In this easy 20-minute recipe for honey-glazed carrots, a delicious coating of butter and honey perfectly complements the natural sweetness of carrots.
I enjoy the subtly sweet flavor of carrots. I like them raw with ranch dressing or tahini, and I also like them simply prepared - these steamed carrots are delicious. But as much as I like simple flavors, these honey-glazed carrots are especially good. The butter and honey coating is wonderfully delicate and greatly enhances the carrots.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Carrots: I don't usually peel carrots when cooking them, but in this recipe, I prefer to peel them.
- Butter: I'm partial to creamy European-style butter, but any butter is delicious!
- Honey: You don't need to use a lot of honey - one tablespoon per pound of carrots is all it takes.
Carrot Varieties
You have several options when it comes to what type of carrots to use in this recipe.
- You can use bagged baby carrots, as shown in the image below.
- You can use regular carrots and cut them into fairly even bite-sized pieces, as shown in the photo below.
- Or, you can use petite carrots. If they're small enough, you can leave them whole, as shown in the image below.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook the carrots in water briefly, just until tender but not mushy.
Drain the carrots and add them back to the pot. Add butter, honey, and spices, and gently turn to coat.
That's it! This tasty side dish is ready in about 20 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- The first step when making this recipe is to cook the carrots in water briefly, just until tender but not mushy. This is important: you want them tender-crisp, so make sure not to overcook them. They will cook some more once you add them back to the hot saucepan with butter and honey.
- Make-ahead: Boil the carrots a day early, refrigerate, and then reheat and glaze them just before serving to save time on busy days.
- Use different types of honey to subtly change the flavor. Clover honey gives the dish a mild flavor, while wildflower or buckwheat honey adds a deeper, more complex sweetness.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. It's just as good!
Yes. Toss the carrots with melted butter, honey, and spices. Spread them on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 400°F oven until tender, 20-30 minutes, gently tossing them midway.
Yes. Use coconut oil instead of butter. It's delicious!
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven or in the microwave at 50% power. This is one of those recipes where the leftovers are very good as long as you reheat them gently.
As an alternative to reheating the leftovers, you can add them cold to a salad, as shown in the photo below. 
Serving Suggestions
This versatile side dish pairs well with almost anything. I find that it pairs especially well with any of the following main courses:
- Baked pork chops
- Bacon-wrapped chicken breast
- Pan-seared pork medallions
- Lamb shoulder chops
- Ham steak
- Honey garlic chicken, as shown in the photo below:
They are also the perfect side dish on Thanksgiving - see the delicious plate below, featuring roasted turkey breast, sauteed spinach, gravy, cornbread, and these carrots.
Recipe Card
Quick Honey-Glazed Carrots
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt - divided
- 1 pound carrots
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and cut them into bite-size chunks. If using baby carrots, you can leave them whole.
- In a medium saucepan, bring water (about 2 inches high) to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water boils, add ½ teaspoon of salt and the carrots.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook the carrots until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the carrots well in a colander.
- Add the drained carrots back to the warm saucepan and set it on medium-low heat. Add the butter, honey, the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and dried thyme.
- Cook the carrots, stirring often, until the glaze coats them, for about 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- You can use real maple syrup instead of honey.
- For a dairy-free version, use coconut oil instead of butter.
- You want the carrots tender-crisp, so make sure not to overcook them. They will cook some more once you add them back to the hot saucepan with butter and honey.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven or in the microwave at 50% power. This is one of those recipes where the leftovers are very good as long as you reheat them gently. (I've also been known to snack on them cold!)
Nutrition per Serving
Save this Recipe!
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.
Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Connie Roth says
So good and so easy!!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked these carrots, Connie! Thank you very much for the review.
Elle says
Really yummy way to have carrots! I like roasted carrots too, but those take so long in the oven. The boiling method here produces soft but not mushy carrots, and the honey-butter glaze is amazing.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Glad you liked this recipe, Elle! Thank you very much for the review.