These maple-roasted carrots are the glaziest side dish you’ll ever eat, their sweet-hot kick complementing everything from ham to lamb to green bean casserole. Bonus: The easy recipe requires minimal prep time, making it a strong choice for a lazy weekend supper or holiday dinner—whether for Easter, Rosh Hashanah, Christmas, or Thanksgiving.
Leave the baby carrots for another day and look for long, slender whole carrots without many cracks, ideally with their green tops still attached. The candy-like glaze plays up the root vegetable’s natural sweetness, while a dash of chile flakes keeps the cooked carrots in check. Note that the glaze can make a mess of a sheet pan, so line it well with foil (not parchment paper) for easy cleanup. Roasting in a single layer in a hot oven helps ensure caramelized, fork-tender glazed carrots with lightly crispy edges; keep an eye on them as they near the end of the cooking time since that sugar can darken quickly. Adding a bit of flaky salt as a final garnish balances the sweetness, but if you prefer a hit of something fresh, add a shower of roughly chopped fresh herbs like parsley or oregano—or those carrot greens.
Need something faster for your weeknight dinner? Head this way for a simple roasted carrot recipe made with olive oil, black pepper, and fresh thyme.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
6
⅓
⅓
¾
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with 3 sheets of foil (you’ll need it!). Cut 2 lb. medium carrots, tops trimmed to about ½", scrubbed, on a diagonal into 3" pieces (halved or quartered lengthwise if large).
Step 2
Spread out carrots on foil. Evenly top with 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, ⅓ cup (packed; 70 g) light brown sugar, ⅓ cup pure maple syrup, and ¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. Season with kosher salt and toss to combine.
Step 3
Roast carrots, tossing every 20 minutes, until tender and browned around the edges, 50–60 minutes. Transfer to a platter (with syrup, if desired). Sprinkle with flaky sea salt (if using).
Editor’s note: This recipe for maple-glazed carrots was first printed in November 2018. Head this way for more of our best carrot recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (75)
Back to TopMy first time making caramelized carrots, and this recipe is a keeper! I reduced the brown sugar and maple syrup to 1/4 C each, which was plenty sweet and delicious. I'll make this for the Thanksgiving dinner.
Rosa
Seoul, Korea
11/22/2023
Loved these carrots - they tasted like candy. So easy to make. To hasten the cooking process, I cut all the carrots in half lengthwise. It took about 20 minutes.
Anonymous
Evergreen, CO
11/7/2023
Theses were way too sweet for me.
Mandy
Los Angeles
4/27/2023
A bit too sweet for my taste, but a fun and easy recipe to try once
Anonymous
2/14/2023
My husband has burned these twice! What are we missing? We can tell they would be fabulous if not blackened, but what happens obviously has escaped hubby's vision in the oven. I'm not sure I want him to try again.
Anonymous
Erie PA
1/1/2023
Can I travel, make ahead?
Anonymous
Milford CT
11/19/2022
These are my favorite carrots to make for EVERYONE. My husband and toddler who are anti-veg eat these, my mom who only eats veg thinks these are a treat - they’re the best. Agree with others that they do end up super sweet, but like, who cares. Salt to taste after and you’ll be *chefs kiss* My favorite for the Thanksgiving table! For those asking about reheating, I toss them back in the oven with a few smaller cubes of butter for 15. Avoid the microwave since they’ll go limp (boo).
Kaitlin
Detroit
11/9/2022