Move over Krispy Kreme, there’s a new glaze in town. While you probably won’t swap these Easy Glazed Carrots for donuts at breakfast, they’ll definitely make you do a double-take – and take a double helping – at dinner. Tender, earthy carrots dressed in a sweet and savory honey-butter glaze will guarantee no side gets left behind.
“Danielle, have you ever met a vegetable you haven’t fallen madly in love with?”
Yes. One. Beets. They taste like disappointment. And dirt. And frankly, I love dirt more than I love beets. Cause at least you can grow other delicious vegetables in dirt. Occasionally I’ll recommend a beet to keep Big Beet off my back, but you won’t find them in my recipes.
“Ok, so you literally love all other vegetables?”
Love is a funny thing, kids. There are some vegetables I love so much I’d walk into a garden and pluck ’em right out of the ground and go to town on like Peter Rabbit. There are some vegetables I love but recognize they need to be scrubed, peeled, or otherwise prepped first or I wouldn’t love them as much. And then there is one vegetable that I love for the same reason 5-year-olds do – because I basically only eat them “candied.”
My feelings about naked carrots can most politely be described as blasé. But you dredge those suckers in some hot, sweet, syrupy goodness and I will knock you over on my way to the pan. I have to assume it was all those sad teen years of trying to gag down raw carrots as a “diet food” that made me do a complete 180 in adulthood. Plus, now that most of the “cooking vegetables destroys the nutrients” claptrap has been debunked, we can freely enjoy carrots the way I prefer to assume someone as awesome as Mother Nature more likely intended: glazed.
Why this recipe works
I picked up this tip from Serious Eats – when making vegetable glazes, add just a bit of cornstarch (or arrowroot powder for grain free diets) to the water or stock. This helps stabilize the emulsion between the water, butter, and sweetener for a thick, rich glaze in just a fraction of the time.
How to cut carrots
- An oblique (aka “angled”) cut creates more surface area, which means more delicious glaze coating each tender bite. It’s also a handy way to ensure that most slices will be roughly the same size and thickness for even cooking.
- Peel the carrots, then use a sharp chef’s knife to make angled cuts, about 1/2″ wide, along the length of the carrots.
How to make glazed carrots
Who couldn’t use another sweet and simple side dish in their back pocket? Easy Glazed Carrots are a sure bet – quick, economical, and delish! Don’t skip the cornstarch, and do be patient – a vigorous boil in the last five minutes is when the glaze really comes together.
- Whisk cornstarch or arrowroot powder into 1 cup of water.
- Pour the water over sliced carrots in a 2-quart pot. Top with butter, your choice of sweetener (see below), and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Increase the heat to high and boil vigorously for 5 minutes, or until the glaze is thick.
- Season with more salt to taste, ground pepper, and parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips for making glazed carrots perfectly
- Slice carrots into uniform pieces so they cook evenly.
- Be patient! The glaze will not form until the last step. Be sure to finish by increasing the heat to maintain a vigorous boil until the glaze forms.
- For paleo and grain free diets, use arrowroot in place of cornstarch.
Variations
Yes. Use 1.5 pounds baby carrots. Slice large ones in half lengthwise to ensure most carrot pieces are roughly the same size.
And equivalent amount of maple syrup can be substituted for the honey.
Use brown sugar in place of all or part of the honey or maple syrup. Use 2 tbsp brown sugar in place of the honey, or use 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1 tbsp honey (or maple syrup) for a more deeply caramelized flavor. I found straight brown sugar too sweet for my taste, but half and half was just sweet enough.
For an additional layer of seasoning, add 1 tsp finely grated garlic or ginger (or both!).
More creative carrot recipes
- Honey Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Carrot Top Pesto
- Mom’s Super Moist Carrot Cake
- Ginger Carrot Soup
- Carrot Salad with Parsnips
- Fresh Carrot Orange Juice
Did you make these easy glazed carrots? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Easy Glazed Carrots
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- 2-quart Saucepan
Ingredients
- 6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ½” coins
- 1 c water or chicken broth
- ½ tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or packed brown sugar
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the carrots. Peel the woody skin, then slice on the diagonal into ½” coins.
- Place the carrots into a 2-quart saucepot. Combine the water (or broth) and cornstarch in a measuring cup or jar; whisk until smooth, then pour over the carrots.
- Add the butter, sweetener of choice, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Turn the flame to high and bring the liquid to a simmer, tossing occasionally to help the butter and sweetener melt into the water. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender; you should be able to insert the tip of a paring knife into the center of a carrot and meet little resistance.
- Increase the heat to high and boil 5-6 minutes more, or until the glaze is thick and shiny.
- Stir in the parsley, then taste for seasoning and add salt or pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
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