Candied Carrots: Tender carrots are simmered in a butter, brown sugar glaze for one of our favorite side dishes for a holiday meal or easy weeknight dinner!
Whether you call them candied carrots or glazed carrots, this great recipe will turn fresh carrots into a sweet and savory side dish that pairs well with ham, steak, chicken, turkey, and meatloaf.
Why you’ll love this recipe for candied carrots
- Simple ingredients: There are just five ingredients needed to make this easy candied carrot recipe
- Quick side dish: You can have these stovetop candied carrots on the table in just about 20 minutes
- Veggies: the sweet glaze on our candied carrots make them a delicious way to encourage your picky eaters to eat more veggies
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Ingredients
Get the full recipe card with instructions below!
- 1 1/2 lbs whole carrots
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- Parsley (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Place peeled, cut carrots in a medium saucepan with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Cover the carrots completely with cold water at least 1 inch above the carrots.
- Bring the carrots to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook for about 10-20 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Drain carrots and return them to the saucepan.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Once the butter is almost melted, add the brown sugar to the pan.
- Continue to cook over medium heat until the brown sugar is melted and starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and stir. Garnish with parsley (optional).
With their bright orange color and a simple glaze of just butter and brown sugar, this vegetable side dish is one of those classic recipes that your family will request over and over!
Substitutions and variations
Easy candied carrots are one of the most simple side dishes to make and I’ve got a few ways to adjust this recipe to your personal preference.
- Carrots – instead of carrots, you can use this same cooking method for sweet potatoes
- Sweet Flavors – use an equal amount of maple syrup, honey, dark brown sugar, agave syrup or coconut sugar if you don’t have brown sugar on hand. Carrots have a natural sweetness, so if you want to make this recipe with less sugar, reduce the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons.
- Orange – add a splash of orange juice before you add the brown sugar or stir in orange peel or zest for a fresh citrus boost
- Spices – Sprinkle the carrots with black pepper to taste or add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of your favorites spices like cinnamon, allspice or pumpkin pie spice
FAQs
- What type of carrots can I use? You can use regular carrots, baby carrots or even colorful rainbow carrots
- What are glazed carrots made of? Very simply, candied glazed carrots are made of cooked carrots simmered in a butter and brown sugar glaze
- Are glazed carrots healthy? Carrots are naturally low in calories and packed with vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, potassium and fiber. We’ve used less than 2 tablespoons of butter in this recipe and while there is brown sugar in the glaze, you can reduce the amount you use or use an alternate sweetener to fit the way you eat.
- Can glazed carrots be made a day ahead? Yes! If you plan to make these candied carrots ahead of time, reduce the cooking time for a few minutes since they will have additional cook time when you reheat them. To reheat leftover glazed carrots, return them to the sauce pan to simmer until warm.
Storage
Store any leftover carrots with the brown sugar glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
More simple side dishes
If you like this candied carrots recipe, then I bet you’ll love our Carrot Salad. If you haven’t tried it yet, this is the absolute BEST Side Salad Recipe and you can’t go wrong with Garlic Roasted Broccoli!
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a review below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Candied Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs carrots peeled, sliced and cut on the bias into ½ inch pieces
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- parsley chopped for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place the peeled, cut carrots in a medium saucepan with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Cover the carrots completely with cold water at least 1 inch above the carrots.
- Bring the carrots to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook for about 10-20 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Drain the carrots and return them to the saucepan.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. Once the butter is almost melted, add the brown sugar to the pan.
- Continue to cook over medium heat until the brown sugar is melted and starts to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and stir. Garnish with parsley (optional).
Notes
- When cutting carrots on the bias, make diagonal cuts with your knife and cut 1/2 inch pieces. Another option is to use baby carrots.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the pieces of carrots and how soft or firm you like them.
- If you prefer sweeter glazed carrots, omit the last 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Erin says
These candied carrots were so quick and easy! A new family favorite, thanks so much! Even my kid loved them.
Jen says
Sooo yummy! One of my favorite ways to enjoy carrots!
Allyssa says
Thanks a lot for this amazing and super easy to make candied carrots recipe! It’s really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!