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Maple Roasted Carrots are so easy to make and they are absolutely delicious! Caramelized in a sweet and buttery maple syrup glaze, they are the perfect side dish for your Holiday dinners, but simple enough for weeknight meals.
If you love the idea of roasting carrots, you should check out my super popular honey garlic butter roasted carrots or these fabulous parmesan roasted carrots!
Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots
Welcome to my world of roasted carrots – a place where the humble carrot transforms into a sweet, savory, and slightly caramelized delight. Roasting coaxes out the carrot’s natural sweetness, and a lovely maple syrup glaze takes it a step further, adding a golden sheen and an extra layer of flavor.
Learning how to roast maple glazed carrots is a game-changer, turning an everyday root vegetable into a gourmet side perfect for any meal is my jam because roasted veggies, especially tender carrots, pair perfectly with almost any main course! This is probably why they are the most popular side dish for Holiday crowds. They go great with rich holiday mains like our slow cooker honey mustard glazed ham or roast chicken but are also quick to prepare for everyday weeknight dinners.
I make carrots about twice a week because we love them, and two, they are so unbelievably easy to make. Throw a handful of simple ingredients together, roast, sprinkle with some parsley, and serve.
The Ingredients
Before we start roasting the carrots, let’s go over the ingredients you’ll need to transform basic carrots into a flavorful and impressive dish. This simple list includes everything to create a delicious side dish that will complement any meal.
- Carrots: Washed, scrubbed, and trimmed. Cutting them lengthwise helps them cook faster.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Adds a rich, natural sweetness and a beautiful glaze to the carrots.
- Light Brown Sugar: Optional but highly recommended because it enhances the sweetness and adds a subtle caramel flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Cut into pieces and dotted over the carrots. You can also use olive oil instead for a slightly different flavor and a lighter option.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning and balancing the sweetness.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish. Adds a fresh, vibrant touch to the finished dish. Substitute with other fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary if desired.
How To Roast Carrots
Ready in around 35 minutes or so, these maple roasted carrots are prepared with just five ingredients, but they can be customized to use whatever you have on hand. It’s just whole carrots tossed in maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter and then roasted until sweet and tender.
- Clean the carrots. Wash and scrub the carrots to remove dirt. You do not have to peel them, but that’s totally up to you.
- Prep them for roasting. Transfer the carrots to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in one single layer. Dot carrots with pats of butter and pour over a mixture of maple syrup with brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper and toss around to combine.
- Cook. Roast at 400˚F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Cooking time will depend on the size of the carrots.
- Serve. Remove from oven; sprinkle with parsley and serve. You can also add red pepper flakes for a touch of heat and extra flavor.
Recipe Tips
Regarding those sweet and salty flavors, know that your entire family will be begging for these maple glazed carrots over and over again. Be ready to share the recipe with dinner guests, too. Here are some handy tips to follow:
- Cutting the carrots. You can either leave the carrots whole or cut them in half, longwise. They will cook faster if you cut them in half.
- Sweeten them. You can leave out the brown sugar from the glaze, but it does add a ton of flavor to the overall taste.
- Do not overlap. Arrange the carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet, not overlapping, and don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Cooking time. The roasting time will depend on the size of the carrots. To test for doneness, check the carrots at the 25-minute mark by piercing the thickest part of the carrot with a fork. If it goes through easily, the carrots are done.
- Make ahead. Wash, scrub, and coat the carrots with the maple syrup mixture 4 to 5 hours before roasting. Keep covered, but you don’t have to refrigerate.
Storing Maple Roasted Carrots
Carrots should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze roasted carrots by placing them into freezer bags. Keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More Carrots Recipes
ENJOY!
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Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, washed and scrubbed, ends trimmed (you can cut the carrots longwise for faster cooking)
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, optional but highly recommended
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into about 10 pieces
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Transfer the carrots to the baking sheet and spread out in one single layer. Set aside.
- Whisk to combine the maple syrup and brown sugar in a small bowl.
- Dot pieces of butter over the carrots in several different places and pour the maple mixture over the carrots. Season with salt and pepper and toss around to combine.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, tossing at least once during cooking, until tender. To test for doneness, start checking at the 28-minute mark by piercing the thickest part of the carrot with a fork. If it goes through easily, the carrots are done.
- Remove from oven. Taste the carrots for seasonings, mostly salt, and adjust accordingly.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
- Carrots: Leave your carrots whole or halve them lengthwise for a quicker roast. You can also use baby carrots, but remember that they will need less time in the oven.
- Maple Glaze: Consider keeping the brown sugar in the glaze – it really ramps up the flavor! However, you can use sugar-free maple syrup and skip the brown sugar for a lighter option.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Arrange the carrots in a single layer on your baking sheet, avoiding overlap and cramming.
- Get ahead of the game: Up to 5 hours before roasting, wash, scrub, and add the glaze to your carrots. Keep them covered, and no need for chilling.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Made these for Thanksgiving. Hubby loves them. Making again for early family Christmas get-to-gether. Use real Maple syrup, a gift from our son. He processes the maple syrup. Mmmmโฆ
That sounds wonderful! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Wonderful recipes but so wish the ingredients could be in kilos and oven temps in degrees Celsius !! ( or as well as pounds & ounces)
Hi! Thanks for the feedback. Over 95% of my readers are USA-based, and that is why I don’t use the metric system. About the second part, I’m unsure what you mean by “as well as pounds and ounces”? All of the recipes include pounds, ounces, cups, tablespoons, etc. You need to scroll down to the recipe card to see the recipe in its entirety – quantities of ingredients and directions included. Alternatively, you can click on “jump to recipe” at the top of the post, which will automatically scroll down the page to the recipe card.
Can you use baby carrots?
You can, but they won’t need to cook for as long as the bigger carrots. I suggest checking on the baby carrots after about 10 minutes in the oven and pulling them out of the oven when they are fork-tender.
This is also good with an added 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne.
Love this recipe, delicious
Thank YOU! I hope you’ll enjoy it! ๐
Made for a dinner party and they were a big hit and perfect with baked ham and scalloped potatoes. I’ve made them a few times since just for me and spouse, and I love having the leftovers for lunch. Thanks for a terrific recipe!
That’s wonderful! I am very glad everyone enjoyed these! Thank you for chiming in! ๐
Yumm, we really enjoyed the carrots prepared this way. The recipe was quick and easy to make with delicious results. Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe that we will enjoy often. BK
5 stars all the way… all day.
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Very good! I made it a few nights ago and came out very nice. I melted the butter and mixed it with the maple syrup and brown sugar then tossed in the carrots. It saved the hassle of dotting it with the butter, and I figured that since it was going in a 400 degree oven it would melt right away anyway. I plan to make it again and try adding beets to it as well.
I am mouthwatering! These are the best roasted carrots ever!
Maple Roasted Carrots are on my must-make list!