Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Carrots are an easy holiday side that is made right on the stovetop! That's right, no trying to figure out how to cram another pan into an already overloaded oven (woohoo!). They take 15 minutes to make and taste exactly like honey roasted carrots, without the actual roasting in the oven.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Honey Glazed Carrots
- Ingredients You'll Need For Glazed Carrots
- Optional Add-Ins And Spices
- How To Make Honey Glazed Carrots
- Tips For The Best Glazed Carrots
- How To Store & Reheat Leftover Carrots
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What To Serve With Honey Glazed Carrots
- 📖 Recipe
- ⭐️ Leave a Review
Planning a full holiday spread? I have a couple more holiday side dish recipes that don't require oven real estate, like my pan fried maple sweet potatoes, garlic snow peas, and sautéed red cabbage. If your oven is free, my crispy roasted Kalettes and bacon jam brussels sprouts are delicious sides. And don't forget some whipped honey butter for those dinner rolls!
Why You'll Love These Honey Glazed Carrots
- No oven space needed. These brown sugar and honey glazed carrots cook on the stovetop in one skillet, so your oven stays free for the turkey.
- That brown sugar honey glaze. Brown sugar adds a caramelly flavor and honey adds a sticky sweetness.
- It's a quick and simple side. Carrots are cooked first in butter, then spiced and glazed at the end so the sugar doesn't burn.
- Easy for holidays or weeknights. These honey glazed carrots are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or even just a random Tuesday night.
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Ingredients You'll Need For Glazed Carrots
- Carrots: Whole carrots cut into circles are what we use, but baby carrots cut in half work too. If you have parsnips on hand, you can use those too!
- Spices: The spice blend I use on these carrots can be switched up in a million ways. Instead of using the listed spices in the recipe, you can use a pumpkin pie spice blend for a fall flavor with zero heat, or even a Cajun spice blend for a different vibe.
- Brown Sugar: Swap brown sugar for maple syrup, if preferred.
You can find all the ingredients and their quantities in the recipe card below.
Optional Add-Ins And Spices
- Extra Spicy: We already use cayenne in this recipe, and it gives the carrots a subtle kick. If you want to make them more spicy, add some chili pepper flakes or chili oil.
- Add Caramelized Onions: Toss the honey glazed carrots with a batch of caramelized onions at the end for a truly unforgettable side.
- Add Nuts: Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds with two minutes of cooking time left for a crunchy glazed carrot side dish.
How To Make Honey Glazed Carrots
Cook The Carrots
In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the carrots and cook until softened, tossing or stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes. If you find the carrots are taking too long to soften (this can happen if the rounds are too thick), loosely cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil to help them soften.
Add The Glaze
Once the carrots have softened to fork-tender, lower the temperature to medium-low and add the garlic, spices, brown sugar, and honey.
Simmer Until Sticky
Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the glaze has thickened and is coating the carrots.
Serve
Transfer the carrots to a serving dish and serve immediately.
Tips For The Best Glazed Carrots
- Cut the carrots to the same size. Thicker and thinner rounds cook at different speeds, leaving you with some mushy and some undercooked carrots.
- Add the sugar and honey at the end. Sugar and honey burn easily and will not hold up throughout the whole cooking process if you were to add them at the start.
- Use a wide, large skillet so the carrots sit in a relatively even single layer. This allows each carrot to slightly brown as you cook them and lets the glaze reduce evenly.
How To Store & Reheat Leftover Carrots
Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a bit of butter until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! That is exactly this recipe.
Cook the carrots just until they are softened and can be poked with a fork easily. Cut the carrots evenly and avoid steaming the carrots in the pan while cooking.
The glaze needs a few minutes of cooking time to reduce slightly and thicken, so just give it an extra couple of minutes on the stove, but keep watching it closely so it doesn't burn.
Yep! Just slice them in half lengthwise before cooking.
You can cook the carrots until tender a few hours ahead of time and then reheat and add the glaze just before serving. These carrots cook fast anyway, so making ahead will only save you a few minutes.
What To Serve With Honey Glazed Carrots
These carrots are perfect for holiday meals, regular Sunday dinners, or just a quick side dish throughout the week, and these are some of my favorite dishes to serve with them:
If you made these Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Carrots or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Carrots
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 6 large Carrots
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the carrots and slice them into evenly sized rounds, about ¼ inch thick.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil and butter. Heat until the butter is melted, then add the carrots to the skillet, spreading them out into a relatively single layer. Cook for about 10 minutes, tossing or stirring regularly, until they are softened. If the carrots are taking too long to soften, which can happen if the rounds are too thick, loosely cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil to trap a tiny bit of the steam and speed things up.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, thyme, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the carrots and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the glaze reduces slightly, thickens, and coats the carrots. Transfer the carrots to a serving dish and serve immediately.
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Notes
- Carrots: Whole carrots or parsnips (or both) cut into rounds, or baby carrots cut in half lengthwise, can be used.
- Spices: The spices can be easily changed to suit any meal, try using pumpkin pie spice or Cajun spice for a different flavor.
- Optional Add-Ins: Try adding caramelized onions or chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds.
- Add the brown sugar and honey at the end. Brown sugar and honey burn easily, and adding them too early is the biggest reason they burn.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Jessica says
This recipe was whipped up on a whim. My husband was in charge of the carrots, and he came up with this. Once we tasted it, it was a mad scramble for the notebook to write down exactly how he had made it. What are you going to serve these honey glazed carrots with?