In this easy 20-minute recipe, a tasty glaze 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 really like carrots. 🥕 I enjoy their subtly sweet flavor. In fact, I even love simply steamed carrots! But I enjoy many types of simply steamed or even boiled veggies. Perhaps it's growing up with a Dutch dad - the Dutch (at least his generation) seem to be fond of boiling their vegetables.
As much as I like simple flavors, I do have to admit that these honey-glazed carrots are especially good. The butter and honey coating is so wonderfully delicate! And it greatly enhances the natural sweetness of the carrots.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish. 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 do prefer to peel them.
- Butter: I'm partial to creamy European butter. But any butter is delicious!
- Honey: Just one tablespoon.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the carrots could end up too salty.
- Dried thyme: Make sure it's fresh. Spices are delicious, but a stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
- Chopped parsley: I use it mostly for garnish. It's optional.
Instructions
Making honey-glazed carrots is so easy! The detailed instructions 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.
- Now, drain the carrots, then 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.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. You can make these carrots a couple of hours ahead of time and keep them in a warm (150 degrees F) oven. Or even make them the day before, then reheat them in a 200F oven or in the microwave.
You have several options:
1. You can use regular carrots like I do here and cut them into fairly even bite-size pieces.
2. You can use bagged baby carrots.
3. And you can use petite carrots. If they're small enough, you can leave them whole if you wish, as shown in this photo:
Yes. You can 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 baking.
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- Try using olive oil instead of butter. It's a very different flavor profile, but it's excellent. Although personally, I do prefer butter.
- Use real maple syrup instead of honey.
- Try adding a pinch of garlic powder. You can also replace the thyme with dried oregano.
Serving suggestions
This is such a versatile side dish. It goes with almost anything. I most often serve it with one of the following main dishes:
- Honey garlic chicken
- Baked pork chops
- Bacon-wrapped chicken breast
- Pan-seared pork medallions
- Garlic parmesan wings
- Chicken and mushrooms
- Lamb shoulder chops
- Ham steak
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container 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 been also known to snack on them cold, by the way!)
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Recipe Card
Honey-Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
- 1 lb. carrots*
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, bring water (about 2 inches high) to a boil over medium-high heat. When water boils, add 1 teaspoon kosher 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, set on medium-low heat. Add the butter, honey, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, and dried thyme.
- Cook the carrots, stirring often, until the honey butter glaze coats them, about 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
2. You can use baby carrots.
3. And you can use petite carrots, and if they're small enough, you can leave them whole if you wish. You can make these carrots a couple of hours ahead of time and keep them in a warm (150 degrees F) oven. Or even make them the day before, then reheat them in a 200F oven.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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