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Brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon make these glazed roasted baby carrots irresistible. I love them with colorful rainbow baby carrots, but they would be just as delicious with orange baby carrots. Glazed carrots are a holiday favorite, but they can be served with any main dish. They’re wonderful with ham or pork, and the sweet carrots complement roast chicken beautifully.
The side dish is a snap to prepare and cook, with minimal hands-on time. Just rinse the carrots, trim them as necessary, and roast with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. The butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon glaze ingredients are microwaved for a few seconds. As soon as they come out of the oven, the hot roasted carrots are tossed with the glaze, creating a sweet, lightly spiced coating that clings to every carrot. The taste starts out sweet and then blends with the savory notes in the carrots. A perfect harmony, with just a touch of spice.
What I Like About This Recipe
- Easy to prep and cook. Just rinse and trim the carrots, roast, and make the simple microwave glaze. Cleanup is a breeze, too.
- A good fit for holiday meals or weeknight dinners. These carrots look right at home next to a holiday ham or roast turkey, but they’re just as welcome on an ordinary dinner plate with pork chops or roast chicken. They’re versatile enough to keep in regular rotation.
- A great way to make carrots more appealing. Roasting brings out the carrots’ natural sweetness, and the buttery glaze makes them especially tempting. Even people who are lukewarm on cooked carrots often like them prepared this way.
- Versatile. You can keep them classic and simple, add a little heat, swap in honey or maple syrup, or finish them with herbs or citrus. The basic method is flexible, which makes it easy to adapt the dish to the meal you’re serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Baby carrots – Baby carrots make this recipe especially convenient because they’re already cleaned and only need a quick rinse and a little trimming if some are extra thick or uneven. Rainbow baby carrots make a prettier presentation, especially for holidays, but standard orange baby carrots work perfectly well.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar sweetens the glaze and gives it a deeper, slightly caramel-like flavor than white sugar would. Light brown sugar keeps the flavor a little milder, while dark brown sugar adds a richer molasses note. Either one works, so use what you have on hand.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon adds a gentle warmth that makes the glaze taste fuller and more layered. It should stay in the background rather than dominate, so a light hand works best. If you like, a tiny pinch of nutmeg or ginger could be used along with it for a slightly different spiced note.
How to Make Glazed Roasted Baby Carrots
- Trim the carrots as needed. If some are much thicker than the others, slice them lengthwise so everything cooks more evenly. Taking a minute to make the carrots more uniform helps prevent a mix of overly soft small carrots and underdone larger ones.
- Toss the carrots with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper and arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Try not to crowd the pan. A little space between the carrots helps them roast and develop some caramelized spots instead of steaming. Roast for about 30 minutes or until they are fork-tender.
- While the carrots roast, combine the brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the butter melts.
- As soon as the carrots come out of the oven, transfer them to the bowl of glaze or pour the glaze over them and toss gently while they’re still hot. The heat from the carrots helps the glaze loosen and cling to the surface, giving you a glossy coating instead of a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
Recipe Variations
- Make them spicy. Add a pinch of cayenne or a few drops of hot sauce to the glaze if you want a sweet-spicy version. Keep it subtle so the carrots still feel like a side dish and not a boldly spicy vegetable.
- Add citrus. Stir a little orange zest, lemon zest, or lime zest into the warm glaze for a brighter finish. Citrus cuts through the richness of the butter and lifts the sweeter flavors, making the dish feel a bit fresher.
- Use a different sweetener. Replace the brown sugar with honey or maple syrup for a different kind of sweetness. Honey gives the carrots a floral note and a slightly stickier glaze, while maple syrup adds a deeper, woodsy flavor that feels especially nice in fall and winter.
- Finish with herbs. Add chopped parsley, cilantro, or chives just before serving for color and contrast. The herbs break up the sweetness and give the dish a more savory finish.
- Make the dish dairy-free. Use a good plant-based butter in place of the regular butter if needed. The result should still be glossy and flavorful, though the taste may vary a bit depending on the brand you use.
How to Store
- Refrigerate leftover glazed carrots in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them cool before covering so excess steam doesn’t collect and thin out the glaze.
- Reheat the carrots gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts until warmed through. If the glaze has thickened too much in the refrigerator, add a tiny bit of butter or a splash of water to loosen it.
Glazed Roasted Baby Carrots
Sweet, buttery, and lightly spiced, these glazed roasted baby carrots make an easy side dish for holiday meals or everyday dinners.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces baby carrots
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
Recommended Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Microwave-safe bowl
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Trim the baby carrots, cutting thicker ones in half lengthwise if necessary. They should be fairly uniform in thickness.12 ounces baby carrots
- Arrange the carrots on the prepared baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.1 tbsp olive oil | Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Roast the carrots for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on their size and how tender you like them, until fork-tender and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Stir and set aside.2 tbsp butter | 3 tbsp brown sugar | Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Transfer the hot carrots to the butter and brown sugar mixture and toss gently to coat with the glaze. Serve immediately.
Check them early if you like them tender-crisp, or roast longer for softer carrots.
Toss with the glaze while the carrots are still hot, so it coats them evenly.
Nutrition
Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 114mgPotassium: 215mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 11903IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
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