Need an easy side dish for a weeknight or holiday dinner? Try my Easy Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots recipe! These easy glazed carrots can be made in under 30 minutes and feature a delicious, buttery maple brown sugar glaze, savory seasonings, and parsley.
Looking for an easy oven glazed carrot recipe? Then today’s recipe is for you!
Today I’m sharing how to make my Easy Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots, which are the absolute perfect side dish for weeknight dinners or holiday gatherings.
These brown sugar glazed carrots are absolutely delicious and baked to a tender soft perfection in just 25 minutes time.
They’re one of my favorite easy vegetable dishes to make year-round, and our family always requests I make them for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
If you want to learn how to make these Easy Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots, then keep reading for the full recipe below and watch my step-by-step video tutorial over here.
Easy Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar (Oven Baked Recipe)
These delicious and easy glazed carrots with maple and brown sugar are one of my family’s favorite vegetable side choices for so many meals!
Why You’ll Love Baked Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots:
Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots are truly SO easy to make start to finish in under 30 minutes time.
These oven baked carrots are soft and tender and incredibly versatile for pairing with all your favorite dinner recipes.
They’re a delicious and simple side dish choice for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and other holidays.
The buttery maple and brown sugar glaze is the perfect level of sweetness without being over the top.
These brown sugar baked carrots are budget-friendly and freezer-friendly.
Best of all, they’re made with simple, no-fuss ingredients and just a few basic kitchen tools you probably already have.
Ingredients Needed for Glazed Carrots
Baby Carrots – You can use any kind of baby carrots, but I personally prefer the petite sized ones. Since they are more uniform in size, they will cook more evenly.
Light Brown Sugar – I like to use light brown sugar which gives the carrots a sweet, caramel and molasses flavor.
Butter – Use real unsalted butter for this recipe.
Maple Syrup – Make sure you use REAL maple syrup and not cheap imitation pancake syrup. The sweet caramel and vanilla flavor is the perfect flavor enhancer for these carrots. You can also substitute honey if you don’t have maple syrup.
Olive Oil – You’ll only need a tablespoon, but the addition of oil helps bring out the flavor in the carrots and helps the carrots soften/crisp up nicely.
Seasonings – Salt, pepper, and garlic powder are the perfect savory seasoning blend to balance out the sweetness of the brown sugar and maple syrup. In the fall months, I sometimes like to add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, which also tastes delicious!
Parsley – You can use either fresh or dried parsley and it’s added after the carrots have baked. It adds a nice flavor and touch of color.
Kitchen Tools Needed
Tips to Make Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots
Bake in a preheated oven
I know this seems like a simple tip, but I know a lot of people sometimes don’t preheat their oven and then they wonder why their food doesn’t bake evenly.
Take the extra step and preheat your oven ahead of time, and then your carrots will bake perfectly and even at the recommended time.
I find that using a large baking sheet allows you to really spread out the carrots without overcrowding, allowing them to bake more evenly and crisp up nicely.
Use small, even sized carrots
I like to use petite-sized carrots since they are smaller and more uniform in size, but if you use regular baby sized carrots or large carrots cut, make sure they are all around the same size so that they bake at the same amount of time.
Toss your carrots halfway
You might be in a hurry and want to skip this step, but I’ve found it really helps ensure the carrots are a. evenly coated in the maple brown sugar glaze, and b. that they evenly cook soft and tender.
Add your parsley after baking
Soft herbs like parsley should always be added to vegetables at the end after baking.
This helps the parsley maintain its bright flavor and color and really helps enhance the flavor of the carrots.
Sweetener substitutes
If you don’t have maple syrup, feel free to use honey instead or you can simply use all light brown sugar for your glaze.
I prefer the flavor combination of maple syrup and brown sugar, but all are delicious carrot glaze options.
Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots FAQ’s
Ingredient Questions
What are glazed carrots made of?
These easy glazed carrots are made with sweet baby carrots and are coated with a delicious, buttery maple brown sugar glaze, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, and oven baked to perfection.
What are the best carrots to use for oven glazed carrots?
You can honestly use any kind of carrots you want, but I prefer petite-sized baby carrots.
The smaller, uniform size bakes more evenly and they’re more bite-sized for eating.
That said, you can also use regular baby carrots or even large carrots cut into a smaller size, just keep in mind that the baking time might need to be longer to become tender and soft.
How can I make my carrots taste better?
Carrots are a naturally sweet and delicious vegetable all on their own, but here’s just a few simple ways you can make them taste better.
Season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Coat them in a delicious, buttery maple brown sugar glaze
Oven roast them to tender soft perfection
How much brown sugar for glazed carrots?
You only need 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for these delicious glazed carrots.
I don’t like my carrots to be overly sweet, and this ratio is the perfect balance.
That said, if you like your carrots sweeter or less sweet, feel free to adjust by either adding 1/2 tablespoon or reducing 1/2 tablespoon of sweetener.
What spice is good on carrots?
These glazed baked carrots are seasoned with a simple blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. It perfectly balances out the sweetness of the glaze and tastes delicious.
In the fall months I will sometimes also add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, which tastes so yummy!
What herbs go well with carrots?
My go-to favorite is parsley, but other herbs that are delicious on oven baked carrots include basil, thyme, or oregano.
Baking Questions
How long do carrots take to bake (how long does it take for carrots to soften)?
Depending on the size of your baby carrots, your carrots will bake to soft and tender perfection in around 25 minutes time.
If you have larger carrots, you might need to bake an additional 5 minutes for them to soften to fork tender.
Why are my carrots not cooking in the oven?
If your carrots aren’t cooking tender and soft in the oven, then it’s probably due to not baking them at the proper temperature or your carrots are larger in size and will require additional baking time.
I recommend using petite-sized baby carrots or cutting them in a similar size to make sure they all bake evenly.
I also recommend always fully pre-heating your oven before baking to ensure proper heat distribution.
How to make glazed carrots on stovetop:
My personal preference is to oven roast baby carrots for the best texture, but if you’re oven is all full during holiday baking, you can always prepare the glazed carrots on your stovetop.
To prepare on the stove, first par-boil your carrots in water for 5 minutes.
Drain away the water, add in a little bit of oil and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
Next, add in your butter, light brown sugar, maple syrup, and seasonings. Stir until evenly combined and cover your pot to simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the carrots are caramelized and tender soft.
Remove from heat and garnish with parsley, if desired.
Prep/Storage Questions
Can you make glazed carrots ahead of time or the day before?
Yes, these carrots can be prepped ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.
To make ahead, prepare as directed, but pull them out of the oven when they are tender-crisp and not super soft.
This will help them better hold their shape when refrigerated, and then they will slightly soften up when re-heating.
How to store and reheat glazed carrots?
Store leftover maple brown sugar baked carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Heat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove over medium-low heat.
Can you freeze glazed carrots?
We don’t typically have leftovers for freezing, but yes, you can freeze glazed carrots for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag.
How to Make Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots – Recipe & Video Tutorial
Need an easy side dish for a weeknight or holiday dinner? Try my Easy Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots recipe! These easy glazed carrots can be made in under 30 minutes and feature a delicious, buttery maple brown sugar glaze, savory seasonings, and parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
2lbs baby carrots (petite sized recommended)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp real maple syrup (can substitute honey)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley (sprinkled on top after baking)
Instructions
First preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and rinse and dry your carrots. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
Use a spatula to evenly spread the carrots on the baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, toss carrots, and return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until carrots are soft and tender.*
Remove your carrots from the oven and immediately top with dried or fresh parsley.
Notes
Store leftover maple brown sugar baked carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Heat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove over medium-low heat.
If carrots are larger, they may require an additional 5-10 minutes of baking time to reach optimal tenderness.
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What do carrots go well with?
These easy glazed carrots goes well with just about anything, but here’s just a few of my favorite dinners to serve them with:
I hope you enjoyed today’s Easy Maple Brown Sugar Baked Carrots Recipe!
Do you love oven glazed carrots too? Will you be serving these at Thanksgiving dinner? Let me know in the comments below!
