Sweet Carrots Recipe • Longbourn Farm (2024)

08/11/21 | , Side Dish

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If you’ve never had pan roasted carrots, then look out because this simple recipe is perfect for any occasion and comes packed with a lot of flavors.

Sweet Carrots Recipe • Longbourn Farm (1)

Table of Contents

This is THE recipe for Glazed Carrots!

Today, we’re making skillet carrots as you’ve never had before. While most recipes call for brown sugar we are using a combination of honey and thyme to give us a sweet and earthy flavor that pairs well with the naturally sweet veggies.

This flavorful combination will work great for holidays like Easter or Thanksgiving and also do well for a nice Sunday evening meal with the family. While these skillet roasted carrots may seem fancy, they’re really just another easy side dish to serve along with your meal and one that takes very little effort.

Glazed Carrots Stovetop Ingredients

Carrots: You will need about 1 pound of chopped carrots. This can be from baby carrots or long carrots from the garden (or grocery store).
Water: Adding in water or broth will help to steam cook the carrots so that the insides are cooked perfectly and a nice sauce is created.
Butter: Adding a little butter will help to make the sauce much richer in taste.
Honey: Use honey, agave, or even maple syrup. This makes the carrots sweet and perfect.
Thyme: Use fresh or dried thyme to help flavor your dish.
Salt and pepper: This is just added to taste so you can add in as much or little as you prefer.

Can I use any carrot for this Sweet Carrots Recipe?

Yes, any kind of sweet carrot that is used for eating can be used in this recipe.

How to make Glazed Carrots

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet about 12 inches in size until melted. Add in the carrots and cook lightly until they start to brown a little bit. This should be about 5 minutes.
Add in the water or broth and the honey. Stir to combine and bring the liquid to a boil.
Reduce the heat and allow to simmer on low for about 30 minutes, until the carrots become tender. Periodically check in on the water and make sure to add in more liquid if it gets too low.
When the carrots are tender add in the remaining butter, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Sweet Carrots Recipe • Longbourn Farm (2)

Sweet Carrots Recipe • Longbourn Farm (3)

Caramelized Carrots Recipe FAQ

Can I make pan cooked carrots in a cast iron pan?

Absolutely! If you want to make some cast iron carrots, go for it. The cast iron may even help to cook the carrots more evenly if the chopped pieces are different in size. Just make sure that the pan size is large enough to accommodate all of your sliced carrot pieces and the liquid.

How long are leftover honey glazed carrots good for?

How to serve Sweet Carrots

This easy side dish recipe would pair very well with some homemade biscuits and oven roasted chicken. Maybe even add in a nice green salad with a homemade creamy salad dressing on top, oh yum! Can’t you just picture the delicious possibilities?

How to store Caramelized Carrots

The best way to store caramelized carrots is in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

More favorites from Longbourn Farm

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake
Crockpot Short Ribs
Fluffy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Tuscan Creamy Chicken
Smoked Turkey Breast Brine
Gorgonzola Steak Salad
Zucchini Bread with Buttermilk
Mixed Berry Cobbler Recipe with Frozen Berries

Chili in Dutch Oven
Blonde Butter Syrup
How to cook Canned Corn
Can Green Beans with Bacon
Garden Planter Boxes
Mexican Style Pork Chops
Dutch Oven Cheesy Potatoes
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Tenders

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Caramelized Carrots Recipe

These easy honey glazed carrots are made on the stovetop with a simple butter, honey and thyme recipe that is perfect for every day, or the holidays!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword caramelized carrots, honey carrots, honey glazed carrots

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 171kcal

Author Longbourn Farm • Alli Kelley

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound carrots chopped (see note)
1 cup water or broth, extra may be needed
3 tablespoons butter divided
3 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a large skillet (I used a 12 inch), heat 2 tablespoons of the butter until melted. Add carrots and cook lightly until they start to brown a little bit, about 5 minutes.
Add the water (or broth) and the honey. Stir to combine and bring the water to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer on low until the carrots become tender about 30 minutes. Check the water throughout this time and add more if it gets low.
When the carrots are tender and the liquid is reduced and thick (about 1/3 cup left), remove from the heat and add the remaining tablespoon butter, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Taste and adjust seasonings.

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Notes

Baby carrots or whole carrots can be used.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @longbournfarm or tag #longbournfarm!

Sweet Carrots Recipe • Longbourn Farm (2024)

FAQs

How to make raw carrots sweeter? ›

Carrots are naturally sweet, cutting them doesn't affect the flavor. If you want them even sweeter, roasting is a good option. Toss them with some oil, and something sweet- maple syrup, orange juice or even a little honey. Then roast in a hot oven.

Why do roasted carrots taste sweet? ›

Have you ever wondered why roasting makes vegetables taste sweeter? It's all about the caramelization process. Raw vegetables can taste bitter, especially to people who may not be sold on eating them, such as kids or grown-up kids. Roasting vegetables mellows the flavor.

What happens when you soak a carrot in salt water? ›

So, if a carrot is placed in very salty water, it will be less salty than the water around it. This causes the water in the carrot to move out of the carrot and into the salt water. The result is that the carrot becomes limp and tastes saltier than before.

Explore More ›

What does distilled water do to a carrot? ›

Answer and Explanation: If carrots are soaked in a sink filled with distilled water, the distilled water will move into the carrots due to osmosis. This is because water moves from a lower solute concentration to a higher solute concentration.

Discover More Details ›

Why are my carrots fizzing? ›

Fizz and scum are a normal part of fermentation as both bacteria and yeast are hard at work preserving your vegetables. After just 24 hours you'll notice that the water has turned cloudy and you may even see some tiny bubbles rising to the surface.

Get More Info Here ›

How do you add flavor to raw carrots? ›

Carrots pair well with fresh or dried herbs like thyme, rosemary & parsley. Bring out extra flavor in carrots by adding spices like ginger, paprika, cinnamon or curry powder. Make it a meal! 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or lemon juice Directions: 1.

Know More ›

How to get bitterness out of raw carrots? ›

Whatever you do, you should cook the carrots. Carrots usually become sweeter when cooked. And you can alter the flavor slightly by cooking in a broth, sauce, roasting with other ingredients, etc.

Learn More ›

Why are my carrots not sweet? ›

As carrots mature, they develop terpenoids and sugars; however, the former emerges in the early stages of growth while the latter manifests in the end stages closer to harvest time. If you pick carrots too soon, they'll contain higher levels of terpenoids than sugar and end up tasting more acrid than sweet.

Get More Info ›

Do carrots get sweeter in the fridge? ›

This is due, in part, to their ability to convert starch into sugar. Over the course of the growing season, these vegetables store up energy in the form of starches. When temperatures start to drop, they convert these starches into sugars, which act as an anti-freezing agent for their cells.

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