These Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots are about to be your new favorite carrots recipe! The combination of sweet glazed carrots with gorgeous caramelized edges make these the perfect side dish. (Bonus? They’re Gluten-Free, Paleo & Vegan-Friendly!)
This roasted carrots recipe is basically all my favorite things: budget-friendly, easy to put together, and mostly hands-off. That’s EXACTLY the kind of delicious side dish I want, whether it’s for a special occasions like a holiday dinner, or a simple weeknight dinner.
The simple glaze highlights the carrots’ natural sweetness, while the carrots take on the gorgeous caramelized texture of classic roasted carrots. It’s what makes them such a classic for holiday meals, along with other delicious sides like fluffy mashed potatoes, seasoned green beans, or the BEST corn on the cob.
They’re everything I love about roasted veggies–tender texture, subtle sweetness from roasting, and caramelized, golden brown edges. SO GOOD! (I almost always have to make a double batch since they go so fast!)
So let’s make a sweet glaze, toss in some carrots, and make the most amazing glazed roasted carrots recipe around! Because friends don’t let friends eat boring carrots..
Gather Your Ingredients
One thing that makes this easy recipe SO good is the simple ingredients list. Let’s take a look:
- CARROTS. Every good roasted carrot recipe needs carrots! I make my glazed roasted carrots using cut carrots rather than baby carrots (I love the caramelized edges!), but baby carrots should also work.
- BUTTER, VEGAN BUTTER, OR GHEE. You can use butter, vegan butter, or ghee (clarified butter) for this glazed carrots recipe based on your dietary needs. (FYI – Ghee is clarified butter and considered dairy-free (suitable for paleo & dairy-free diets.)
- PURE MAPLE SYRUP. For some lovely caramelization and subtle sweetness, I love using maple syrup for my glazed roasted carrots. It brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots without getting *too* sweet. It’s SO GOOD.
- GARLIC. If it sounds odd to add garlic to your glazed carrots, TRY IT! The savory-sweet notes absolutely MAKE this recipe. I love the combination so much!
- SALT & PEPPER. Since this is a simple glaze, we’ll round out and balance the flavors with a little kosher salt and black pepper. I also love a little bit of flaky salt for garnish!
- OPTIONAL: HERBS FOR GARNISH. To make these pretty, feel free to garnish them with fresh or freeze-dried herbs. I like fresh parsley, fresh thyme or fresh dill. Freeze-dried parsley is especially awesome as its shelf-stable, but keeps its pretty green color. It’s PERFECT for making just about anything look prettier!
How to Make Glazed Roasted Carrots, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Prep The Carrots. Wash and peel your carrots, removing any green carrot tops. Cut each carrot diagonally into 3-4 pieces. (If you have large carrots that are very thick, cut your pieces in half lengthwise to promote even cooking)
- Make The Maple Glaze. In a large saute pan, gently melt butter, vegan butter or ghee. Add maple syrup and stir to combine. Add garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and stir about 1 minute.
- Coat The Carrots. Add carrots and carefully stir to coat with the glaze mixture.
- Roast. Pour carrots and glaze mixture out onto a baking sheet/sheet pan in a single layer and distribute as evenly as you can to allow air flow and better roasting. Roast 20 minutes. Stir carrots and roast another 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Broil To Finish. Turn heat up to the BROIL setting and broil carrots 2-5 minutes to give them a browned finish. (Watch carefully so they don’t scorch!)
- Serve & Store. If desired, season with additional some flaky sea salt and a little extra pepper, and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Enjoy warm with your favorite main dish. Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.
Mix It Up! Try Adding A One Of These Extras
We love these maple-roasted carrots exactly as written, but if you’re looking for a flavor change of pace, there are some yummy options to try.
- A pinch of cinnamon (skip the garlic)
- A little chili powder or a dash of chile flakes for a sweet-hot kick (add with salt & pepper)
- A pinch of smoked paprika (add with salt * pepper)
- 1/2-1 Tbsp. Fresh dill or fresh parsley (as a garnish)
Or, use rainbow carrots! For a beautiful finish, you can use rainbow carrots (white, yellow, orange, red, purple!) instead of regular carrots. Keep an eye out for them at the farmer’s market or a well-stocked grocery store. They work beautifully here!
FAQ + Tips For The Best Glazed Roasted Carrots
A TIP FOR CUTTING YOUR CARROTS. I cut my carrots into thirds or fourths diagonally (called a “bias cut”) rather than straight across because it’s pretty, but it also helps you get better-caramelized edges. For larger carrots that are extra-thick, you may want to cut those 1/3 or 1/4 pieces in half lengthwise.
THIS IS MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE PEELER. I didn’t know I could love a vegetable peeler this much until I got this one. I use it for peeling All The Things (it makes these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes a cinch!). If you’re in the market, this one is under $10 and works REALLY well.
CAN I USE OLIVE OIL? You can, though you’ll probably want to add a little extra salt. I find the flavors aren’t quite as nice as using a butter or ghee option.
CAN I USE HONEY OR BROWN SUGAR? If you’d like to, they’ll both work for these glazed roasted carrots. I have found that honey can scorch the pan a bit more, so just keep an eye on it. If you’re going the brown sugar route, be sure to dissolve the sugar well in the butter/ghee before adding the carrots for the best results.
A TIP FOR EASY CLEANUP. Hot water dissolves sugar, so I always add hot water to the pan for a few minutes before cleaning, and it helps break up any stuck on glaze that might be on your pan.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Glazed Roasted Carrots recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Glazed Roasted Carrots (Paleo + Vegan-Friendly)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots washed, peeled, and ends cut off
- 3 Tablespoons butter vegan butter, or ghee (clarified butter)
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Optional: minced fresh parsley for garnish
- Optional for garnish: 1/2 Tbsp fresh herbs (parsley or dill) or 1/2 tsp. freeze-dried parsley.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prep The Carrots. Wash and peel your carrots. Cut each carrot diagonally into 3-4 pieces. (If your carrot is very thick, cut your pieces in half lengthwise to promote even cooking)
- Make The Glaze. In a large saute pan, gently melt butter, vegan butter or ghee. Add maple syrup and stir to combine. Add garlic, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and stir about 1 minute.
- Coat The Carrots. Add carrots and carefully stir to coat with the glaze mixture.
- Roast. Pour carrots and glaze mixture out onto a baking sheet/sheet pan in a single layer and distribute as evenly as you can to allow air flow and better roasting. Roast 20 minutes. Stir carrots and roast another 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Broil To Finish. Turn heat up to the BROIL setting and broil carrots 2-5 minutes to give them a browned finish. (Watch carefully so they don’t scorch!)
- Serve & Store. If desired, season with additional salt and pepper, and sprinkle with fresh herbs. Enjoy warm with your favorite main dish. Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.
Notes
- A TIP FOR CUTTING YOUR CARROTS. I cut my carrots into thirds or fourths diagonally (called a “bias cut”) rather than straight across because it’s pretty, but it also helps you get better-caramelized edges. If your carrots are extra-thick, you may want to cut those 1/3 or 1/4 pieces in half lengthwise.
- CAN I USE OLIVE OIL? You can, though you’ll probably want to add a little extra salt. I find the flavors aren’t quite as nice as using a butter or ghee option.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/glazed-roasted-carrots/Originally shared February 2020. Updated with additional step-by-step photos, new tips, and new video and republished March 2026. Here are some of our original photos:
I love this side dish. These are the perfect glazed carrots
These were good! Surprised how easy they were.
Can these be prepped with the glaze the day before?
They’ll lose some of their texture since they won’t have that same caramelized exterior (it softens with time), but they’ll be safe to eat!
These were amazing!!!!! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a review! I’m so glad you enjoyed the carrots. 🙂
YUM! Made these to go along a grilled pork tenderloin tonight. I used one bag of baby carrots and probably baked them closer to 30 minutes (roasted some broccoli next to them). I skipped the broiling step because we were all hungry. I will make them again and try that. Very tasty!
YUM! I’m so glad you liked them. We’re planning to make a batch for Sunday. I can’t wait!
I was wondering if this would go with pork. I can’t wait to try it.
I think it totally does!