Roasted Cajun Butter Carrots

5 from 6 votes

Dec 07, 2020, Updated Nov 24, 2025

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My Easy Roasted Carrots with Cajun Butter are sure to please all the veggie haters! They’re a winning combo of sweetly savory carrots roasted in the oven with zesty Cajun spices, melted butter, and a hint of sweetness. You’ll love how they “spice” up your table!

close up shot of roasted carrots in cajun butter sauce

Easy Roasted Carrots With Cajun Butter Sauce

I really think Cajun spices deserve a lot more love, don’t you? They are a very under-utilized spice blend for many of us, but so tasty. Typically, I think of using Cajun seasoning when making chicken or seafood, like in my jambalaya recipe or gumbo, but it’s also a fabulous way to amp up the appeal of veggies, soups, and dip… you name it! In this recipe, a variation on my honey garlic butter roasted carrots, I’m roasting ordinary fresh carrots, then tossing them in a beautiful sauce of melted butter, Cajun seasoning, garlic, and a touch of brown sugar.

Is This Dish Spicy?

This dish is as spicy as your Cajun seasoning blend and the amount of black pepper you add. Most commercial Cajun seasonings I’ve tasted bring a lot of flavor, with only a minimum amount of heat, or just enough to give it a little spicy kick. This recipe also uses half a teaspoon of pepper, which adds a subtle kick. If you’d like your roasted carrots to be spicier, try adding a pinch of cayenne to the sauce at a time until it’s just right. If you need a flavorful, but non-spicy dish, you can omit the pepper and use (or try making) a very mild Cajun blend.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Carrots: For this recipe, I use 2 ½ to 3 pounds of fresh carrots, cut diagonally into 3-inch pieces. You can choose whether to peel or scrape them, but either way, wash them well before cooking.
Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons of olive oil, for roasting the carrots.
Salt and Black Pepper: Sprinkle to taste on the carrots, and add ½ a teaspoon of each to the sauce.
Butter: To make the Cajun butter sauce, you’ll need about 5 tablespoons of butter. Salted or unsalted is up to you. You may need to slightly reduce the amount of salt used in the sauce if you choose salted butter.
Garlic: Finely mince or press the garlic cloves.
Brown Sugar: You’ll need 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar, or you can substitute monk fruit sweetener, Swerve, or experiment with other sweeteners.
Dried Oregano, Paprika, and Cajun Seasoning: These signature spices just make the dish.
Thinly Sliced Green Onions and Chopped Parsley: For garnish.

How To Make Roasted Carrots With Cajun Butter

melting butter and adding cajun seasonings in a skillet

prepping cajun butter sauce in a skillet

Roast the Carrots. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Toss the carrots with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Transfer the carrots to a sheet pan or baking dish, and roast until tender, about half an hour, stirring halfway through cooking.
Make the Cajun Butter. While the carrots are roasting, melt the butter in a large skillet. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 20 seconds. Then whisk in the brown sugar, dried oregano, paprika, Cajun seasoning blend, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Toss the Carrots in the Sauce. Add the roasted carrots to the skillet and gently toss to combine. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust as needed. Garnish with green onions and parsley.

Spoon stirring through carrots in a skillet.

Tips For Success

This roasted carrots recipe is pretty easy to make, but there are a few tips I can share to make sure you enjoy the best roasted carrots of your life!

Make Ahead: This is actually a great dish to make ahead, because you can get the peeling, washing, cutting, and even cooking all out of the way in advance, leaving just the butter sauce to add at the end. It’s a delicious and easy dish to reheat.
Use Baby Carrots: You can substitute a couple of pounds of baby carrots for the regular carrots. Baby carrots are pre-cut and peeled, so all you’ll need to do is rinse them a bit, pat them dry, season them, and roast them.
Timing Is Key: Because the size and thickness of the carrots will vary, the roasting time is approximate. It’s a good idea to start checking for doneness at about 18 minutes, using a fork to pierce the thickest part of several carrots. If the carrots are too hard, give them another 5 minutes or so until fork-tender.

What Goes With Roasted Carrots

Ham: I love serving these carrots at the holidays, alongside a big beautiful main course dish like roasted ham. My slow cooker honey glazed ham is a perfect example!
Roast Vegetables: Like two delicious sides of the same coin, a pan of roasted parsnips in garlic butter makes an unusual and super craveable accompaniment to these Cajun carrots. Try my easy garlic butter roasted parsnips or these roasted turnips for another side dish you’ll love!
A Special Dessert: I mean, if you’re talking holiday dishes, how can you go wrong with a decadent chocolate dessert? My chocolate mousse cake and peppermint mocha fudge make lovely additions to any menu, especially during the holidays!

overhead shot of roasted carrots in cajun butter sauce

Storage

To refrigerate, place leftovers in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place in freezer bags and remove as much air as possible before sealing. Roasted carrots will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. However, when thawed, they will have a very soft texture, so frozen roasted carrots are best if used in soups, pot pies, purees, carrot souffle, pasta sauces, and other dishes.
To reheat, place the desired portion on a baking sheet and bake at 375˚F until heated through.

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