In this easy 20-minute recipe for honey glazed carrots, a delicious coating of butter and honey perfectly complements the natural sweetness of carrots. You don't need to use a lot of honey - one tablespoon per pound of carrots is all it takes.
I enjoy carrots' subtly sweet flavor. I enjoy them raw, 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 it greatly enhances the natural sweetness of the carrots.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- 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 butter, but any butter is delicious!
- Honey: Just one tablespoon.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and dried thyme.
- Chopped parsley: I use it mostly for garnish. It's optional.
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.
You can use regular carrots like I do here and cut them into fairly even bite-size 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.
Variations
- Try using olive oil instead of butter. It's a very different flavor profile, but it's excellent. Although personally, I do prefer butter.
- Sometimes, I use real maple syrup instead of honey.
- Try adding a pinch of garlic powder. You can also replace the thyme with dried oregano.
Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step is to cook the carrots in water briefly, just until tender but not mushy.
Drain the carrots and add them back to the same pot. Add butter, honey, and spices, and gently turn to coat.
That's it! This tasty side dish is ready in about 20 minutes.
Expert Tip
As mentioned above, 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.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. You can make these carrots a couple of hours ahead and keep them in a warm (170°F) oven. Or even make them the day before and reheat them in a 350°F oven or in the microwave.
Yes. Toss the carrots with melted butter, honey, and spices. Spread them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake them in a 400°F oven until tender, 20-30 minutes, gently tossing them midway through.
Yes. Use coconut oil instead of butter. It's delicious!
Serving Suggestions
This is a versatile side dish that goes with almost anything. I most often serve it with one of the following main dishes:
Storing Leftovers
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, by the way!)
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Recipe Card
20-Minute 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
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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.
Yael 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.
*Please note I am Vered's daughter, but this is my honest opinion!*
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you, dear Yael. 🙂