These Honey Glazed Carrots are a deliciously sweet and savory holiday side dish loved by the whole family. Easy to prepare and incredibly addictive, these Honey Glazed Carrots are made with simple ingredients and pair perfectly with your favorite chicken, beef, and fish recipes.
Glazed Carrot Recipe – the perfect side dish
One reason why I love this recipe so much is that it is so simple, yet so full of flavor. Just a handful of pantry essentials, carrots, fresh herbs, and time in the oven is all it takes to turn carrots from a crunchy lunchbox snack to a sweet and savory favorite side dish.
Carrots, a personal favorite, are loaded with nutrients like beta-carotene – also found in sweet potatoes and butternut squash – responsible for making the flesh bright orange, as well as fiber, antioxidants, vitamin K, and potassium.
Ready in just 25 minutes, part of what makes this glazed carrot recipe so delicious is that they are roasted! When you roast carrots you are caramelizing the natural sugars already in the carrots. This caramelized sugar is delicious already, but caramelized sugar with hints of honey, ginger, and fresh herbs is a perfectly balanced combination of sweet and savory.
They’re also totally customizable, too! So if you’re not crazy about ginger (or you simply hate grating it), skip it!
Crazy delicious and super simple to prepare, everyone loves these bite-size carrots.
Ingredients
The ingredients in this delicious carrot recipe include,
Carrots: As the name of this recipe suggests you’re going to need some carrots. Crab any color or size you like, although I’m quite partial to petit rainbow carrots mostly because they’re so pretty (not because they actually taste any better).
Olive oil: Mild, delicious, and what I consider the ‘universal’ roasting fat. Substitute with melted butter or ghee, if preferred.
Honey: A much better sweetener than granulated sugar, especially if you’re using raw honey. If you’re vegan, substitute with maple syrup, brown sugar, or sorghum syrup.
Fresh ginger: Fresh ginger adds a little kick to these carrots. Feel free to add more or less ginger, to taste.
Salt and pepper: Sometimes a little salt is necessary to help heighten the other flavors in a recipe. Start with less and add more as needed.
Fresh rosemary and thyme: Trust me, a little sprinkle of fresh herbs ties all the flavors in this recipe together. Careful not to add too much, however. You don’t want to lose the sweet with too much savory.
What carrots should I buy to make Honey Glazed Carrots?
Any carrot you want!
The carrots you see here are petit rainbow carrots from Trader Joes. These guys are my favorite because they literally require no work to get them ready to go. Plus, I love that they are different colors.
If you can’t find carrots that are pre-peeled like these, baby carrots or whole carrots that have been washed, dried, and peeled, will work just as well. If your carrots happen to be big and fat, or completely different shapes and sizes, I recommend slicing them in half so that they are approximately the same size. This will ensure that all your carrots cook to approximately equal doneness.
How do you make Glazed Carrots
This honey glazed carrot recipe remain one of the easiest (and most delicious!) side dish recipes on this site. As with these Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower, I often prepare a double batch since they go so quickly.
To make these simple glazed carrots,
Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. Then line a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper.
The next step is to prepare your carrots. I purchased prepared petit carrots because they make life so much easier. However, you can easily prepare this recipe with any type of carrot. Simply wash and peel your carrots and dry well. If your carrots are thick, I suggest slicing your carrots in half vertically so that they are all approximately equal width. Transfer the prepared carrots to a large mixing bowl.
Prepare your glaze by transferring the olive oil, honey, ginger, salt, pepper, and rosemary to a small bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Add the glaze to the mixing bowl with the carrots. Mix well to completely coat the carrots with the ginger honey glaze. Transfer the carrots to your prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, if desired.
Bake the carrots for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until fully cooked and fork-tender and browning at the ends. Remove from the oven and drizzle with additional honey, if desired.
Simple honey alternatives
There’s no need to miss out on these awesome glazed carrots just because you choose not to eat animal products. There are several alternatives to honey that will make this recipe vegan.
- Maple syrup is my first choice whenever I’m looking for an alternative to honey. Maple syrup is readily available and adds an extra layer of flavor and depth that is guaranteed to be delicious.
- Sorghum syrup is another popular alternative, although I have never tried it personally. From what I understand, sorghum syrup is a huge favorite in the south and has a similar, although less bitter, taste to that of molasses.
- Brown sugar is generally much more processed than the above. That said, it’s (usually) in most people’s pantry, making it pretty handy when you’re in a crunch.
What to serve with glazed carrots
Fortunately, you can serve these carrots with just about anything.
A few of my favorite ways to dish them up are with Garlic Butter Steak Bites, Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, or juicy Garlic Butter Pork Chops.
Any kind of protein (including fish!) pairs perfectly, although I’m especially fond of serving them with chicken,
Serve them at the holidays with Slow Cooker Ham, Spinach and Pear Salad, Crispy Herb and Butter Roasted Potatoes or Garlic Roasted Potatoes.
Or, enjoy them right out of the oven for a healthy and delicious snack!
More carrot recipes
- Healthy Roasted Broccoli Carrot Soup
- Oven Roasted Carrots + Chickpeas with Farro and Lemon Yogurt Sauce
- Orange and Maple Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Carrots with Lemon Tahini Sauce
- Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe
- What is Mirepoix? How to Make and Use Mirepoix
If you try cooking these Honey Glazed Carrots with Ginger, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots - peeled (and chopped if needed to make carrots equal in size and shape)
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp honey - plus more for drizzling
- 2 tsp ginger - freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary - finely chopped
- Fresh thyme - to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Prepare the carrots. I purchased prepared petit carrots from Trader Joe's, however, you can easily prepare this recipe with any carrots. Simply wash and peel your carrots. Dry well. if your carrots are thick, I suggest slicing your carrots in half vertically so that they are all approximately equal width. Transfer the prepared carrots to a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare the glaze. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, honey, ginger, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.
- Coat the carrots in the glaze. Add the glaze to the mixing bowl with the carrots. Mix well to completely coat the carrots with the ginger honey glaze. Spread the carrots evenly across the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
- Bake and serve. Bake the carrots for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until fully cooked and fork tender. Remove from the oven and drizzle with additional honey and sprinkle with fresh thyme, if desired. Enjoy!
Jessica's Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
