Tasty roasted carrots get beautifully caramelized when coated in honey and olive oil and roasted in a hot oven.
In this delicious honey roasted carrots recipe, small, firm carrots are coated in olive oil and honey, then roasted in a hot oven until caramelized.
What carrots to use when making roasted carrots?
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.
Roasting makes vegetables tasty!
It’s surprising really, how high-heat roasting turns almost any vegetable into a crispy, caramelized delicacy. It’s true for roasted brussels sprouts, for roasted cauliflower, and of course for roasted carrots. In fact, roasting is the only reliable way to make my Picky Eater eat her vegetables. (Hmm, also covering them in cheese sauce!)
Are carrots healthy?
Carrots are very healthy. Although they are relatively high in carbs. So if you are on a very low carb diet, you should limit them. They should be okay for a moderate carb diet, though.
How to serve roasted carrots
It’s a wonderful side dish, tasty, pretty and healthy. I often serve honey roasted carrots as a side to steak or baked pork chops, but you can serve them with anything, really. They are also good with honey baked chicken.
What about leftovers?
I don’t usually have leftovers when making this recipe. When I do, I find that they keep OK in the fridge, in a sealed container, for around 3 days. But they are not as good as when eaten fresh. So try to only make as much as you anticipate eating on that day.
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 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.
