Maple Glazed Carrots
Maple Glazed Carrots are PERFECT for a holiday table because they’re made with simple ingredients like brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, thyme, and balsamic vinegar, ready in under 30 minutes!
These carrots are the perfect side dish to any holiday dinner or potluck. They’re an amazing balance of sweet and savory flavors using only a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time. They’re also very bright and colorful (perfect for a table setting)! They’re quick and easy to make if you’re looking for a new dish for a weeknight meal, and will be one of your new favorite side dishes!
This delicious side dish is perfect for holiday meals, because it’s really simple to throw together and looks amazing on the table! For more great ideas, try my Roasted Butternut Squash, Creamed Peas and Potatoes, and Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make! Maple Glazed Carrots are made with a few simple ingredients in two easy steps, making them a really easy holiday side dish. Just boil the carrots until fork-tender, then add the glaze and serve!
Gluten Free! You can be sure that this holiday dish is totally gluten free because you’ve added all of the ingredients yourself!
Perfect for the holidays! This is a classic holiday dish that’s always a big hit at holiday dinners or on a Thanksgiving table!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Carrots. The easiest way is to use baby carrots, but you can also use regular carrots cut in half lengthwise, then cut in half again. I use medium carrots, but if they’re larger you can cut them into more pieces. Try to keep all of the pieces about the same size.
I’m using two pounds of carrots, which will feed about 4 people. You can increase the recipe as-needed using the feature in my recipe card.
Maple Syrup. This adds all of the flavor we’re looking for in this recipe. You can also use honey or more brown sugar in place of maple syrup. Make sure to use real maple syrup and not the kind with added ingredients for the best flavor and texture.
Butter. I like to use unsalted butter, so I can add the amount of salt that I like later. If you use salted butter, taste the glaze before adding any salt.
You can also substitute with olive oil, just to add some fat to the dish for flavor. Or vegan butter if you’re vegan.
Brown Sugar. This adds more depth of flavor to the glaze because brown sugar has some molasses notes. You can also use regular granulated sugar.
Balsamic Vinegar. This helps balance the sweet notes in the recipe, and also adds a really nice color to the glaze.
Cinnamon. Ground cinnamon adds a nice flavor to the glaze that’s perfect for the holidays.
Spices. I just add some garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper to taste. I’m also adding fresh thyme, because fresh herbs really add another layer of flavor in holiday dishes.
You can also use 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic (minced) instead of garlic powder. Fresh garlic adds a little extra flavor to most dishes. Add this with the butter in the recipe and stir.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe you’ll need a medium sized saucepan to boil the carrots, and a skillet to add the glaze.
How to Make Maple Glazed Carrots
Time needed: 25 minutes
- Boil the carrots.
In a saucepan cover the carrots with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots are just fork-tender. Drain the water and set carrots aside.
- Make the glaze.
In a skillet over medium-high heat melt butter.
Whisk the maple syrup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and cinnamon in a bowl, then add to the melted butter in the skillet. Stir everything together until well-combined.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the glaze thickens enough that it sticks to the spoon. - Glaze the carrots.
Add the cooked carrots to the skillet and stir everything together until the carrots are evenly coated in the maple glaze. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t want to boil the carrots, you can also add everything to a baking dish and bake them for about 30-40 minutes at 350°F, or until fork-tender. Cover the dish with tinfoil to prevent the glaze from burning, then uncover for the last few minutes for that roasted carrots caramelization.
- The base ingredients are maple syrup, butter, and brown sugar for the sauce. If you have these three things, you can add more or less of anything else for this dish.
- Try making this recipe with sweet potato cubes or butternut squash instead of carrots!
- For a kick of heat, try adding some red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper.
Recipe Tip! Baby carrots make this recipe really easy! If you don’t have larger carrots or you don’t feel like cutting and peeling, you can use a bag of baby carrots instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Boiling the carrots helps make them soft, because once they’re in the saucepan we’re just coating them in the glaze. You don’t want to boil them until they’re mushy, just cook them until they’re fork-tender. Then drain completely before adding them to the saucepan.
If you’re going to make these ahead of time, I recommend doing so no more than 24 hours ahead. Store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready, then reheat them in a saucepan and add more maple syrup as-needed.
Recipe Tip! This recipe also works great with honey in place of maple syrup! You can also use equal parts of brown sugar instead for a more cost-effective version.
More Vegetable Recipes
- Instant Pot Green Beans
- Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Cauliflower Au Gratin
- Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
Storage
Refrigerate leftover maple glazed carrots in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Freeze leftover carrots for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. The texture of the carrots can change after being frozen, so I recommend just making them fresh instead.
Cooking Tips
- When you’re simmering the glaze, it should be thick enough that it sticks to the spoon, and if you move the sauce in the pan it stays in place for a few seconds.
- Check the carrots with a fork. It should be able to go through easily, but the carrot shouldn’t completely fall apart.
- Instead of boiling, you can also add water or chicken stock to a skillet with the glaze ingredients, then add the carrots. Simmer until the water cooks off and you have fork tender carrots.
- I don’t recommend making this on a sheet pan, because the glaze will burn.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Maple Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots , peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper , or to taste
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 medium skillet
Instructions
- In a saucepan cover carrots with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots are just fork-tender. Drain the water and set carrots aside.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat melt butter. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, thyme, and cinnamon to the melted butter, stirring everything together until well-combined. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until the glaze thickens enough that it sticks to the spoon.
- Add the cooked carrots to the skillet and stir everything together until carrots are evenly coated in the maple glaze. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
- When you’re simmering the glaze, it should be thick enough that it sticks to the spoon, and if you move the sauce in the pan it stays in place for a few seconds.
- Check the carrots with a fork. It should be able to go through easily, but the carrot shouldn’t completely fall apart.
- Boiling the carrots helps make them soft, because once they’re in the saucepan we’re just coating them in the glaze.
- Make sure you drain the water completely before adding the carrots to the saucepan.
- This recipe also works great with honey in place of maple syrup. You can also use equal parts of brown sugar instead for a more cost-effective version.
- If you don’t have larger carrots or you don’t feel like cutting and peeling, you can use a bag of baby carrots instead.
Nutrition
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