for all sorts of proteins, mains, and sides. Some of my favorite pairings include:
Carrots: choose carrots that are similar in size. As for the color, you can use regular orange carrots or rainbow carrots (as I have done). I like to use baby carrots or medium carrots rather than “regular” thicker carrots. If using the traditional thick carrots, I recommend slicing them in half lengthwise. Olive oil: or another fairly neutral cooking oil like avocado oil or coconut oil. Alternatively, you could use butter (dairy or dairy-free) or ghee. Honey: as the honey will be cooked, there’s no need to use any fancy raw honey. Instead, choose a good quality regular honey you like the taste of. Alternatively, you could use vegan dandelion honey or even make maple glazed carrots, though the flavor will vary. Salt & pepper: add to taste. I recommend using kosher salt, if possible. Herbs: for extra flavor, you can add some fresh herbs (optional). I used rosemary, but honey thyme carrots with fresh thyme or honey dill carrots would be amazing too. In a pinch, you could use dried herbs and reduce the amount accordingly.
Honey brown sugar carrots: use half honey and half brown sugar. These will be very sweet, so feel free to add a little lemon juice or vinegar (and optionally garlic). Mustard: one tablespoon of Dijon mustard or whole grain mustard will make for delicious honey mustard carrots. Garlic: honey garlic carrots are a favorite of mine. They’re buttery, tender, and perfectly sweet and savory. I recommend using 1/3 cup (around 5 Tbsp) butter (no need for additional oil), 2-3 tbsp of honey, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Combine the butter, garlic, and honey in a small pan and heat over medium heat until well combined, slightly fragrant, and becoming frothy (usually 2-3 minutes). Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley. Balsamic vinegar: to prepare honey balsamic carrots, add 2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and use rosemary or thyme. Ginger: add a small amount of fresh grated/powdered ginger (to taste) to make honey ginger carrots. A squeeze (1tbsp) or orange/lemon juice will also pair well. Cinnamon: I like to pair these honey-glazed carrots with a pinch of cinnamon or even a combination of warming spices (cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg). Parsley: garnish the honey-baked carrots with finely chopped fresh parsley. Dill would also work. Parsnips: this method will work just as well to make honey-roasted carrots and parsnips. You may need to slice the carrots and parsnips into smaller, even-sized pieces, and the baking time will be similar. Spice: to add some heat to the honey-roasted carrots, add some red pepper flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste.
Wash the carrots thoroughly, using a veggie brush if necessary. Then pat dry with a kitchen towel. You can also peel the carrots, though it isn’t necessary, especially when well cleaned or using “no peel” varieties. I keep the skin on when using organic carrots. Save any carrot peels in a bag in the freezer to make vegetable stock! If the carrots come with the tops, remove the greens and use them to make carrot top pesto or even wash and use to garnish this dish). Spread the carrots across a parchment paper-lined baking tray and drizzle with the oil, honey, and some fresh herbs (if using). Then toss well with your hands to make sure the carrots are well coated and redistribute them so they aren’t too close together. The size of the carrots and how tender you prefer them to be will affect the baking time. Larger carrots can take between 40-60 minutes, and baby carrots may take slightly less. Carrots cut in half or quartered should be flipped halfway to avoid burn. You can broil the glazed roasted carrots for a minute or two at the end for extra charr. Then serve while hot!
Air fry the honey-glazed carrots at 400ºF/200ºC for 12-25 minutes based on their thickness, until fork-tender. I recommend 12-14 minutes when using the same size as I have. Flip them halfway if desired, though I don’t always do this. If you slice the carrots in half lengthwise then into 2-inch pieces (to fit more in the basket), they will take between 9-12 minutes, based on the thickness.
Creamy mashed potato or mashed sweet potato, Gravy, Mac and cheese, Lasagna, meatloaf, or other protein, Stuffed vegetables, Alongside other roasted veggies like green beans, asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli, etc.
Recipe tips
The cooking time can vary: because of how different carrots can be in terms of length, width, and overall size, the baking time will vary from batch to batch. Therefore, I recommend testing this recipe before any ‘holiday’/ big occasion to test the baking time. Use even-sized carrots: that way, they’ll cook evenly. Avoid carrots that are too thin at the end, as they are likely to burn. For more browned carrots: use a dark baking sheet and leave some space between the carrots to allow the steam to escape. If the carrots become tender before caramelizing, you could also use a broiler for a few minutes at the end. To speed up the cooking: you can slice the carrots in half lengthwise, though I prefer not to do this as I prefer the flavor/texture of whole roasted carrots. Avoid prepared carrots: pre-peeled and chopped carrots may cut down on prep but also tend to cut down on flavor. To make the most of carrots shelf life: you can read all my top tips for storage and reducing food waste to keep your carrots fresh for weeks!
More simple carrot recipes
Comforting Pea Stew(Bazella) Ginger Butternut Squash Soup Creamy Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup Healthy Roasted Carrot Dip Carrot cake overnight oats Freshly squeezed carrot juice
If you try this easy honey-roasted carrots recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie! Store: allow the honey-roasted carrots to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Freeze: you can freeze the cooled honey carrots in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for several months. Reheat from frozen for the least mushy results. Reheat: you can microwave the carrots (in 30-second increments – though they’ll be soft). Alternatively, reheat in the oven (at 325ºF/160ºC) or on the stovetop (with a little butter/oil) until warmed and slightly crispy.
