Roasted Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots

Oven roasted carrots with honey glaze are everything you want these tubers to be (but rarely are): tender, yet firm, a little sweet, a little savory, and with a roasted flavor that’s out of this world! 

Why This Recipe Works

Baby carrots – While you can totally use whole carrots cut up in this roasted carrots recipe, I find that baby carrots cook faster and are a little bit more tender and sweet to begin with. But use whatever you have. 

Butter and honey – The butter gives the carrots an amazingly buttery taste and is the perfect cooking fat for this dish. Then, the honey gives a bit of a caramelization and of course adds the perfect amount of sweetness too. 

Quick – What could be quicker than a 30-minute side dish? Just prep these oven roasted carrots and put them in the oven while you turn your attention to another easy dish like this 20-minute Orange Chicken. 

Kid-friendly – Initially, the little ones might turn up their noses at the thought of eating oven roasted carrots. But after one taste, they’ll be inhaling the baby carrots like candy. Kids love these tender, sweet, glazed baby carrot gems. 

What Ingredients Are in Roasted Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots? 

To make these roasted carrots with honey, you’ll only need a few ingredients. 

• Whole carrots or baby carrots
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Butter
• Honey
• Minced garlic
• Fresh chopped or dried parsley 

How Do I Make Roasted Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots?

Are you ready to make the best carrots of your life? Me too! If you’ve purchased whole carrots, you’ll want to peel and chop them into several smaller sections (about three per carrot). If you’ve purchased baby carrots, no need to cut. And, if you’re working with petite baby carrots, again, no need to cut them up, but you will need to watch the cooking time on these, as they’ll cook more quickly. 

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease a rimmed baking sheet or casserole dish. 
• Toss carrots with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Next, arrange the carrots in a single layer on your prepared baking pan (use two pans or dishes if you need to ensure they all can bake in a single layer). 
• Put the carrots into the oven to bake for 25 minutes. At this time, switch your oven on to BROIL and let the carrots cook another 1-2 minutes (watch them so they don’t burn, especially if you’re using those really petite carrots). 
• Make the glaze while the carrots are baking by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Stir the honey into the butter/garlic mixture, let all of it boil, then remove it from heat and stir in the parsley.
• Once the carrots are done baking/broiling, pull them out of the oven and set them on the stovetop or on a rivet or hot plate. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the carrots right on the pan/baking dish(es). Toss to coat and let them cool a bit before serving. 

Can You Reheat Glazed Carrots?

Can you reheat these carrots? Why, you sure can. The best way to go about this is to add the carrots over a skillet with a little butter melted in the bottom. Heat them over medium heat until they are just cooked through.

Reheating carrots this way firms them back up a bit. If you just microwaved them, they would get mushy, and no one wants a mushy carrot. Well, maybe babies, but that’s about it. 

Alternately, you could reheat these in the oven at 350 degrees for about 5-10 minutes (like you would roasted potatoes or fries) to crisp them up a bit before reserving. 

Do You Peel Carrots Before Roasting?

While you don’t have to ever peel carrots, I do peel mine. The whole carrots that is. There’s no need to peel baby carrots because they are already peeled. I find that peeling them takes away a bit of that “earthy” taste and allows your tastebuds to dive right into the heart of this sweet and savory carrot recipe.  

Is It Better to Steam or Bake Carrots? 

Roasting carrots tastes better because the natural sugars in the carrots have a chance to caramelize a bit and it brings out the natural smoky sweetness. Also, you can add seasonings to these baby carrots as well as a glaze without a chance of it falling off like they would if they were boiled. Plus, the low-and-slow cooking method of roasting vegetables enhances their flavor.

It’s also easier to overcook veggies when boiling them (they get mushy). Whereas, if you over-roast, you’ll know because the veggies will burn. Also, overboiling can lead to a destruction of essential nutrients from the baby carrots like vitamin C.

How Long Does It Take to Soften Carrots in The Microwave?

It only takes about 3 minutes to soften whole carrots in the microwave. First, peel and cut up the carrots into about ½ inch rounds. Then, put them in a microwave-safe bowl with a couple tablespoons of water. Top the bowl with a lid or plate and cook for 3 minutes. Be careful taking the carrots out as the bowl will be hot. Allow to cool a bit before serving. 

What Are the Benefits of Eating Carrots? 

Carrots are so good for you. Whether you choose baby carrots or whole carrots, or if you glaze baby carrots like we did here, they are still very nutritious. One serving of carrots offers beta carotene, vitamin K1, potassium, antioxidants, and fiber. They are great for a healthy digestive system and are very filling. They also have been linked to lower levels of cholesterol as well as healthier eyes for those who include carrots into their diets regularly.

Ideas for Serving 

• Serve these carrots with a protein like chicken or pork for a well-rounded, healthy dinner. 
• If you are looking for vegetarian ideas for meatless Mondays, consider adding a healthy side salad or other vegetable dish in addition to these oven roasted carrots. 
• Roast these baby carrots and serve with a side of tomato soup or another warm and hearty soup. 
• Mix them up with another roasted vegetable like Brussels Sprouts. 
• Add them to a slightly sweet chicken dish like these Grilled Sweet and Spicy Thai Chicken Kabobs. 
• Serve these easy glazed carrots on top of rice with rotisserie chicken for a full meal. 

Expert Tips

• These baby carrots will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered dish. 
• Unless you plan on using these honey garlic glazed carrots for baby food, I wouldn’t recommend freezing them. They will thaw and reheat mushy. 
• To mix up the texture and look of the carrots, you could also buy a pre-cut package of carrot “chips,” found in the produce section. 
• If you use petite baby carrots, they will require less cooking time. Check them at 15 minutes, they should be fork-tender when they are ready. 

More Veggie Recipes

Why stop with carrots? Roast all the vegetables! Check out my popular posts for Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus, and Parmesan Green Beans. 

• Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Cauliflower
• Roasted Asparagus
• Roasted Honey Brown Sugar Carrots
• Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Potatoes and Carrots
• Carrot Cake Muffins
• Carrot and Coriander Soup