Tasty roasted carrots get beautifully caramelized when coated in honey and olive oil and baked in a hot oven.
I adore this roasted carrot recipe! Small, firm carrots are coated in olive oil and honey, then baked in a hot oven until caramelized. It’s a truly easy side dish that everyone loves, so I make it quite often for my family.
Even though carrots are very healthy, they are not a low-carb vegetable. So the kids get most of them, and my husband and I get just a small sample. 🥕
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need five simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
- Small firm carrots: The carrots marketed as “baby carrots” will not work as well.
- Olive oil: I like to use extra-virgin olive oil.
- Honey: Optional, but it helps the carrots caramelize and adds wonderful flavor.
- Kosher salt: Reduce the amount you use if using fine salt.
- Black pepper: Freshly ground tastes best.
What carrots to use?
Don’t attempt to use bagged baby carrots when making this recipe. Their water content is too high for this recipe to succeed.
You want young, firm, dry carrots. The small, 4-5 inch ones that are usually sold in bunches with their greens still attached are perfect. But you can also use mature carrots if that’s all you can find.
How to roast carrots
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
- Toss the carrots with the remaining ingredients.
- Spread them on a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake them for 15 minutes per side at 400°F. That’s it!
Roasting makes vegetables so tasty!
It’s surprising really, how high-heat roasting turns almost any vegetable into a crispy, caramelized delicacy.
It’s true for carrots, as this recipe proves. And it’s also true for roasted brussels sprouts and for roasted cauliflower.
In fact, baking in the oven is the only reliable way to make my Picky Eater eat her vegetables. (Also covering them in cheese sauce!)
How to serve roasted carrots
They make a wonderful side dish! They are tasty, pretty, and healthy. I often serve them as a side to steak or to baked pork chops. They are also good with honey baked chicken.
What about leftovers?
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
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Roasted Carrots
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. small firm carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or melted unsalted butter)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash the carrots and dry them well.
- If using large carrots, halve them crosswise and then halve their thick part lengthwise. Your goal is to have similar-sized carrot chunks. If using small carrots, as shown in the photos, you can leave them whole.
- In a large bowl, toss the carrots with the olive oil, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Spread the carrots on the prepared baking sheet, in a single layer. Roast until carrots are tender and browned, 10-15 minutes per side.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., has been following a healthy real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She has taken 
