Glazed Carrots are usually made on the stove but they are so much more amazing roasted!!! Tossed with brown sugar and butter then roasted so you get gorgeous caramelised edges with a caramel-like sauce, this a super quick and easy carrot side dish that’s so outrageously delicious, you could just have a bowl of this for dinner. (I did!)
If you’re out of oven space, try this stove top version – with the same caramelisation!
Glazed Carrots with caramelisation!
Maybe it’s because I live in Australia and not North America, but it never occurred to me to make glazed carrots without caramelised edges. Yet, when I had a scout around the internet before publishing this recipe, I was somewhat bemused to see that the standard recipe seems to be made on the stove without any caramelisation.
So really, they’re boiled carrots coated in a sugary syrup. (I’m being cheeky. 😂)
But when you roast them so you get caramelised edges? OMG!!
ROASTING RULES!
Roasting trumps stove top everyday, even if they’re sautéed until golden. Roasting carrots intensifies the flavour and natural sweetness in a way you can’t achieve on the stove.
How to make Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
This is a super quick and easy recipe. Just toss the carrots in brown sugar (or honey or maple syrup), butter and oil with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Then just roast for 25 minutes in a hot oven (220C/425F) until the carrots are caramelised on the edges. A hot oven works best so we can get caramelised edges without the carrot getting too soft and wrinkled.
What you’ll end up with is a pan of tender carrots (but not mushy soft) and enough caramel-like sauce to glaze the carrots (hence the name – Glazed Carrots!) but not so much that you feel like you’re eating a dessert.
TIP: I use both oil AND butter here. The reason is that butter provides better flavour but it burns at high temperatures. So by combining with oil, we get the best of both worlds!
What to serve with glazed carrots
Glazed carrots will pair beautifully with most non-Asian meals though I wouldn’t use them with mains with a sweet sauce – too much sugar. It would be ideal to pop in the oven at the same time as this Baked Chicken Breast or Roast Chicken, or this Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling.
Have it as your side for a quick one-pan Baked Chicken and Rice, Meatloaf, or make complete a meat-free meal by adding a side of Mushroom Rice.
Some more quick dinner ideas that will pair beautifully with these Glazed Carrots:
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Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs (reader favourite!)
It’s a also a classic for holiday dinner tables, including Thanksgiving and Christmas.
But honestly? These Glazed Carrots are SO GOOD you might do what I did yesterday – just have a big bowl of these as a meal! – Nagi x
FAQ in BRIEF
Best carrots to use for Glazed Carrots – Any! Baby carrots, dutch carrots, standard carrots (pictured), multi coloured carrots. All types of carrots are suitable for this recipe – just cut larger carrots to size (see video or above steps).
How long does it take to roast carrots – Just 25 minutes at 220C/425F. A hot oven works best so we can get caramelised edges without the carrot getting too soft and wrinkled.
How to make Glazed Carrots on the stove – Roasting honestly brings out the best flavour in carrots, but if you’re out of oven capacity, use this Stove Top Glazed Carrots recipe.
These are too sweet for my taste! Well, these are Glazed Carrots so they are sweet! This recipe calls for 1/4 cup of brown sugar for 1 kg / 2 lb of carrots. But it can be reduced down to 1 tbsp whilst still ending up with a beautiful glaze – I do this depending on what I’m serving as the main.
Can you make Glazed Carrots ahead of time? YES! The best way is to get them out of the oven when they are tender-crisp, not super soft. They will hold up perfectly in the fridge for 2 to 5 days, then reheat in the microwave.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb carrots , peeled (Note 1)
- 1/4 cup (40g) brown sugar , loosely packed (Note 2)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tbsp butter (30g) , melted (or olive oil)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Parsley , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/425F (standard) or 200C/400F (fan).
- Cut carrot on the diagonal into 4cm / 1.75” lengths. Halve thicker end so they are all roughly the same width.
- Toss in a bowl with sugar, butter, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto tray, spread out.
- Roast 15 minutes. Toss, then roast a further 10 minutes until soft and caramelised on the edges with plenty of glaze left on the tray.
- Toss carrots in the glaze, sprinkle with parsley if using. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Spot Dozer!
Everyone loved these. II have to admit they didn’t look as good as yours, but they will next time. LOL. Merry Christmas Nagi and Dozer.
A Christmas Eve hit! Perfect. Just followed the recipe. No leftovers. Gone in 60 seconds. Thanks, Nagi!
This recipe is delicious! I’m planning on serving for Christmas!
Enjoy Nicole! Merry Christmas!
I want to make this for my husbands potluck at work. But I’m afraid they will get too dry being refrigerated and then heated up the next day. Any tips to avoid this?
Hi Jess, they will be fine reheated, just put them in a container with a splash of water and microwave (covered) to reheat – N x
After 25 mins they are still hard.
Hi Amanda, how big are your carrots? If they are too large, I tend to cut them in half so the cook time is less – N x
What pan works best for this?
Hi Erin, any kind of skillet or non-stick pan will work fine here 🙂
The only thing that was caramelized was the pan.
Oh no Trish! What kind of pan were you using? N x
Wow. Nagi I have been a mad cook for years. I have cooked so many of your recipes and am never ever disappointed. I am currently throwing out my recipe books. Sadly I have over 100 and will only keep a handful as I rarely reference these. I am on this site daily planning my weekly meal plan. Thank you so much for your dedication to us foodies.
I tried making this now and used my oven toaster instead of my gas oven . So yummy and so easy !!!!!
I’m so glad you loved them!
Do you think you could partially bake these and them freeze them as part of a freezer meal?
Just made these as an Easier side and they are simply delectable! The garlic definitely makes it even more so 🙂 this is so simple and is now going to be a permanent fixture on our menu. Thanks and Happy Easter! 🙂
Wahoo!!!
if i’m making a lot say 8 lbs do i prepare it different
Hi Mike, you can adjust the recipe ingredients by using the slider bar to increase the amount – prepare the same way ☺️
I printed this when it arrived in email, but just made it for the first time last night. We were having your Chinese chicken soup (outstanding!!), but since I’ve vowed to eat more veg and be healthy, I made these carrots. Also made roasted broccoli (tossed with olive oil, S&P, and a bit of chili flake) at the same time. The two veggies together were a combination made in heaven! These carrots are divine! Thanks so much, Nagi!
PS. I tried marking 5 stars, but they’re not working.
Thanks so much for the feedback Sherry, I’m so happy you loved them!
Do you use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar in this recipe? Thanks!
If I use baby carrots, do I still need to halve lengthwise? Or can I roast whole and expect them to be done? Thanks!
Depending on their size, if they are larger I’d cut them in half. Just check with a skewer after 25 mins to ensure they are cooked through ❤️
Ah, Ah, what are you doing to me woman? MADED last night yes in oven BUT THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE THAT BECAUSE RUN OUT OF BUTTER AND DID NOT PUT ENOUGH HONEY…….. HAAA. HAAA. OK WILL REDO/finished them of today and am having fish . Made last night mushroom soup for next three days it’s cold. Love to run out in garden and pick fresh herbs. Anything you could think of that would go with carrots?? Please let me know ( sage, tarragon ) . Ok, be good. Cheerio, Vera.
This is how I have been roasting my carrots and sweet potatoes. Except I use honey or maple syrup or both cuz I can’t have butter. So good! I will eat a bowl of carrots or sweet potatoes or even broccoli with a few scrambled eggs for dinner, when I forget to defrost some meat…or tired. I have to scramble a few for my dog too or he will whine. 😂
I see Dozer N, but which one is his girlfriend? 🐕😂
ME TOO! I do that too!!! PS Dozer’s girlfriend isn’t in that pic.,.., 😂
Nagi, will sweet potatoes come out carmelized if I use your recipe for carrots?
Just butter on our carrots, thank you, though those are not on our Thanksgiving menu. But, I may roast some carrots with butter next week. Would you believe both our cooktop and (wall) convection microwave (Wolf) just went on the fritz within days of each other? Fortunately, will be able to pull off Thanksgiving with a couple of portable induction units, provided the wall oven and toaster oven don’t go the way of the cooktop and microwave before Friday, because the odds of getting a service person here before next week sometime are not very good at all! Plus, it might be worth just upgrading instead, since they are both several years old now, anyway. What timing–almost like a comical holiday movie, but no worries here–we shall prevail and our table will have its turkey and all the usual fixings. Oh, but that’s only part of it–our furnace quit too, and it will be the coldest Thanksgiving on record this year, with an overnight temp of only 2-degrees F! But, we have some portable heaters handy to get us through if that service company can’t get someone here before tomorrow, and the oven will be cranked up most of the day on Thurs., so we won’t freeze, either.
Your potato gratin post had me craving those, but I make potato gratin (very similar to yours) every Christmas Eve, so am trying not to cave to that urge yet! But, will be using your pressure cooker instructions tonight for a shredded beef ragu (also very similar to yours), because I’d used those pressure cooking instructions last time and the ragu came out really great, and had been a time saver I’d needed both then and will need again tonight, especially with everything falling apart around here suddenly! :)) I hadn’t even considered doing ragu in the pressure cooker, having always just done it the traditional way in a big ol’ pot, but will probably do it that way from now on! Thanks for that inspiration!
Hope you and Dozer will be doing something fun on Thursday while we are all being thankful and eating turkeys here in the states! We’ll be thinking of you and will be being thankful for all the recipes and ideas you impart throughout the year!
I’ll be doing what you do…eating them as an entire meal! 😀 Actually, I do that with broccoli too. Weird!
Dozer. Let me guess, they’re all not so patiently waiting to get into the van…heading for the beach. We all need a good fishing trip now and then! 😀
I saw this on Instagram last night and came looking for the recipe but couldn’t find it. Then I just saw this on Facebook!! Thank you! Just completing by Thanskgiving dinner menu and this will be on it (along with your slow cooker garlic turkey and potato gratin!)
Wow that was quick! I literally just shared that video on Facebook 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving Tiff!! N xx
Just made these 5# of them for a funeral Amazing!! Where is that bar you use for larger quantity. Thanks for all your great recipes 💕