Maple Glazed Carrots
Maple Glazed Carrots are a simple and delicious vegetable side, equally worthy of a weeknight dinner or holiday meal!
These carrots are an Easter tradition.
Usually I try to reserve certain recipes solely for the holidays so that they feel special.
For example, I only make Beef Wellington for Christmas dinner. And I only make these Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning.
But these carrots are too good and too quick and easy to just have as a holiday meal. So I make them for weeknight dinners here and there, especially in the fall when I want extra maple in my life.
With only 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes of cook time, it’s a great recipe to keep in your regular rotation.
Look how the carrots get beautifully blistered and sticky sweet:
They are the best!
How to Make Maple Glazed Carrots:
Just like in my Roasted Carrots recipe, I strongly recommend buying the bunched carrots that come with the tops on.
These carrots have the best flavor, and also tend to be a bit smaller, which is best for this recipe. Fortunately they’re only $1.50 per bunch at my grocery store, so even on a budget, they’re very affordable.
Using kitchen shears (affiliate) or a sharp knife, trim the tops, leaving an inch or two of green at the top if you like the look of it.
Rinse the carrots well, and note that I do not peel the carrots.
I talk in-depth in my Roasted Carrots post about why leaving the skin on is so great, but in short, the texture is better, it’s more flavorful, more nutritious, and it saves time and hassle.
Melt some ghee or butter in a nonstick skillet, and add the carrots in a single layer:
(Side note: If you’re using butter, feel free to let it brown first for extra flavor. This is how I used to make the dish, before having to limit my dairy intake).
It’s important to not overcrowd the pan and have the carrots piled up on each other.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium for about 5 minutes, giving things a toss partway through.
You’re ready to move to the next step once the carrots are a bit browned on the edges and are almost fully tender.
That’s your cue to add pure maple syrup:
You can see that the maple syrup will bubble. Toss the carrots in it for a minute, then add sliced almonds and sea salt:
I do not pre-toast the almonds, as I find they toast during the continued cooking.
Keep cooking the carrots for another 3-5 minutes, until the maple syrup has mostly stuck to the carrots and the almonds are golden.
I find the carrots to be pretty served right in the skillet, but transfer to a dish if you prefer.
Carrot Coconut Soup, Carrot Ginger Dressing, and Carrot Raisin Salad are a few of my other favorite carrot recipes on the blog. Enjoy!
Maple Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 lb organic carrots with tops on*
- 2 tbsp ghee (or use butter if you tolerate dairy)
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the carrots: Trim the carrot tops from the carrots, either leaving an inch or two on top for decorative purposes or trimming the tops off entirely. Wash the carrots well, but do not peel.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and melt the ghee. Add the carrots in a single layer to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, with a lid on, tossing the carrots halfway through to cook more evenly. You want to cook the carrots until they are mostly tender. A good sign to watch for is if you're tossing them with tongs and they start to cut into the carrots too much (and that's an indicator it's time to switch to a spatula). Also, cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the carrots you purchase, so cook for a few minutes more if necessary.
- Add the maple syrup to the pan (it should sizzle and bubble up), and toss the carrots for a minute. Then add the almonds and salt. Cook the carrots for another 3-5 minutes until the carrots are glazed and sticky, and they are fork tender. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Post updated in April 2020. Originally published March 2013.
Good morning Joanne!
I love anything w/ maple syrup.
These carrots look so good I Must give them a try.
I throw my carrot greens into any stock that I am making. Especially good w/ chicken.
Great with a vegetable stock also.
Also brings out the flavour for cream of carrot.
Have a Joyful Day :~D
Charlie
You definitely had me at maple and brown butter, two of my fave things ever invented!
I’ve never been a fan of carrots but this is one of the few ways I enjoy them!
The Easter bunny approves! These are gorgeous! And I want some!
I have quite a few carrots fans here so I am saving this recipe. The maple brown butter glaze sounds perfect!
Those carrot tops make our laying hens very happy! We keep a “brood food” bowl on the kitchen counter to collect any fresh trimmings from veggies. The rewards: incredibly rich and beautiful eggs for all our cooking needs.
Add a couple tablespoons of dark brown sugar to the browned butter and stir until melted, then add carrots. Oh, Yum!
Gorgeous carrots. And I get it. Both Mr. Hungry Couple and his brother get all excited when I make maple glazed carrots or squash. 🙂
Yumm, now can you help me out with making beans attractive to hubby too?
I place frozen green beans (up to 3 one pound bags for our extended family Sunday dinners) in a large covered microwave safe casserole dish. Add chopped raw onion and four to eight pieces cut up raw bacon. Microwave on high 25-30 min. Stop every 5 min to shake up really good and turn dish a quarter turn. Easy and yummy.
Brown butter and maple syrup definitely makes this a delish Easter side dish!
I love everything about this–the richness of the butter, which it perfect for assimilation of Vitamin A in carrots, maple syrup to accent its natural sweetness, the almond for pleasing texture–love, love, love. 🙂
This would get me to love cooked carrots!!
Squee, I love carrots. I get so excited when I see them. Even the family knows if they are thin ones with stems attached it will result in crazy squealing. If they are rainbows I may do cartwheels. For these I’d do a full on floor routine. Fabulous.
Oh how I love cooked carrots with that sticky maple glaze! These look gorgeous!!!
Oh, these look positively delicous: I’ve made something very similar before and they were simply fantastic. I especially love your almond addition, it’ll add a great crunch to offset the tenderness of the carrots.
I really want to eat these right now…but we don’t have any carrots! 🙁 Oh well, looks like I’ll have to get someone to run to the store. 😉