Honey Roasted Carrots

These Easy 3 Ingredient Honey Roasted Carrots are made with brown butter and honey then roasted until golden brown and perfectly tender. These are the perfect side dish to any meal!

If you need more healthy vegetable packed ideas, try my Roasted Asparagus with Garlic Breadcrumbs and my Brussels Sprout Stir Fry!

Honey Roasted Carrots

I am always looking for easy, vegetable based sides to brighten up my meals. I noticed that I always have a bag of carrots in my fridge, too. They are inexpensive and keep in the fridge for much longer than other veggies! Plus, they are so versatile. So, let’s make a delicious and super easy side using all of those carrots you have in the fridge.

These Honey Brown Butter Roasted Carrots truly make the perfect side dish to any meal. They take only 15 minutes to throw together and only 3 ingredients to make. To add lots of flavor to the carrots, I decided to brown the butter. This makes all the difference! It adds a nice nuttiness and toffee flavor to the carrots.

Ingredients Needed

• Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter as well! If you use salted, you can just use less salt when seasoning the carrots.
• Honey: Adds a nice glaze to the carrots. Maple syrup can be used in place of the honey.
• Carrots: I used whole carrots and sliced them at a diagonal. You can substitute baby carrots to make this recipe even easier.

How to Make Honey Roasted Carrots

• Cut carrots: Cut the carrots on a bias into bite size pieces, making sure to keep them similar in size and thickness. This will help them cook evenly. Place the cut carrots in a single layer on a greased baking sheet.
• Preheat oven: To 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
• Make brown butter: Add butter to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until light brown / caramel in color. This takes about 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on it so butter does not burn. It also helps to use a light colored saucepan for this. I like to swirl the pan every couple of minutes to keep the mixture moving.
• Bake: Add the honey to the browned butter and stir to combine. Pour the honey butter onto the carrots and toss until the carrots are evenly covered with the honey butter.  Bake for 10 minutes.
• Flip: Halfway through cooking flip carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
• Broil (Optional): If you want extra caramelization broil on high for 1-2 minutes. Just make sure to keep a very close eye on them so they do not burn.
• Serve: Immediately with fresh chopped parsley if desired and a sprinkle of salt.

Tips for the Best Roasted Carrots

• Give the carrots space: Make sure not to overcrowd your baking sheet with carrots. The carrots should be in a single layer. If they are pilled on top of each other they will steam instead of brown.
• Add a hint of spice! If you like a little bit of spice, a dash of cayenne pepper and even a little bit of cinnamon would go well with these honey roasted carrots.
• Cut the carrots into even pieces. As with anytime you are cooking vegetables, when they are cut into similar sizes, they can all bake evenly.
• Add more veg! If you want, you can add additional vegetables to this dish like broccoli, onion, Brussels sprouts or sweet potato. Just make sure they are all roughly the same size as the carrots when cut.
• If you are a garlic lover (like me), add a couple of garlic cloves to roast with the carrots for a sweet and savory twist!
• Use high quality ingredients! Anytime a recipe has few ingredients, it is essential to use high quality ingredients for the best flavor profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to brown the butter for this recipe?

You can skip browning the butter if you are short on time, but I highly recommend browning the butter. When butter is brown, it brings out a nutty, caramelized flavor that is so delicious. You won’t get exactly the same depth of flavor without browning the butter first.

How should I store leftover carrots?

Store any left over honey roasted carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I use frozen carrots?

I recommend using fresh carrots for this roasted carrots recipe instead of frozen. Frozen have more moisture inside of them and will therefore release steam when cooking. They will come out more like a steamed carrot instead of caramelized and roasted.

What to Serve with Honey Roasted Carrots

These easy roasted carrots are super versatile and have a flavor profile that goes along with a lot of different meals. Try some of my favorites:

• Easy Grilled Chicken
• Honey Garlic Salmon
• Steak Bites and Potatoes
• Easy Chicken Marsala
• Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Thighs

Here are More Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Try!

• Green Bean Casserole
• The BEST Sweet Potato Casserole
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Bacon Cheddar Biscuits