Maple glazed carrots are a quick and flavorful side dish the whole family will love! My recipe comes together in one pan on the stove or in the microwave. Feel free to substitute the maple syrup with honey for honey glazed carrots!!
Fast and Easy Glazed Carrots
Need a quick dinner side? These maple glazed carrots are bursting with flavor but take just minutes to make. We’ll cook them in a buttery brown sugar and maple glaze that’s perfectly sweet and fresh, thanks to some fresh thyme.
Why you should try them
- A simple, easy recipe. This side dish takes literally seconds to prep. While I prefer to peel my carrots, it’s not mandatory, and you can speed things along even further by using baby carrots, which don’t need to be peeled or cut at all (as those steps are already taken care of for you!).
- Flavorful. For such a simple, straightforward dish, it packs a pretty punch in the flavor department. The glaze is balanced with flavors of brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, and thyme and is mouthwateringly flavorful (and don’t let the ingredients fool you, it’s not at all too rich!).
- Versatile. You can easily transform them into honey glazed carrots by simply swapping out the maple syrup for honey.
- They’re quick to prepare! I prefer to make them on the stovetop, but also include instructions for preparing in the microwave if you prefer to make them that way! On the stovetop they’re ready in under half an hour (and most of that is passive cooking time, perfect for prepping while your main dish cooks away!).
This recipe would also make a great holiday side dish! Feel free to double or triple the ingredients to make enough to feed a crowd–and be prepared to have everyone asking for the recipe 😊
What You Need
This recipe is simple to prepare with only eight ingredients (one of which is water!). Let’s go over the ingredient list before we get started.
- Carrots. You can use either large carrots or baby carrots. Baby carrots are the best choice if you are in a rush, as they come pre-peeled and bite sized.
- Butter. Stick with salted butter here since we are adding sweet ingredients like maple syrup and brown sugar. We’ll also add additional salt and pepper to taste too to make sure the flavors balance out nicely.
- Brown sugar. I like using light brown sugar in this recipe; it’s not too sweet but still adds depth of flavor.
- Maple syrup. Stick with real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Or, if you’d prefer, you can use honey instead of maple syrup to make honey glazed carrots.
- Fresh thyme. This is optional, but it adds a nice herby flavor that reminds me of Thanksgiving (and these carrots make a great Thanksgiving side dish!)
SAM’S TIP: When using large carrots, I usually peel them first. This extra step is optional and purely for aesthetic reasons; it guarantees a beautiful orange color in the final result. I also recommend peeling your carrots when making carrot cake; if you don’t, you could end up with a green colored cake (the stakes aren’t quite as high with today’s recipe!).
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Maple Glazed Carrots
- Add all ingredients to a large skillet over medium heat and stir frequently until the butter melts. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, still stirring frequently.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the carrots are starting to become tender. Remove the lid and cook over medium high until the water evaporates. Taste test and add additional salt and pepper if needed, then enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: Looking for another one-pan side dish? My creamed spinach takes just 20 minutes to make in one pot on the stove.
Frequently Asked Questions
While I prefer making these carrots on the stovetop, you can certainly make them in the microwave in a pinch.
To do this, place your carrots in a microwave-safe dish (I like to use a glass casserole dish with a lid). Fill the dish with about ½-3/4″ of water, cover, and microwave for 6-7 minutes or until carrots are tender. Drain the water and immediately add the remaining ingredients. Place the lid over the casserole dish so the butter can melt. After 1-2 minutes, give them a good stir to make sure everything is nicely coated.
Note that the glaze is usually not as thick when made in the microwave.
Yes! You can prepare and store this recipe in the fridge for up to 4 days. The carrots will likely be a bit softer from reheating if you do make them in advance, but they will still taste amazing!
This recipe makes a great holiday side dish, but it also works as an everyday dinner side too! We like to enjoy them with salisbury steak, roast chicken, and salmon year-round.
Want to add even more flavor to these carrots? A splash of orange juice or a sprinkling of chopped pecans will do the trick!
Enjoy!
I originally shared my recipe for glazed carrots over on Spend with Pennies!
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Maple Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 lb (453 g) carrots cut into 2”x1 ½” sticks
- ½ cup (118 ml) water
- 1 ½ Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus additional to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper plus additional to taste
Recommended Equipment
- 10” skillet
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until butter is melted.1 lb (453 g) carrots, ½ cup (118 ml) water, 1 ½ Tablespoons salted butter, 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes or until carrots are just tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove lid and cook, stirring frequently, on medium-high until water is evaporated and carrots are glazed.
- Taste-test and add additional salt/pepper if needed.
Notes
Carrots
Baby carrots are a nice easy substitute, no peeling or dicing required!Peeling the carrots isn’t necessary, but they will appear a brighter orange color and glossier if they are peeled before being cooked.
Maple syrup
You may substitute honey for the maple syrup.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This post was originally written for Spend with Pennies.
Kelsey Monk
Came across this recipe while searching for sides to make for Thanksgiving this year. Wanted to test it out before the holiday, so we’ve made them two days in a row now because they’re such a hit! Excited to make these for our big Thanksgiving gathering!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy them, Kelsey! 🙂
Camille Gould
Hello. I love carrots and want to try this recipe. But I want to ask if it would work if the carrots are sliced into coins? Maybe an inch thick? Thank you.
Sam
Hi Camille! It could certainly work if cut into coins your cook time may just vary. 🙂
Mike
Had them for Thanksgiving tonight. Delicious!! We will be making them again!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Mike! 🙂
Clarissa
This came out so good!! I used less butter and basically the same as everything else (though I boiled the carrots before I started), and it came out so good!!!!! The carrots literally absorbed the sweetness and taste so nice!!!! Thank you for this recipe, I will definitely do it again in the future!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Clarissa! 🙂
Kelly Stevens
These carrots were so easy and tasty! Will definitely be my go to from now on.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you loved them, Kelly! Thanks for the review ❤️
Norina
So easy and so delish!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed the carrots, Norina! Thanks for the review ❤️