Maple-Glazed Carrots (5 Ingredients)
These Maple-Glazed Carrots are the easiest 5 ingredient side dish to make in under 30 minutes. We serve these every year on our holiday table and the kids love them! With sweet maple flavors and caramelized texture, they taste like candy in a veggie form.
We developed the recipe to use just a single skillet for easy prep and clean up. You first saute the carrots on the stove and then finish roasting them in the oven until they are tender and perfect. Serve them with our Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs or Marry Me Tortellini for the ultimate meal!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- 5 ingredient side dish. This is the simplest side that you can make with ingredients you already have at home.
- A vegetable dish your kids will love. These maple glazed carrots taste like candy! My kids love them, there’s never an issue trying to get them to eat their veggies.
- Great for a weeknight or entertaining. We love to serve these any night of the week and they always make an appearance on our holiday table.
Ingredients
- Carrots: The main ingredient for this classic side dish.
- Olive oil: Cooking fat for the recipe.
- Butter: A second cooking fat that adds all the rich flavor.
- Sugar-free maple syrup: The ingredient responsible for that rich maple flavor here. We use sugar-free as a lighter option.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Adds a hint of spice to every bite.
How to Make Glazed Maple Carrots
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Choose an oven-safe skillet or frying pan large enough to hold all the carrots in a single layer.
2. Prep the carrots: Peel the carrots, trim off the thin ends, and slice the thicker tops in half lengthwise. Cut the pieces on the diagonal so they’re all about the same size and shape for even cooking.
3. Saute the carrots: Heat the olive oil and butter in the skillet over medium-high heat until the oil looks shimmery (but not smoking). Add the carrots — they should sizzle slightly — and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the surface looks slightly blistered and golden in spots.
4. Add flavor: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar-free maple syrup and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat the carrots evenly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Roast: Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 10–15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the carrots are tender and caramelized to your liking.
6. Serve: Remove from the oven and give them a final toss to coat in the buttery maple glaze. Garnish with a light sprinkle of sea salt or extra red pepper flakes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Choose a large enough skillet that lets all of the carrots sit in an even layer. This is crucial to even cooking and getting a nice caramelization on the outside of the carrots. If the pan is too crowded, the carrots will only steam and not turn golden brown.
- Make sure to cut the carrots all the same size. This helps with even cooking so they all cook in the same amount of time and none of them burn.
- Swap the sugar-free maple syrup for regular. You can use regular syrup here, we like the sugar-free for a lighter option. Be sure to watch the syrup closely so it doesn’t burn as it cooks.
- Use an oven-safe skillet. We like to saute these maple carrots on the stovetop and then finish them in the oven until they are deliciously tender and caramelized. It’s a foolproof method and side dish for any occasion.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water until warmed through.
Freezing the carrots unfortunately doesn’t work as it changes the texture once they are thawed.
FAQs
Of course! Chopped pecans or walnuts would be delicious. Add chopped parsley, rosemary, or time to the glaze at the end of cooking.
If you start to smell them burning, be sure to add a splash of water to the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. This is where all the flavor is! Then continue cooking.
Yes, honey gives it a different flavor profile, more like caramel once it cooks with the carrots.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
Maple Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut on the diagonal into even-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- Coarse sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Choose an oven-safe skillet or frying pan large enough to hold all the carrots in a single layer.
Prep the carrots:
- Peel the carrots, trim off the thin ends, and slice the thicker tops in half lengthwise. Cut the pieces on the diagonal so they’re all about the same size and shape for even cooking.
Sauté the carrots:
- Heat the olive oil and butter in the skillet over medium-high heat until the oil looks shimmery (but not smoking).
- Add the carrots — they should sizzle slightly — and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the surface looks slightly blistered and golden in spots.
Add flavor:
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar-free maple syrup and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat the carrots evenly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Roast:
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 10–15 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the carrots are tender and caramelized to your liking.
Serve:
- Remove from the oven and give them a final toss to coat in the buttery maple glaze. Garnish with a light sprinkle of sea salt or extra red pepper flakes before serving.
