This Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots recipe is made with the perfect mixture of butter and brown sugar, not too sweet, but sweet enough for you to enjoy it without the extra added sugar. They are so easy to make, very affordable and go well with so many dishes during the holiday or busy weeknights.
Glazed carrots are a popular side dish served a lot in the U.S especially during the holiday season. These Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots go well with proteins like chicken, steaks, turkey and so much more!
If you're looking for other delicious sides, why not also try my Oven Baked Brussel Sprouts or my Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes!
Why you'll love these Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Delicious! These Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots are perfectly sweet with such a lovely texture.
- An easy side dish. The prepping time is less than 10 minutes at the most if you are using large carrots that need to be peeled and cut. But it takes less if you are doing the glazed baby carrots because the carrots is ready to go and are much smaller.
- A popular holiday side. These glazed carrots are perfect for the holidays and go with so many festive mains.
- Kid and adult friendly. My kids love carrots so this is one of their favorite side dishes! Whether you make this recipe for the holiday or on one of your busy weeknight, I am sure your family will absolutely love it along side your poultry, meat or seafood dishes!
Ingredients you'll need
- Carrots
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Oil (any kind, preferably light tasting olive oil)
How to make these Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Prep the carrots - Peel and slice the carrots into similar size.
- Coat the carrots - Place in a shallow bowl and pour over the melted butter, oil and brown sugar.
- Bake - Bake in a pre-heated 400 F oven for 15-20 minutes, tossing the carrots halfway through. Cook time depends on how tender you want them.
- Garnish, serve and enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
- Use a preheated oven.
- Cover to cook with foil wrap if you like your carrot extra tender but cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes to obtain the grown glaze.
- Try to chose a bag where the carrots are about the same thickness so they can cook evenly when you bake.
- If the carrots are thicker towards the end you can always cut it in half to reduce the thickness.
- You can also slice the carrots into coins, they'll take less time to cook.
- You can add a tiny pinch of cinnamon powder if you like but I just keep mine as simple as possible!
- Toss the carrots halfway through cooking.
- You can substitute honey or maple syrup for the brown sugar.
- Sprinkle on some fresh parsley for a pop of freshness - plus it looks lovely!
FAQ's
Do I have to use oil and butter?
It is not essential but really does help! Butter burns at a higher temperature than oil but adds loads of flavor and a lovely richness to the carrots, as well as bringing out the sweetness. So combining with oil (which burns at a much higher temp), means you get the best of both worlds!
What to serve with these Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
These little orange beauties go well with all kinds of main dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Grilled Steak and Potatoes
- Grilled Harissa Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Beef Kabobs
- Skillet Salmon with Vegetables
Other ways to cook these Glazed Carrots
If your oven is occupied at the time you want to prepare the glazed carrots, you can always cook them on your stove top. You will have to sauté the carrots with a little bit of oil on medium heat for about 7 minutes or until tender, then add in a couple tablespoons of butter and brown sugar. Stir well and cover to cook for a few more minutes until the carrots are caramelized.
You can also use honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar to make your glazed carrots. If you are baking, you can add it before baking as I did for this recipe and if you are cooking on the stove, you will do add it later on towards the end with the butter after the carrots have sautéed and become tender just like cooking the brown sugar glazed carrots on the stove.
Can I make these carrots ahead of time?
Absolutely. Make the recipe as is, but take the carrots out of the oven when they are tender-crisp, not really soft. They will hold up really well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, you can reheat in the microwave.
Other side dish recipes
- Easy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Easy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
- Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
- Oven Roasted Parmesan Herbed Potatoes
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. carrots peeled and uniformly sliced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 tsp. olive oil light tasting
- ¼ tsp. salt optional
- ¼ tsp. pepepr optional
Instructions
- Peel and slice the carrots into similar size. About 1 ½ inch in length.
- Place in a shallow bowl and pour over the melted butter, oil and brown sugar. Mix to coat well.
- Bake in a pre-heated 400 F oven for 15-20 minutes, tossing the carrots halfway through.
- Remove and transfer onto a serving dish. You can garnish with fresh chopped parsley if you like.
Notes
- Use a preheated oven.
- Cover to cook with foil wrap for 10 minutes if you like your carrot extra tender but cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes to obtain the grown glaze.
- Try to chose a bag where the carrots are about the same thickness so they can cook evenly when you bake.
- If the carrots are thicker towards the end you can always cut it in half to reduce the thickness.
- You can also slice the carrots into coins, they'll take less time to cook.
- You can add a tiny pinch of cinnamon powder if you like but I just keep mine as simple as possible!
- Toss the carrots halfway through cooking.
- You can substitute honey or maple syrup for the brown sugar.
- Sprinkle on some fresh parsley for a pop of freshness - plus it looks lovely!
Does the nutrition guide have a serving size or is it for the whole recipe?
Hi Jess, that's for one serving.
I must try this recipe. thanks for sharing
My favorite side dish
Is this easy to make ahead? Like if I make it, once it cools can I store in the fridge and will it reheat ok the next day?
Hi Michele,
I definitely can be made before hand but it might not have the fresh crunch and texture as when you make it fresh.
I like it when carrots are soft when eating. Are they going to come out soft?
The more you cook, the softer they will be. You can always also cover the carrots with foil wrap and they will steam and soften faster. But you need to cook uncovered to get the nice brown glazed color.
There is no mention of where to use the oil? And what kind of pan you use in the oven? I assume you toss the carrots in the oil as well, and place them in a baking sheet? A lot of guess work for someone who has never made this., I am winging it.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for pointing that out. It goes in with the melted butter. I adjusted the instructions.