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This maple roasted carrots recipe is a super easy and delicious side dish that’s perfect in the fall! Your oven does a little magic until they’re caramelized, tender, and savory-sweet.
Try my Creamy Maple Chicken or Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
Tossing carrots with maple syrup is a simple way to add extra sweetness to make them totally irresistible! This roasted carrots recipe is similar to my reader favorite Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots but minus the beets (I get it; not everyone is a fan of them).
These maple carrots have very few ingredients, so they’re great as a pairing with any weeknight meal. They’re also fantastic around the holidays for a low-effort seasonal side dish that picky eaters will actually enjoy. I’m a big fan of maple syrup in the fall!
What you’ll need
- Carrots – I recommend full-size ones for more flavor vs. baby cut
- Olive oil – coating them in it helps give that golden exterior
- Salt & pepper – I like to be generous with both
- Maple syrup – it probably goes without saying, but get pure maple syrup from Canada or Vermont!
Pro tip
The key to even roasting is to make sure you cut the carrots into pieces that are fairly similar thickness. Timing could vary a bit depending on how small/large the pieces are and how soft you prefer your carrots to be.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- These baking sheets are really great.
- Using a good-quality Henckels knife makes this recipe go much smoother.
- Silicone oven mitts are my favorite!
How to make maple roasted carrots
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven. Peel and cut up the carrots into bite-size rounds, and add them to a baking sheet.
- Toss with the olive oil and salt & pepper, then arrange in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, then toss with the maple syrup. Continue roasting to desired tenderness.
Substitutions and variations
- If you want these to be less sweet, you could cut down the maple syrup to 1 tbsp or toss with a bit of lemon juice to cut the acidity.
- Baby-cut carrots will work instead if that’s all you have! You’ll probably need to reduce the cooking time.
- I like to sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over top, but that’s optional.
What to serve with maple glazed carrots
- They’re great with any number of quick weeknight mains! Try them with my Creamy White Wine Pork Tenderloin, cozy Marry Me Chicken Meatballs, or this Pancetta and Mushroom Chicken.
- I like them on my Thanksgiving table along with my Easy Roast Turkey, comforting Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, and Turkey Gravy Recipe with Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
Leftovers and storage
- I like these carrots best hot out of the oven, but you can store leftovers in the fridge in a covered container for a couple of days. They will definitely soften up over time, though.
- Reheat in a saucepan or the microwave until warmed up.
- These won’t freeze great.
If you made these maple candied carrots, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Or share your photos on Instagram and tag me.
Maple Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots peeled & cut
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Add the carrots to a baking sheet. Toss them with the olive oil and some salt & pepper. Arrange in a single layer.
- Roast carrots for 15 minutes. You can toss halfway through, but I didn’t bother doing this.
- Take carrots out of the oven and add the maple syrup. Toss again and arrange them in a single layer. Roast for another 5-10 minutes or until the carrots are cooked to your liking.
Notes
- I bought a 2 lb. bag of carrots where they varied in size. I don’t necessarily recommend this since then the carrots cook at different rates. 25 minutes was enough to get the bigger pieces tender-crisp. If you’re using smaller carrots, I’d cut the cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
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Isn’t the smoke point for Olive Oil like 350F? Does Olive Oil work in this because it won’t get up to 425F in the oven in recommended cooking time? Just curious.
Hi! I’ve never had any problems cooking with olive oil. You could use a different one if you prefer, though!