If you are looking for Thanksgiving Veggies that the whole family will love, then you have come to the right place. These maple syrup carrots add a bright, colorful hue to any table – much like these Whole Roasted Carrots, but with so much more holiday cheer!
Make them ahead of time to save yourself some time on the big day, or serve these little guys any night of the week as part of a complete meal. And if you have extra carrots on hand, definitely try Carrot and Ginger Soup, Raw Carrot Salad, and Carrot Hummus, too!
Ingredients You Will Need:
The ingredient list for this maple-glazed carrots recipe is short and sweet. Gather together unsalted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, kosher salt, black pepper, and carrots.
Ingredient Substitutions and Notes
- Carrots: As far as carrots go – any kind of carrots will work. Go for rainbow carrots (multicolor carrots), whole orange carrots, purple carrots or a bag of baby carrots (no prep work required!). If I am serving this for a holiday dinner, I like the look of maple glazed whole carrots, but as I mentioned, any carrot you have on hand would work.
- Butter: Buttery maple syrup glaze is divine, but you could also use olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil instead. Brown butter would add another level of nutty flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup for the best flavor. Any color – light, amber or dark – will do.
- Sugar: Brown sugar is classic, but I love the slightly less sweet and nuanced flavor of coconut sugar, which also allows the natural sweetness of this maple carrots recipe to shine. It also makes it secretly paleo, too!
- Honey: For a fun honey maple spin, use a mix of half honey and half maple syrup. Or if you are out of maple syrup, feel free to use an equal amount of honey instead. Honey maple glazed carrots taste a bit different but are still delicious.
- Spice: Cinnamon adds a pleasant, warming touch. A few other spices you could add are garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, or ground cayenne pepper.
- Herbs: Garnish the dish with fresh herbs, like fresh thyme leaves, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, or those green and frilly carrot tops / leaves. Flaky salt helps balance the sweetness, too.
How to Make This Recipe?
This brown sugar maple glazed carrots recipe is ready from start to finish in no time. Here’s how to do it in a few easy steps:
- Prep equipment: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar (or coconut sugar), ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup until smooth.
- Prep carrots: Remove the carrot tops and rinse the carrots thoroughly. Peel (or scrub) the carrots and slice them into 2-inch pieces. For larger carrots, cut them in half lengthwise. For smaller carrots, leave them as is. Place carrots on the parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
- Coat carrots with the glaze: Toss the maple syrup glaze mixture with the carrots until fully coated. Spread them out on the baking sheet so that they are in one even layer.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. The carrots are fully cooked when you can easily pierce the larger pieces with a paring knife. Please keep in mind that baking time might slightly change based on the size of the carrots so it is best to keep a close eye on it after the 25-minute mark.
- Cool and serve: Cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer your freshly roasted maple glazed carrots to a platter or serving bowl. Enjoy!
How to Make Ahead and Store Leftovers?
Make ahead glazed carrots are a cinch to make, and any leftovers can be enjoyed throughout the week. Here’s how I like to do it:
- Make Ahead: Prep and bake maple syrup roasted carrots as instructed, and cool them completely. Transfer to an oven-safe serving dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat maple glazed carrots in a 350 degrees F oven, covered for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. If I’m serving these as a side dish for the holidays, I like to pop them in the oven with the rest of my side dishes while the turkey is resting.
- Storage: Leftover roasted maple syrup carrots will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in 30-second intervals in the microwave or as instructed above.
How to Serve This Side Dish?
Candied carrots with maple syrup make a wonderful addition to any holiday table or weeknight dinner table. Some of my favorite ways to serve include:
- Holidays: Serve a large platter of these maple butter carrots alongside an array of vegetable side dishes, Turkey Drumsticks, Baked Turkey Tenderloin, or Roasted Cornish Hens. This sweet root vegetable makes an exceptional appearance at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and more.
- Sunday Supper: Make your weeknight meals extra special and serve these maple carrots as a colorful side dish to any main course, such as Roast Chicken and Potatoes, Mediterranean Chicken with Olives, and Healthy Turkey Meatloaf.
FAQs
Yes, glazed carrots can be made 1-2 days in advance. Store them in an oven-safe dish, that way all you have to do on the day of serving is reheat them in the oven until warm.
One serving of maple glazed roasted carrots is about 290 calories.
Peeling carrots before roasting is optional and more about personal preference. I like to give them a good scrub to remove any dirt using a vegetable brush before slicing, but you can definitely peel it if that’s what you prefer.
Yes, roasted maple carrots can be stored in the fridge, then reheated in a covered dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
Other Vegetable Side Dish Recipes You Might Like:
Whether you are serving this carrot recipe to add a pop of color to your Christmas or Thanksgiving tables or treating yourself with an extra special side dish for a Tuesday dinner, it is guaranteed to impress. Here are a few other similarly delicious and colorful dishes you might also like:
- Sweet Potato Mash Recipe
- Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Trisha Yearwood Sweet Potato Casserole
- Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
If you try this Maple Roasted Carrots recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds carrots, rainbow, baby carrots, or regular carrots would all work
Instructions
- Prep equipment: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Make the glaze: In a measuring cup, whisk together butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- Prep carrots: Rinse and peel (or scrub) carrots and cut them into 2-inch pieces. If they are too large, cut them in half lengthwise. Transfer them onto the prepared sheet pan.
- Coat carrots with glaze: Pour the maple syrup glaze mixture over the carrots. Toss to make sure that carrots are fully coated with the glaze. Spread them so that they are in a single layer.
- Bake: Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, making sure to give them a toss halfway through the baking process until they are fork-tender. To test doneness, insert a paring knife into one of the larger carrots. If it comes in and out easily, it should be ready.
- Cool and serve: Let them cool for 5-10 minutes, transfer them to a platter, and serve.
Notes
- Melt the butter. Rather than softened butter, melted butter coats the carrots much more evenly. I like to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds or melt it in a small saucepan on the stove.
- Try to cut the carrots roughly the same size. As you know, with any roasted vegetable, the more even in size, the more even they will cook.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Otherwise, the maple roasted carrots will become mushy and stick to the pan. It makes for easy cleanup, too.
- Spread the carrots into one single layer. And make sure there is enough room between each piece so that the carrots will caramelize rather than steam.
- A hot oven is key. The higher temperature is key for these brown sugar glazed carrots. It will also promote browning and create a glistening sheen.
- Toss halfway through. This will promote even color and prevent sticking.
- Cooking time will vary based on the size of the carrots. Check for doneness around the 25-minute mark, and keep roasting until carrots are tender and you can easily pierce the carrots with a paring knife.
- To make ahead: Prep and bake carrots as instructed, and cool them completely. Transfer to an oven-safe serving dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and store in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat, covered, in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through. If I’m serving these as a side dish for the holidays, I like to pop them in the oven with the rest of my side dishes while the turkey is resting.
- Storage: Leftover roasted maple syrup carrots will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in 30-second intervals in the microwave or as instructed above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
