Easy Honey Roasted Carrots (Glazed Carrots | Vegan Optional)
Honey roasted carrots are tossed with honey, oil, and optional herbs, then roasted until tender and lightly caramelized! These sweet and savory honey-glazed roasted carrots require just a handful of ingredients and minimal hands-on prep for a perfect side dish for the holidays or mid-week meals! Air fryer method included!
Servings 4 sides
Calories 187kcal
Equipment
- Air fryer optional
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds carrots thin carrots like baby carrots are best, use ones that are even-sized
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or another neutral cooking oil like avocado oil or coconut oil; butter or ghee would also work
- 2 Tbsp honey for vegan use dandelion honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt kosher is best
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 oz rosemary optional - or thyme
Check the Recipe Notes below for optional add-ins!
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Carrots
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
- 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.*
- Spread the carrots across a parchment-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.
Step 2: Roast the Carrots with Honey
- Transfer the tray to the preheated oven and roast for between 15-25 minutes, or until the carrots are becoming tender (use a fork or knife to check).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 Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots
- It’s best to use baby carrots and cook in batches if needed. First, toss the cleaned carrots with the honey-oi l topping, then spread on the bottom of your air fryer basket, with a bit of space in-between (so they brown rather than steam).Air fry the honey-glazed carrots at 400ºF/200ºC for 12-25 minutes based on their thickness. 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.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
- Make ahead: you can wash, trim, and peel the carrots a day in advance and store them in an airtight container. You could also toss the carrots with the honey topping 4-5 hours before baking. I prefer making them fresh, but you could also make the entire recipe 2-3 days in advance and reheat them on the day.Store: allow the honey-roasted carrots to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.Freeze: I prefer not to (as they become mushy). However, 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 warm and slightly crispy.
Notes
* 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).
- 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 dark baking sheets 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 in 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!
- 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 tablespoon 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 28639IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 3mg