This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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.

close-up of glazed carrots

Why you’ll love it

Glazed carrots are a tasty 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.

It’s awesome for a quick side dish on busy weeknights, but the warm and satisfying flavors (especially from the cinnamon) make these candied carrots special enough for a holiday side dish. We make them all the time in my home, special occasion or not, since they’re just so effortless!

What you’ll need

  • 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

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 😉

How to make glazed carrots

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

carrots before and after boiling

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.

adding sugar, butter, and cinnamon to carrots in a skillet

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!

Pro tip

  • The key to these carrots is cutting the sticks or rounds uniformly so that they cook evenly.
  • You may need to experiment a bit with the timing on this recipe to nail cooking time depending on how soft you like your carrots.
brown sugar glazed carrots in a serving bowl

What to serve with glazed carrots

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.
brown sugar glazed carrots in a skillet

If you made these simple glazed carrots, please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with any recipe you try.

close-up of glazed carrots
5 from 5 votes

Easy Glazed Carrots

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.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound carrots peeled & cut into sticks or rounds
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions 

  • Add the carrots to a deep skillet or saucepan. Cover them with water and boil over high heat until tender-crisp. Check after 5 minutes since timing will really depend on how thick the carrots are cut. Keep in mind the carrots will be cooked for a little longer in the next step, so once they're close to desired doneness, drain the water, returning the carrots to the pan.
  • 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, or until the sauce has thickened a little bit and the carrots are cooked to your liking.
  • Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately with some parsley sprinkled over top if you wish.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 158mg, Potassium: 391mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 19291IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

Leave a comment

Please leave a recipe rating!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

20 Comments

  1. Made these for an easy side with pork tenderloin for Christmas. Delicious. Everyone loved them. I had a good supply of carrots for the garden this year stored in the root cellar. Now I have a go to recipe to use them up.

  2. 5 stars
    These carrots were amazing! They were a big hit at our Thanksgiving table. Everyone was asking for the recipe! And so easy to make! 😊

  3. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! I left my carrots whole cause I like my stuff Al Dente. I just did a little dash of cinnamon and used some hot honey. Delicious! You are a wonderful cook and thank you for sharing these delicious recipes

  4. 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!

  5. 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

  6. I’m so excited to try this recipe!! What do you think about using the pre-cut carrots in the round, sliced shape?

  7. 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!!

    1. We’re baffled too that there weren’t any comments! Thank you so much for leaving a review, Sabrina! Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂