Everyone will devour this brown sugar glazed carrots recipe that's easily made on the stovetop for a simple, buttery, and sweet side dish! Ours have a special touch you won't find in other recipes.
Try these Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots next.
Why you'll love them
Glazed carrots are a beloved side dish for so many reasons. They're inexpensive, have very few ingredients, and even your picky eaters who won't eat their vegetables will request these bad boys. They're dressed up but still have all the nutrients of carrots. This is one of those tried and true recipes where you actually can't go wrong.
It's obviously awesome for a quick recipe on busy weeknights, but the warm and satisfying flavors (especially from the cinnamon) make these candied carrots special enough for a holiday side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. We make them all the time in my home, special occasion or not, since they're just so effortless and go with everything!
What you'll need and why
- Carrots - I use full-size carrots since I find they have more flavor, but you can use baby cut ones. Slice them into rounds or sticks. Whatever you prefer! If you have ones from the garden, they'd be great here.
- Brown sugar - it brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots and makes them caramelized. Use honey or maple syrup if you want instead.
- Butter - to amp up the richness
- Lemon juice - it adds a touch of acidity to balance the sweetness and brightens it up
- Cinnamon - my not-so-secret ingredient! Cinnamon adds a touch of delicious warmth and plays well with the sugar. These carrots will make your kitchen smell amazing with a little cinnamon.
- Parsley - chopping up a bit of parsley brings contrast and a burst of freshness
How to make glazed carrots
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Peel and cut the carrots into either sticks or rounds. Add them to a deep skillet or saucepan, and cover with water. Boil until tender, then drain the water.
Add the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon to the skillet, and toss with the carrots. Continue to cook until the sugar melts and you've got a sauce. Season with salt & pepper and top with fresh parsley. That's it!
Did you know?
- Baby-cut carrots aren't actually baby carrots. They're regular size full-grown ones that have been cut into a smaller shape. Sometimes they're even labelled as baby carrots, but most of the time they aren't the real deal. They're still super tasty all the same, though 😉
Pro tip
- The key to these carrots is cutting the sticks or rounds uniformly so that they cook evenly. Take the time to be precise so that you don't have any carrots that are too crunchy or too soft and are all perfectly tender-crisp.
What to serve with this recipe
- For a quick weeknight family dinner, these make a great accompaniment to everything from Easy Salisbury Steak to these Salmon Patties or my Easy Roast Chicken (Lemon & Herb).
- If you're making them for a holiday spread, you're going to want to check out my other holiday recipes! I'm not kidding when I say I make these carrots as a staple for every special feast.
Leftovers and storage
- These carrots will keep in the fridge no problem for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- Simply reheat them in a small saucepan over a low heat until warmed through. They're actually pretty tasty cold too, though, for a snack! I just nibble at them straight from the fridge. No guilt.
- Leftovers should be fine in the freezer, but keep in mind that they might be a little softer when thawed than they went in.
Questions about these glazed carrots? Talk to me in the comments below!
Easy Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots peeled & cut into sticks or rounds
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch cinnamon optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the carrots, then add them to a deep skillet or saucepan. Cover them with water and boil over high heat until tender (will vary depending on the size of the carrots... it took me about 10 minutes).
- Drain the water from the pan then add the carrots back in.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon to the pan. Cook over medium heat (or medium low if it's too hot) for about 5 minutes until you've got a nice sauce and it's thickened a little bit.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately with some parsley sprinkled over top if you wish.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Katie says
I made these glazed carrots as a side dish for thanksgiving this year and everyone loved them! And it was such a pretty dish to serve too. Will definitely be using this recipe again
Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Katie!! 🙂 So glad they were a hit. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nina says
Any tips on making ahead? I’m planning on bringing this but not sure what to do to reheat and still
Be just as good
Natasha says
Hi! You can make these ahead. See the "leftovers & storage" section of the blog post for reheating tips.
Nina says
Whoops! That’s perfect thanks so much. Can’t wait to try these in a couple days!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome! 🙂 Be sure to let us know how it goes, Nina. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mira says
I’m so excited to try this recipe!! What do you think about using the pre-cut carrots in the round, sliced shape?
Natasha says
Sure! I think that should work fine. You may need to adjust timing depending on thickness.
Sabrina says
No comments??! Haha! I’m always searching for a good carrot recipe and they always fall short. Loved this one! Almost skimped on that pinch of cinnamon, glad I didn’t!!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
We're baffled too that there weren't any comments! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Sabrina! Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂