Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe

Glazed baked carrots in a serving bowl from the top view.

These Maple Roasted Carrots are caramelized to perfection and coated in a cinnamon brown sugar glaze with maple syrup. This make-ahead friendly, festive side dish is guaranteed to be a hit at your next holiday dinner, but it's also a family favorite to serve alongside an everyday weeknight meal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 289kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

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.

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