Glazed Carrots - Dinner at the Zoo

These glazed carrots are tender carrot coins simmered in a mixture of brown sugar and butter and topped with a sprinkling of parsley. An easy and inexpensive side dish that’s perfect for a holiday meal or an everyday dinner.

My kids love carrots, especially honey roasted carrots and candied carrots. We also really enjoy simple glazed carrots which take just minutes to put together. This is one of my go-to side dishes!

I always keep a bag of carrots in my fridge. They’re inexpensive, stay fresh for weeks, and you can do so many things with them! One of my favorite ways to prepare carrots is this easy glazed carrots recipe. All you need is 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes and they’ll be ready to serve. Offer your carrots alongside hearty main course dishes such as stuffed bell peppers or lemon pepper chicken.

Glazed Carrots Ingredients

• Carrots: I typically cut whole carrots into slices for this recipe. You can also cut your carrots into sticks, or use bagged baby carrots.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted butter will both work just fine.
• Brown Sugar: I typically use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar is also great if you prefer a more pronounced molasses flavor.
• Salt: A bit of salt helps to balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.
• Parsley: I like to add a sprinkle of fresh parsley for flavor and color, but this is an optional step.

How Do You Make Glazed Carrots?

Place your sliced carrots in a pan with water, then simmer them until they are just tender. Drain off the water, then add butter, brown sugar and salt to the pan. Cook the carrots for 4-5 minutes or until a glaze forms. Add the parsley if you’re using it, then serve immediately and enjoy.

Tips for the Perfect Dish

• Make sure your carrots are cut into uniformly sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.
• Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can reheat your leftover carrots on the stove over low heat for 5-7 minutes.
• You can cut and peel your carrots up to 3 days before you plan to make this recipe.

Flavor Variations

This is a simple recipe that is easy to customize to suit your tastes.

• Sweetener: You can substitute honey or maple syrup for the brown sugar if needed.
• Vegetables: I sometimes add other root vegetables to this dish such as parsnips, thinly sliced sweet potatoes and even yellow beets.
• Toppings: Finish your carrots with a sprinkle of nuts such as chopped pecans or toasted sliced almonds.
• Add-Ins: Feel free to add other flavors such as a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, a squeeze of lemon juice or even a dash of vanilla extract.

Whether you choose to serve glazed carrots for a special holiday dinner or serve them alongside a simple roasted chicken on a busy weeknight, this dish is sure to be welcomed by all.

More Side Dish Ideas

Glazed Carrots Video