These Cinnamon Brown Sugar Carrots are the perfect kid-friendly side dish that you can easily make all year long! Pan glazed carrots are perfect for even your pickiest eaters!
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If you are looking for that perfect kid-friendly side dish, these carrots are going to be the one you should make next!
You are going to love how easy this recipe is to make. Carrots are sweet all year round, and when you cook them with brown sugar and cinnamon, it takes them to a whole new level!
You will remember my roasted sweet potato recipe, this one uses honey but is the same basic concept! You can also try these Parmesan Carrots from my friend over at Noshtastic.
The hero of this recipe is the carrots. We get a farm box each week from a fun company called Ugly Produce. They buy the fruits and vegetables that don't meet the grocery store's "pretty" standards. This produce tastes the same, so we love getting this weekly box.
Carrots are not only nutritious, but they are great if you have a picky eater. Carrots don't get mushy like zucchini (thank goodness!)
There are lots of ways to cut your carrots for this recipe. I always remove the green top and bottom ends first.
Side dishes can make the meal so check out some of my delicious gluten free side dish recipes.
Ways to cut carrots:
- Take a knife and slice the carrot in half lengthwise. Depending on how long your carrots are, you can cut it in half to make shorter slices. Next, slice each half lengthwise as you see in the carrots I used in this recipe.
- You can also slice the carrots into "rounds". To do this I cut at an angle to make my slices more oval shaped. This makes the carrot a bit longer so kids have to either cut it in half or take a bite. My kids are older but if you use round circle slices, they can be a choking hazard for little kids.
How to make brown sugar carrots:
There are also lots of ways to cook the brown sugar-glazed carrots in this stovetop carrots recipe, but this is the way I like it because it makes the sweet glaze on the carrots.
- The first step is to add butter to a pan. Turn the temperature to medium and allow the butter to melt.
- Whisk in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and water.
- Add the carrots and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered for 30 minutes.
This recipe is naturally gluten free, and you can make it paleo by substituting maple syrup for the brown sugar and ghee or coconut oil for the butter!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Carrots are delicious both when you bake or pan fry them. Pan-frying is quicker and it still yields a delicious flavor.
If you want your carrots to be the healthiest, cook them whole. Cutting the carrots and then cooking them will reduce the nutrient levels.
These brown sugar carrots will keep fresh for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Pair these brown sugar carrots with:
Looking for another kid-friendly carrot recipe? Give this maple ginger carrots recipe a try!
Tools:
- A large 12" cast iron skillet.
- You will want a sharp knife to cut the carrots or this handy vegetable slicer.
Recipe
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots peeled and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter (*see note)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, then whisk in brown sugar, cinnamon and water.
- Add carrots, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until carrots are tender and glazed, about 30 minutes
Notes
- You can use peeled bagged mini carrots instead of cutting big carrots up.
- Feel free to use vegan butter if you are dairy-free.
- These brown sugar carrots can be made up to 2 days ahead. They will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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This post was updated from an older June 2015 post with more details and easier-to-follow directions.
Liss
If substituting maple syrup for brown sugar, how much do you add. For the carrots
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Liss, I would say 1/4 cup? It really is a personal preference for the sweetness level.