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My Sweet Carrots Recipe is a quick and easy way to make glazed carrots with just 4 ingredients in 15 minutes! Coated in a buttery brown sugar sauce, these sweet carrots are perfectly delicious for serving with weekday dinners and even special occasions like the holidays.
Glazed Carrots Recipe
I love carrot side dishes for just about any meal. Carrots are one ingredient I'm never running low on - there is just so much you can make with them! Perfectly tender Instant Pot whole carrots, crisp and perfect Air Fryer carrots, and of course my classic Parmesan Garlic roasted carrots!
The best part about these sweet maple-glazed carrots is how easy they are to make. It takes just 4 ingredients - plus salt and pepper - to have what you need for this dish, and only about 15 minutes to whip together from start to finish.
I used baby carrots. It was a super easy recipe and everyone loved the carrots!
Montana on Pinterest
Sweet Carrot Recipe Ingredients
- butter, unsalted: I use unsalted butter so you can add your own. Make sure to dice it so it melts evenly in the pan.
- carrots, peeled and sliced into thick sticks: You can also use baby carrots, but make sure to slice any particularly thick ones in half so they're all roughly evenly sized!
- brown sugar: Brown sugar melts into the butter, making a caramel-like glaze that clings to the carrots. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- maple syrup: Maple syrup brings in that unique maple flavor that makes these carrots unique among candied carrot recipes! Don't use table syrup for these; you need real maple syrup.
- salt: Add salt to taste! For the best results, garnish the dish with a flaky finishing salt like Maladon Sea Salt; it adds a great crunch.
- Pinch ground black pepper: Add pepper to taste!
- Freshly chopped parsley or thyme for garnish, optional
How to Make Honey Glazed Carrots
If you're looking for how to make honey glazed carrots, simply swap out the maple syrup for honey!
Add-Ins and Variations
- Cinnamon
- Lemon juice and zest
- Pumpkin spice
- Other root vegetables (such as parsnip)
How to Make Glaze for Carrots
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat on your stove top. Toss in carrots, followed by brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the mixture, simmer and stir it occasionally until the carrots are tender and the sauce has reduced to a bubbling glaze.
Carrots glazed with brown sugar are best served immediately with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley and a little freshly ground black pepper as a contrast for some of the sweetness. Keep in mind, that the maple glaze will thicken a little more once it is removed from heat.
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Expert Tips
- While you can slice the carrots ahead of time, coating them in the brown sugar glaze is best done right before serving. The butter in the glaze will solidify when refrigerated.
- Top maple glazed carrots with freshly chopped parsley for a contrast in color and flavor. Alternatively, use a different favorite herb like rosemary or thyme.
- Feel free to add your favorite fresh herbs right in the glaze to infuse it with flavor. This is best done with rosemary!
- Sometimes I like to add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice to give it a pop of fresh citrus.
- You don't need to peel the carrots if they're organic, but I recommend scrubbing them very well. It adds a different texture and rustic appeal.
How to Cut Carrots
I cut the carrots into larger sticks, but they can also be cut into thick slices. For easy preparation, the carrots can be cut a day or so ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until you need them.
Or, you can use baby carrots bought in a bag. The important part is to make sure all the carrots are equal in size (and not too thin) for even cooking. Baby carrots or larger sticks will take longer to cook through in comparison to smaller slices. If you're using thick carrot sticks or baby carrots, keep the heat low so they can cook without the butter burning.
Glazed Carrots FAQ
Glazed carrots are sweet carrots, essentially the same as caramelized carrots or candied carrots. They are carrots cooked in a pan with a glazed coating created using a blend of maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar. Some recipes also use honey. For more sweetness, you can add extra maple syrup.
Glazed carrots are gluten-free so long as the maple syrup you use to caramelize them has no additives containing gluten.
Carrots glazed with brown sugar are best served immediately, as the glaze will thicken after removing it from the heat. However, you can prepare the carrots for glazing up to 3 days ahead of time, or cook the dish and store it for up to 2 days ahead. Store in an airtight container.
You can use baby carrots in place of whole carrots cut into strips, but keep in mind baby carrots are slightly thicker than sliced carrots, and therefore will take a bit longer to cook.
Leftover Carrots Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Leftover glazed carrots can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that the glaze will harden back into butter when chilled!
- Freezer: You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container with the leftover glaze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: Thaw frozen carrots in the fridge overnight. I don't recommend heating from frozen as they can heat unevenly, burning the glaze before they fully heat through.
- Reheating: Cold carrots can be reheated in a pan to melt the glaze again and crisp up the carrots, or in the microwave with a lid. The glaze tends to spatter!
What to Serve with Glazed Carrots
This recipe makes a great side dish for the holidays. Pair it with my other Side Dishes for Ham, Side Dishes for Prime Rib, or Christmas Side Dishes!
Sweet Carrot Recipe
This recipe for brown sugar glazed carrots is one of my family's favorite side dishes, especially over the holidays, so I like to keep them on hand to make it whenever they want a nice sweet side dish. Let me know what you think in the comments below and with a rating!
Sweet Carrots Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter - unsalted
- 2 pounds carrots - peeled and sliced into thick sticks
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch ground black pepper
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish - optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the carrots, followed by the brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.3 tablespoons butter,2 pounds carrots,6 tablespoons brown sugar,2 tablespoons maple syrup,¼ teaspoon salt,Pinch ground black pepper
- Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are tender and the sauce has reduced to a bubbling glaze.
- The glaze will thicken a little more once it is removed from heat. Serve immediately topped with the freshly topped parsley if desired.Freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Notes
- While you can slice the carrots ahead of time, coating them in the brown sugar glaze is best done right before serving. The butter in the glaze will solidify when refrigerated.
- Top maple glazed carrots with freshly chopped parsley for a contrast in color and flavor. Alternatively, use a different favorite herb like rosemary or thyme.
- Feel free to add your favorite fresh herbs right in the glaze to infuse it with flavor. This is best done with rosemary!
- Sometimes I like to add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice to give it a pop of fresh citrus.
- You don't need to peel the carrots if they're organic, but I recommend scrubbing them very well. It adds a different texture and rustic appeal.
victor hall says
thanks for all you do i hope you and your family have a merry and a happy holiday stay safe and Blessed
Isabel Laessig says
Victor, this made me smile. I hope you had a wonderful holiday as well, and same to you! Thank you!