These honey glazed carrots always disappear fast at any holiday dinner! They’re the perfect festive side dish that’s beautifully caramelized and ready in under 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love These Honey Glazed Carrots
These honey glazed carrots were one of the very first Thanksgiving sides I shared on this website, alongside my favorite balsamic Brussels sprouts and sweet potato casserole. And ever since then, it has earned a permanent spot at holiday dinners for both my family and many of yours as well. Just check out all of the positive reviews below! So whether I’m whipping them up for Thanksgiving or Christmas or Easter, here’s why I make this side dish for each celebration:
- The glaze is insane. The combination of honey, garlic, butter, spices, and herbs really elevates the carrot’s natural sweetness.
- It’s so easy to make. All you need is a sheet pan and 20 minutes for the best roasted carrots!
Honey Glazed Carrots Ingredients
- Carrots: I usually opt for orange carrots, but rainbow carrots are a fun way to add extra color to your plate. I like to slice them on a diagonal into quarters or oval disks.
- Honey: You can use honey or maple syrup, though I more often use honey. And any variety of honey works, including clover, wildflower, etc.
- Butter and olive oil: Butter (or ghee) gives the carrots that glossy, rich finish, while olive oil keeps the butter from burning.
- Garlic: A touch of minced garlic balances out the sweetness.
- Ground spices: I love adding ginger and cinnamon to play up the carrots’ natural sweetness.
- Fresh herbs: Sprinkle these on right before serving for a pop of freshness.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Roasted Glazed Carrots
Step one: Slice the carrots on a diagonal into 1 to 1½-inch pieces. If your carrots are especially large or thick, cut them in half lengthwise as well.
Step two: In a mixing bowl, toss the carrots with the honey, garlic, butter, oil, and spices until they’re well coated. Then, spread them out evenly on a sheet pan.
Step three: Roast for 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F (220°C), giving them a toss halfway through. For extra caramelized edges, I always pop them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes at the end.
Mains To Serve Them With
- Thanksgiving dinner: They’re the perfect partner for roast turkey or roast chicken.
- Christmas dinner: Pair them with prime rib, beef tenderloin, or a juicy ribeye steak.
- Easter dinner: They’re fantastic alongside honey-baked ham or baked salmon.
Storage Tips
Glazed carrots are definitely best enjoyed fresh out of the oven when they’re perfectly caramelized, but you can also store and reheat them if you’ve got leftovers. Store the cooled carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
If you’re planning ahead for the holidays, you can peel and chop the carrots a day in advance and store them in the fridge. Then, just toss them with the glaze and roast right before serving.
More Holiday Side Dishes
- Scalloped Potatoes: Filled with cheesy goodness!
- Creamed Corn: The best corn side dish.
- Mashed Potatoes: A classic for a reason.
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes: An easy way to serve potatoes.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Crispy, tender, and so delicious.
- Or try these other Thanksgiving side dishes!
If you make this honey-glazed carrots recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or ghee
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- parsley, thyme or other herbs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Dice carrots. Preheat your oven to 425°F(220C°). Then, cut the carrots on a diagonal, about 1"-1.5" in length. If your carrots are large and thick, you can slice them in half as well.
- Toss carrots. In a mixing bowl, toss the sliced carrots with the honey, garlic, butter, oil, and spices.
- Roast. Pour the carrots and glaze onto a sheet pan and spread them out. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. You can also broil for 2-3 minutes, to get caramelization on the edges.
- Serve. Transfer carrots to a serving dish and garnish with chopped herbs.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tips: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze this for up to 3 months.
- Reheating tips: Simply reheat in the microwave until the carrots are warmed through.
- I always recommend a heavy duty sheet pan when roasting veggies in the oven, so that your pan doesn’t warp and twist.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted September 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
I used a cast iron pan on the stove, using a lid to cook the carrots Until just tender, removed the lid turned ok the heat to add char and served. Worked out well and did not have to heat up the kitchen by using the stove.
These were simple and very flavorful. I opted to use a pinch of cloves in lieu of ginger and they turned out great.
Hi Mandy – Happy to hear you enjoyed these honey glazed carrots with cloves instead of ginger!
Very tasty! I’d definitely make them again!
Hi Rebecca – Happy to hear these honey glazed carrots were a hit!
We made these carrots with your beef tenderloin for Christmas this year. They were delicious! I was a little skeptical about the ginger, but I’ve learned to trust your recipes and I’m glad I did. This was the perfect blend of flavors and was a delicious take on roasted carrots!
Thanks so much for trusting my recipes, Laura! I’m thrilled that you loved these carrots.
Carrots came out soft and sweet. I used baby carrots and baked for slightly under 20 mins as I noticed the glaze on the pan starting too burn but the chard bits on the carrots added to the flavor. If you’re not a fan of the carrot taste give this recipe a try.
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. A sweet, spicy accompaniment to the meal. Will definitely make again!
Hi Jeanne – Wonderful! I’m glad these honey glazed carrots were a hit for Thanksgiving dinner.
It was okay, but won’t make again. The honey was a little bit sticky on the caramelized edges. The ginger and thyme were nice complements to the carrots. Not into the cinnamon. Looked really pretty. I’m sure others who like sweet foods would appreciate it, but we prefer savory foods or more natural flavors so it just didn’t work for us.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and providing your feedback. If you like more savory flavors, give my roasted acorn squash recipe a try!
Can these be done on a stovetop in a saucepan? (Don’t have oven the space)
Hi Katie – yes, you can do that as well!
Can I use Herbs De Provence as the herbs.
Hi Sandra – yes, those would be great herbs as well. Enjoy!
I made these the other night and they were so good I am adding them to my Thanksgiving veg lineup! I used hot honey for a little spicy kick and they were delicious!
Ooh, love the addition of hot honey, Adrienne! Hope you enjoy them again as a Thanksgiving side dish!
They were a hit at a recent gathering. I gladly finished off the last few bites.
Thanks, Karen! Happy to hear everyone loved the recipe.
I made them this evening. They are delicious! My husband not a fan, but I am! Thank you Lisa!
I do like your recipes. I frequently cook something from your website. Also, your book is on my night stand!
Hi Daniela – I’m so glad you enjoyed these honey glazed carrots! I can’t wait to see what you make next from my website (and cookbook!).
Made a smaller batch but enjoyed the flavor a lot. Will make again.
Can you marinate it with the glaze then freeze it before roasting?
No, I don’t recommend doing that as the carrots will become mushy after freezing.
I am so excited to try this recipe this year for thanksgiving, I am hosting for 30people. I am also cooking your turkey recipe which I tried last year for work and it was delicious.
Can these carrots be ahead of time like the night before and reheated day of?
While I do think they’re best fresh out of the oven, you can certainly do that. Enjoy!
Oh my goodness! I decided I wanted to find a good roasted carrots recipe, so of course, I started with Downshiftology. My search starts and ends here! I just made this with heirloom multi-colored carrots, and it was as beautiful as it was delicious. Suddenly, I’m planning my Thanksgiving menu in September!
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed these honey glazed carrots, Tara!
Can I garnish with dried herbs after roasting, or is it better to use fresh?
Hi Maggie – If you’re garnishing, it’s best to use fresh.
I love your recipes, but I am trying tracking macros and find so many of your recipes to be SOOOO high in carb and fat! But I keep checkin and hoping…
Hi Pat – I also have a category for low carb recipes on my website you can take a look through!
A perfect recipe. Originally made exactly as Lisa wrote it out for Easter this year and it was *chefs kiss* Perfection. Tonight we made it again and for fun added sweet potatoes and onions and again, perfect. Thank you for a delicious and easy side that was easy and fun to experiment with.
Love that you tweaked it with the sweet potatoes and onions – sounds delicious!
Took longer than 25 minutes to cook. The glaze burned to a black charcoal looking mess before the carrots were even tender/edible and we had to toss the entire recipe in the garbage. Two stars for a nice tasting glaze. Not sure what went wrong because we followed the recipe as written.
Oh no! It sounds like your oven may cook a bit hot. Next time, try turning down the oven temp a bit. :) Hope your second try turns out better!
This recipe is so easy and delicious! I’ve tried other recipes similar to this, but these are the best. I am asked to make them by my family for every event we have.
Thanks so much, Diane! I’m happy to hear you keep coming back to this recipe. Enjoy!
These were just wonderful. I can’t get enough of them
Hi Bonnie – Happy to hear you enjoyed these roasted carrots!
made exactly like the recipe, friends raved.
Hi Judy – Happy to hear everyone enjoyed these glazed carrots!
Hi, I tried this last night and while they came out pretty tasty, the honey basically caramelized and started burning about 10 minutes in. How do you avoid this? It seems like heating honey at such a high temp for that long would inevitably cause this?
I tried and followed this recipe for Christmas. My family and friends loved it! My family even asked me to make these carrots as a normal dinner side dish. It was quick and easy to make and now a family favorite! Thank you!
Hi Stephanie – Happy to hear these roasted carrots were a hit!
Tasted good! Easy to make.
I’ve made these so many times and each time it’s better and better!
Hi Megan – Thrilled to hear you love these honey-glazed carrots!
Tried this as a new side dish for Thanksgiving, and it was so good! The carrots had such a great flavor and the glaze really coated the carrots as they cooked. This is officially going into the side dish rotation now!
Thanks for leaving a review and I’m glad these honey glazed carrots were a hit for Thanksgiving!
Lisa, we use your cookbook and recipes daily. :) They are tried and true, several are now made from memory because they are on repeat and oh so yummy! We hosted a large family gathering for Thanksgiving, which was a bit daunting, so of course we came directly to your site to put together a failproof menu. Every single dish had easy to follow directions and turned out perfectly! I doubled each of the recipes without any problem. The prosciutto wrapped sweet potatoes made such a flavorful but not overly filling appetizer. The classic creamy mashed potatoes were so creamy and so easy! The true crowd pleaser was the honey glazed carrots. The smell wafting from the kitchen had everyone asking when dinner was ready and several people went back for a second serving of just carrots! What I loved most about this particular recipe is that I had everything prepped in advance, tossed it all together and popped in in the oven to cook as we carved the turkey. I think we have our annual Thanksgiving day menu set for years to come. The carrots will be on regular repeat. Thanks for making good healthy food so easy and so yummy!
Aw, thanks so much, Molly! I’m so thrilled that you’re loving so many of my recipes and that they have a special place in your home. That’s truly the best compliment ever! Happy Thanksgiving!
I made these honey glazed carrots on Thanksgiving ~ delicious!!! I’m sure I’ll make these often in the next few months!
Wonderful! I’m happy you loved them.
Can you make these in the crock pot? If so, how long do you suggest?
Beyond perfect!
We all loved these.
Did some without garlic and some with!
Yum!!
Thanks Sam! Happy you loved the recipe.
Can I boil them instead and just toss with the ingredients after?
It’s best to roast them with the glaze ingredients.
These were so delicious. I am not a huge cinnamon fan and I found these to be very cinnamonny, so next time I might use half the amount. Even so, the honey and sweetness of the carrot really tied it together and it paired well on the plate next to the cranberry sauce.
I definitely recommend using liquid honey instead of crystallized, because I had to stir a lot more to get the glaze blended. I am looking forward to making it again with those two adjustments!
I’m glad you enjoyed them! And thanks for sharing your feedback as well. :)
Made these for Thanksgiving and followed the recipe exactly, other than adding a little fresh sage and oregano since I had it on hand. Sooo good. They were a hit with everyone – even my dad who isn’t big on carrots. Thanks for the recipe! :)
You’re more than welcome, Kaitlin! Happy Thanksgiving!
YUM! Did not use garlic or olive oil but used 3 TB melted butter and they were delicious! My carrots were huge so I halved and quartered before cutting into 2 inch pieces. I prepped carrots and glaze and tossed together the night before roasting to save time. Made this for Thanksgiving
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made these ahead of time for Thanksgiving dinner and they are amazing. I used a 2lb bag of pealed baby carrots and sliced at an angle in half. So easy to make too. Thank you for an another amazing recipe!
#lisabryan
#downshiftology
Wonderful! So happy you loved the recipe!
I made the honey glaze carrots tonight for my husband and I. They were so delicious, especially since they were caramelized. This is a dish I would take to a party or make for a guest. Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful! I’m glad both you and your husband enjoyed this glazed carrots, Heather.
hi there,
what is the serving size for the nutritional information listed?
great recipes, thanks!
Hi! For a dairy allergy, could this be made without butter and still come out okay?
You don’t have to use the butter. I just did the olive oil and it turned out perfect
The best recipes are your thank you Lisa
Thanks for making my recipes, Mirna!
Can this be made a day ahead? I have one oven which will be roasting your Thanksgiving turkey that day.
You can, but note that the carrots will soften the next day.
So delicious and easy to prepare! I loved that they weren’t too sweet, and also that there are minimal ingredients. It’s a relatively healthy dish, so you don’t have to feel as guilty eating some other decadent or buttery sides.
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed these honey glazed carrots, Sonal!
Hi Lisa, Can I use fresh ginger instead of powdered for the carrots?
Absolutely! I would just finely mince the ginger though.
Really enjoyed this recipe with baby carrots as a main dish. Was a little worried when it said 425f, but they did turn out pretty great. Very pleasantly sweet and earthy.
Glad this recipe turned out great, Marlin!
I needed a quick side dish for my husband’s birthday so I made these using baby carrots and they turned out fantastic! Just the right amount of sweetness and perfectly cooked!
Glad these worked out great for your husband’s birthday, Melissa!
Omg soooo good. I halfed it since not everyone in my house likes carrots. I will be cooking this again.
Glad you’re loving this carrot dish Carolyn!
I made this recipe exactly as written as a side accompaniment to pork roast, whipped garlic potatoes and asparagus and it was a major hit. Absolutely delicious!!!! There wasn’t even ONE left!
Yay, love to hear that!
Need to tweak the ingredients. All you can taste is the ginger.
Will these be as good if I make the day before and microwave before serving?
I always say fresh is best, but that’s fine too!
Made this recently, but used maple syrup because i was out of honey. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing such tasty recipes with us, Lisa!
*I was out of honey.
Typos :/
I made this during Thanksgiving and it was so yummy, my 6 year old loved it. Thank for such great recipes
Glad this carrot dish was a hit Salome!
Absolutely loved this recipe! The spices made it the perfect “fall-flavored” compliment to the rest of the food on the plate.
These carrots are so flavorful and delicious! A wonderful combo of flavors and not too sweet at all. All of the spices and ingredients work together perfectly! My family loved these!
Glad you enjoyed these honey glazed carrots!
So Delicious!!! So easy to make too
Can you make the glazed carrots the day before? Or prep them the day before?
You can make them a day in advance, but they’ll turn a bit soft.