Tender honey brown sugar roasted carrots are seasoned and baked to perfection and make the most perfect Easter holiday (or any day) easy side dish.
Looking for other dishes using carrots? Check out my recipe for Roasted Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots, Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots, and Instant Pot Beef Stew.
I’m on a mission to make dinner routines and meal planning a whole lot easier for everybody. Okay, mostly for me, but I have a hunch that you might need the help too so I’m sharing a side dish with you today that will help you switch up your usual go-tos.
These honey brown sugar roasted carrots are THE best side dish you’ve had in a very long time, I know this because I do a lot of cooking and they are definitely the best side dish I’ve had in a long time.
The sweetness, the savoriness, the simplicity of this roasted carrots recipe…well it’s pretty much perfection as far as super-tasty side dishes go. Plus, my mind has been wandering to menu planning for upcoming holidays and you better believe these roasted carrots will be making a star appearance!
Why This Recipe Works
Roasting — Roasting the carrots not only softens them but brings out their natural sweetness. Actually, it mellows their natural sweetness, while also letting it shine, if you know what I mean.
Simple ingredients — Even if you don’t have baby carrots on hand you can use whatever you do have sitting in your veggie drawer (see Expert Tips, below). And I feel like we all have that bag of carrots we’re not sure what to do with! Plus, the addition of honey, balsamic, butter, and simple spices make this recipe a cinch to put together any night of the week.
Kid-friendly — Sick of serving your kids the same old veggies? Well this is a new twist on what is probably a household staple — the carrot stick. I’m going to be honest and tell you at first, they might turn their nose up at cooked carrots, but once you get them to take a bite, you’ll win them over to the roasted carrots side!
Great with other veggies — If you are low on carrots or you want to roast two veggies at once, his preparation works great with other tubers too, like parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes.
Here’s How You Make It
- First, preheat the oven to 400. Next, toss the trimmed baby carrots with the oil then salt and pepper. Layer them on a baking sheet in a single layer (no overlapping).
- Then, in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, seasonings, vinegar, and garlic and stir until the butter is melted and the sauce begins to boil. Take it off the heat at this point and pour it right over the roasted carrots with honey.
- Pop the baking sheet into the oven for 20 minutes, or until you can pierce a carrot easily with a fork.
- Serve the roasted carrots warm.
Do You Peel Carrots Before Roasting?
I tend to peel the carrots a bit before roasting. They are already “baby” so you don’t want to take too much more off of the carrot before roasting. However, you don’t have to peel them. But do rinse them under water and scrub gently with a veggie brush (if you have), and pat dry before preparing them for roasting.
Main Dishes to Serve with This Recipe
So you have your side dish or roasted carrots with brown sugar set and ready to go, but what about the main dish? These hearty mains go great with this roasted carrots recipe.
- Sweet and Spicy Thai Chicken is a great dish that pairs well with roasted carrots. The slightly sweet chicken and the sweet and balsamic carrots make a great combo.
- In the mood to pair these carrots with seafood? Then a lovely baked salmon or Blackened Shrimp Po Boys should do the trick!
- Pork tenderloin with an Island Glaze and these carrots would be an amazing meal!
- If you’re looking for a warm, comforting meal, it doesn’t get much better than these honey roasted carrots with roast beef and potatoes.
- For a healthy, kid-friendly meal all around, try these carrots with my Baked Cauliflower Mac n Cheese.
Expert Tip
- Baby carrots are simply smaller, thinner full carrots. If you only have larger carrots, make sure you slice them in half lengthwise so that they are half the thickness and cook properly. If you want to use baby carrots that are in a bag, that’s okay so long as they aren’t super thick. And, finally, if you can’t find baby carrots with the tops on (pictured), then no worries, just use what you can find.
- These roasted carrots will be okay in the fridge for up to 3 days. I must warn you, they do tend to get kind of mushy after being refrigerated about 24 hours. So it’s best to eat them all as soon as you can.
- They freeze easily, but again, will be really soft when thawed. That’s why, if I have any leftovers, I like to add them to another dish like a pot pie, a stew, or I have even been known to mash them up for baby food when my babies were little (watch the honey though if you have a baby younger than a year).
Make these Recipes Next
- Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Yogurt Pops
- Baked Monte Cristo Sliders
- Sticky Sesame Chicken
- Easter Recipes
Honey Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby carrots - tops trimmed at about 2 inches, (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste and arrange carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, honey, Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, and garlic in a small sauce pan and stir over medium high heat until completely melted and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over carrots.
- Bake for about 20 minutes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
unfortunately, my carrots did not really cook well, even with adding an extra 15 minutes. i used larger/regular size carrots so maybe that’s why, but i was sure to cut them in half (vertically), as suggested in the recipe, but They were still not very soft:(. I also wish there was more glaze/flavor. I found the italian seasoning overpowered the sweetness of the brown sugar/honey, and overall did not pair well, in my opinion. still WAs a great addition to the easter table though, just wont be making again. thank you
I made this as a side dish to Easter dinner and it was a huge hit! Delicious. Thank you so much!
So happy to hear this recipe turned out for your Easter dinner. Thanks for your feedback, Sheila!