Honey Roasted Carrots
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When you want a special side dish for your holiday meal, make Honey Roasted Carrots! This easy sheet pan recipe makes deliciously sweet baked carrots, great for holidays or a simple dinner.
Do you know that carrots come in different colors?! The most common is orange, but there are also white carrots and purple carrots! They all have a sweet flavor and are available all year long.
Carrots are naturally a little sweeter than other root vegetables, so when you add a honey glaze to them, it takes that natural sweetness up a notch! It’s a sweet and savory side that pairs well with meals like roasted chicken or turkey, lamb shoulder, and pork.
Serving honey roasted carrots with your holiday meal means there will be very few leftovers.
Why You’ll Love It
This recipe is easy to prepare ahead of time, making it great for the holidays. After you scrub and cut the carrots, they’ll stay crisp in the fridge for a few days.
It’s a sheet pan recipe, so it’s effortless to make. Just put the veggies in the oven to bake while your protein is resting. Clean up is easy, too!
The recipe is easy to adapt, too. Make just honey roasted carrots, or include other root vegetables, like I did with these sheet pan vegetables. If you have pickier eaters, sometimes rainbow colored carrots can pique their interest.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- Peeling the carrots is optional. It’ll save you a few minutes to skip the peeling. If you have older kiddos, it’s a perfect job for their help!
- For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. This way, there will be zero scrubbing or scraping after cooking!
- To prep up to 5 days in advance, prepare the honey mixture and keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator. Wash and prep the veggies, and store them in a container in the fridge.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
There are no fancy ingredients in this dish, just a few simple seasonings.
- carrots: It is best to purchase fresh carrots in their whole, long size. (Baby carrots are actually just cut versions of regular carrots!) You can use orange carrots, purple carrots or white carrots, too!
- oil: You can use avocado oil, olive oil, or even melted butter or ghee.
- honey: If your grocery budget allows, use raw honey. It has more nutrients, and the flavor is much better.
- vinegar: I use apple cider vinegar for its health benefits. If you need a substitute, distilled white and white balsamic are good options.
- honey mustard: I like to use naturally sweetened honey mustard, but any brand will work. Or, you can use homemade honey mustard.
- thyme leaves: Fresh thyme is available all year long – look for it in the produce section of the grocery store.
You can also make this recipe with parsnips. Try to buy medium-size parsnips that are similar in size to carrots, about 6-9 inches long. Large parsnips tend to have a woody, fibrous texture, so avoid them if possible.
How to Make Honey Roasted Carrots
Scroll to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
- Make the honey mixture. Just whisk everything together in a bowl. Easy!
- Prep the veggies. Scrub and peel them, trim off the root ends and tips, then slice them into pieces 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Then, toss them with the honey mixture.
Tip: Save your veggie scraps so you can make vegetable stock later!
- Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Halfway through the cook time, flip the vegetables over. When the veggies are fork-tender and caramelized, remove them from the oven.
Serving Suggestions
We like to serve these carrots with a simple protein and an easy green like microwave broccoli for a weeknight meal. They'd be a great side dish for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving turkey. For Easter, serve them with a stunning roasted leg of lamb and a pretty asparagus tart.
Storing Leftovers
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to days, per USDA. Unfortunately, roasted root vegetables don't freeze well — they become very soggy after thawing out.
FAQs
Yes, you sure can! Cut smaller pieces, about 3 inches long. This way, they will fit in your air fryer basket. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Air fry them for 25 minutes, stopping halfway to flip the vegetables and shake the basket.
Other Delicious Holiday Sides
I'd love to hear about your experience making this recipe! Please leave a comment and rating below!
Honey Roasted Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots about 6-8 inches long
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Set the oven to 400°F (204°C) to preheat. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Wash the carrots well, and peel if desired. Using a sharp knife, trim off the ends and cut the larger vegetables from top to bottom and lengthwise, creating pieces that are about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick at the thickest point. Transfer the pieces into a large bowl.
- Add the oil, honey, honey mustard, thyme leaves, vinegar, and salt to a small bowl, then whisk or stir with a spoon to fully combine.
- Pour the mixture into the bowl with carrots and parsnips. Using tongs or your hands, toss the vegetables until they're coated well on all sides.
- Arrange the coated veggies in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle any of the remaining honey mixture from the bowl over the vegetables.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until fork tender, stopping halfway to turn the pieces over.
- Remove from the oven, then transfer to a serving platter.
Notes
Nutrition
2025 Update. This recipe is still one of our favorites! It has been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and to add cooking tips for our readers. We hope you love it!
