Tried and true, this simple honey-roasted baby carrots recipe makes an excellent gluten free side dish for holidays or dinner year round!
With just a few ingredients that you likely already have on hand, it's quick to whip up and is a sure crowd-pleaser.
Quick Look: Honey-Roasted Baby Carrots
⏲️Ready In: 30 Minutes
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 144 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Baby carrots, Honey, Butter/Ghee/Olive oil, Lemon juice
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: This simple side dish recipe cooks up easily and quickly, and works perfectly for both holidays or weeknights!
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Between Stovetop Sautéed Carrots w/ Garlic & Herbs and this honey-roasted baby carrots recipe, my top 2 easy holiday side dishes are covered!
Like Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Easy Oven-Roasted Potato Rounds, this recipe makes side dishes a breeze without skimping on flavor.
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Key Ingredients
These honey-roasted carrots have a simple ingredients list, similar to other favorites like Roasted Maple Bacon Asparagus!
Baby Carrots: Or, if you'd like, use slender young carrots as well!
Honey: I like using raw honey for this recipe, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Butter/Ghee/Olive Oil: Butter is my top choice, but you can use ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil for a dairy free option.
Lemon Juice: A spritz of lemon juice adds a touch of acid and brightness to the carrots before serving to complement the sweetness of the honey!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make honey-roasted baby carrots
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread baby carrots out on the baking sheet.
Step 2: In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter/ghee/olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper until combined.
Step 3: Pour the honey mixture over the carrots and stir to coat all the carrots. Spread out in an even layer.
Step 4: Roast for 25-35 minutes, until the carrots are tender and browned on the bottom. Drizzle with lemon juice and stir to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Variations for honey-roasted baby carrots
You can make so many variations of honey-roasted carrots! Obviously, with a short ingredients list, what we can change is somewhat limited. Taking the honey out would create a totally different recipe.
That said, you can add in some additional flavors to change things up.
Rosemary honey-roasted carrots: add ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary to the honey mixture before tossing with the carrots.
For a touch of heat: add ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper to the honey miture before tossing with the carrots.
Cinnamon honey carrots: lean into the sweetness by adding ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the honey mixture before tossing with the carrots.
Top Tips from Chelsea
No baby carrots? Use slender carrots or chop fully-grown carrots into ½" coins and follow the roasting instructions as written.
For better browning, don't use parchment paper on your sheet pan. Yes, you'll have a little more cleanup, but that parchment paper gets in the way of the Malliard reaction, which creates deep browning!
Butter is my go-to, but I also love the nutty flavor of ghee. For dairy free or vegan options, olive oil or coconut oil work great!
Honey-Roasted Baby Carrots FAQs
Personally, I don't think this is a necessary step! Plus, skipping the parboil means the baby carrots will get more browning and caramelization.
I prefer roasting at a higher temperature (400 degrees F) for a slightly shorter time (25 minutes) to promote browning.
If you'd like, you can roast for a longer period, 35-40 minutes, at 350 degrees F.
Yes! Either use slender trimmed carrots (similar to Chipotle Honey Roasted Carrots) or slice larger carrots into coins before roasting.
What to serve honey-roasted baby carrots with
Did you try this Honey-Roasted Baby Carrots recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
📖 Recipe
Simple Honey-Roasted Baby Carrots
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Tried and true, this simple honey-roasted carrots recipe makes an excellent side dish for your holiday table or nutritious dinners year round! Add a dash of cinnamon for a twist on this side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs baby carrots
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, or ghee
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If desired, line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare carrots. Add the carrots to the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, sea salt, and black pepper. Pour the mixture over the carrots and toss to combine. Spread the carrots out into a single layer. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Garnish & serve. Drizzle on the lemon juice and toss to combine. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
No baby carrots? Use slender carrots or chop fully-grown carrots into ½" coins and follow the roasting instructions as written.
For better browning, don't use parchment paper on your sheet pan. Yes, you'll have a little more cleanup, but that parchment paper gets in the way of the Malliard reaction, which creates deep browning!
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