Look no further for a delicious, easy side dish — these Maple Glazed Carrots make every meal special!  They’re tender and sweet with a flavorful orange maple glaze and are topped with chopped fresh parsley.  This is a show stopping dish that comes together quickly with minimal effort and the whole family will love them! 

Maple glazed carrots on a platter with fresh parsley

Carrots are a special vegetable that simply taste like a treat.  They have a natural sweetness and great flavor, so they really don’t need much to make them shine. 

While I love raw carrots in salads and served with dip, my favorite way to enjoy them is cooked because their sweetness and flavor really intensifies.  They add an amazing velvety texture to my carrot ginger soup, and the caramelization makes them taste like candy in my roasted root vegetables recipe. 

These Maple Glazed Carrots are a dish that really celebrates carrot season.  The colorful rainbow carrots are served whole for a stunning, freshly harvested appearance, and the glaze just makes them glisten.

This is a truly special dish.

Glazed carrots on a white serving dish with a linen alongside

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • The colorful rainbow carrots are tender and sweet, with the flavors of butter, maple syrup and orange.  Freshly chopped parsley adds freshness and makes the colors pop!
  • This glazed carrots recipe is a show stopping side dish that’s versatile enough for a weeknight dinner or special holiday meal.
  • This is an easy recipe that comes together quickly with minimal prep!
  • It’s a gluten-free, vegetarian side dish that the entire family will love.

Recipe ingredients

You only need 4 ingredients for these maple glazed carrots, and they may be customized to suit a dairy free and vegan diet as outlined in the ingredient notes below.

Maple glazed carrots recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Carrots.  I love using rainbow carrots because of the variety of color and flavor that they provide.  Pro tip:  When buying carrots with the green tops still attached, cut the tops off immediately to prevent your carrots from going soft very quickly. Use your carrot tops to make my Carrot Top Pesto!
  • Butter.  Substitute the butter with coconut or olive oil to make this recipe vegan and dairy free.
  • Maple syrup.  Substitute the maple syrup for honey if you prefer honey glazed carrots!

How to make this recipe

These maple glazed carrots are incredibly easy to prep.  I’ve left the carrots whole and unpeeled, so simply remove the carrots tops and scrub them clean!

The ingredients for the maple glaze are whisked together, then added to the carrots in the pot. The liquid is used to braise the carrots, then its reduced down to a thick, syrupy glaze.

How to make glazed carrots collage
  1. In a large Dutch oven or deep sided sauté pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots and sauté until just starting to color, about 5 minutes.
  2. Place the orange juice, water, maple syrup and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the orange juice mixture to the carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, simmering gently until the carrots are tender, checking for doneness after 10 minutes. Carrots will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on their size. Pro tip: If your carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise, or even slice on the bias to reduce the cooking time.
  3. Once the carrots are tender, remove them from the pot and place on a serving platter. Increase the heat to medium, and cook the liquid until thickened and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and add the carrots back to the pot and toss in the glaze, and place on the serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley.
Maple glazed carrots on platter in a pool of glaze

FAQs

How long does it take for carrots to become tender?

Whole carrots take about 10-15 minutes to become tender, depending on the size. Cut whole carrots in half lengthwise, or slice on the bias to reduce the cooking time to 5-8 minutes.

Can you make glazed carrots the day before?

Yes, you may make glazed carrots the day before. Once the carrots have cooled, simply store in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to reheat them, place in a microwave safe dish and heat until warmed through.

How long will cooked carrots last in the fridge?

Cooked carrots will keep for 3-5 days in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

How to serve this recipe

These maple glazed carrots are the perfect addition to your holiday meals. Serve with my slow cooker ham for Christmas and Easter, or with spatchcock turkey or roasted turkey breast for Thanksgiving.

These carrots may also be served with my oven baked pork chops or broiled salmon for a special weeknight dinner!

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip:  When buying carrots with the green tops still attached, cut the tops off immediately to prevent your carrots from going soft very quickly. Use your carrot tops to make my Carrot Top Pesto!
  • I left my carrots unpeeled for added nutrition, but you may peel them if you prefer.
  • Change up these maple glazed carrots by adding 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger to the orange maple glaze, or top with fresh thyme leaves!
  • Store carrots in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Glazed carrots on a white serving plate with fresh parsley

See my round up of Carrot recipes for more inspiration!

Additional carrot recipes you’ll love:

If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me @flavorthemoments on Instagram!

Maple glazed carrots on a platter with fresh parsley

Maple Glazed Carrots

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Maple Glazed Carrots are tender and sweet, with a flavorful orange maple glaze and chopped fresh parsley. This is a show stopping, easy side dish that comes together quickly and the whole family will love it!
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 20 ounces rainbow carrots two bunches, scrubbed clean and green tops removed
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 2-3 large navel oranges
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions 

  • In a large Dutch oven or deep sided sauté pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots and sauté until just starting to color, about 5 minutes.
  • Place the orange juice, water, maple syrup and salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the orange juice mixture to the carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover, simmering gently until the carrots are tender, checking for doneness after 10 minutes. Carrots will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on their size. Pro tip: If your carrots are large, cut them in half lengthwise, or even slice on the bias to reduce the cooking time.
  • Once the carrots are tender, remove them from the pot and place on a serving platter. Increase the heat to medium, and cook the liquid until thickened and syrupy, about 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and add the carrots back to the pot and toss in the glaze, and place on the serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
    How to make glazed carrots collage

Notes

  • Pro tip:  When buying carrots with the green tops still attached, cut the tops off immediately to prevent your carrots from going soft very quickly. Use your carrot tops to make my Carrot Top Pesto!
  • I left my carrots unpeeled for added nutrition, but you may peel them if you prefer.
  • Change up these maple glazed carrots by adding 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger to the orange maple glaze, or top with fresh thyme leaves!
  • Store carrots in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 263mg, Potassium: 374mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 16156IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: glazed carrots, maple glazed carrots
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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