If you are looking for a delicious family-friendly side that is really easy to make, this maple roasted carrots recipe is absolutely delicious. The carrot flavors caramelize as they roast in a homemade maple butter sauce. This is a great side dish for your pickiest eaters!
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I don't know about you, but our family is comprised of one vegan, one growing meat-loving boy, a picky one, and me in the middle of it all. This maple syrup carrots side dish that I can happily say everyone will eat. I include a dairy-free option so this recipe can be made vegan as well.
It often feels like I am a short-order cook, and on many levels I am. But making it work is important to me, which is one reason I always try to give options to vary recipes to be allergy-friendly for many different allergies.
If your family loves carrots as well, you will also want to try this easy brown sugar cinnamon carrots side dish recipe. Keep reading and I promise some delicious meal suggestions to serve with these carrots.
Why this recipe is great:
This oven roasted maple carrots recipe an easy side dish to make. You can make it ahead or meal prep it and bake the day you want to serve them. The deep caramelized flavors really stand out and this recipe is wildly popular with kids and adults a like. To speed up the cooking, you can make them in an air fryer too!
Serve this carrots side dish next to my Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Kid-Friendly Kale and Apple Salad for a well-rounded offering of sides.
What you need to make this recipe
- Fresh carrots - in this recipe, frozen and canned carrots will not work. If you want that roasted flavor, you will want fresh carrots.
- Pure maple syrup - you can use grade A or B. I used to love grade B, which has more minerals in it but I haven't been able to find grade B syrup as easily. Do not use fake maple syrups with corn syrup or other added flavors.
- Fresh ginger - you can use powdered but fresh adds better flavor.
- Butter - to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, use vegan butter or coconut oil
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe step by step directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350º F. Put your carrots into a large bowl with maple syrup, melted butter, and some freshly grated ginger. Toss to coat.
Step 2: Lay the maple syrup carrots out in a parchment paper lined baking dish. Make sure they do not touch so they can roast evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on how large and thick your carrots are. You will know the carrots are finished baking when you can insert a fork into a carrot and it is softened.
Step 3: Remove the maple carrots from the oven to a serving dish and enjoy!
Common Questions:
You can easily make these carrots ahead. You can do all of the steps, cover, then keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.
These carrots will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.
The short answer is yes, you could freeze these roasted carrots, but please know they will get mushy when you reheat them after being frozen.
You can use whole carrots, mini peeled carrots, or slice large carrots in this recipe. I like to slice large carrots on the diagonal.
If you keep these carrots in the refrigerator, they reheat very well. You can reheat in the microwave, or in the oven at 325º F for 10-12 minutes.
Serve with:
- Gluten Free Chicken Fried Steak
- Bacon-Wrapped Cornish Game Hens
- Mandarin Herb Roasted Chicken
- Grilled Coho Salmon
📖 Recipe
Roasted Maple Carrots
Ingredients
- 3 cups raw carrots
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger fresh is best
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Add small whole carrots or cut carrot slices to a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in the microwave with the maple syrup for 15 seconds. Drizzle over the carrots.
- Add the freshly grated ginger and salt. Mix well to coat.
- Place the carrots on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake 20-25 minutes. Time to bake will depend on size of the carrots, and if you are baking them whole or chopped.
Notes
- You can use mini peeled whole carrots, whole carrots, or slice your carrots. I like to slice them on the diagonal.
- If you can't find fresh ginger, you can use ¼ teaspoon powdered ground ginger. I recommend adding powdered ginger to the syrup and butter when warming them in the microwave.
- When baking, make sure the carrots are not on top of each other on the pan. They will caramelize better if they are single file on the baking sheet.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
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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Nellie Tracy
Everyone in our family loves this recipe which is a huge win!
Sandi Gaertner
That is awesome, I am really glad.
Sydnie
Such a great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Sandi Gaertner
I am glad you liked it 🙂