Elegant and delicious, these Oven Roasted Carrots are pretty enough for a holiday table, but easy enough for a weeknight.
I love a good side dish recipe! If you want an array of beautiful vegetable side dishes, you can also try these Roasted Brussels Sprouts or this Roasted Asparagus.
We go through carrots like crazy at our house. Whether just eaten raw, or these Glazed Carrots – we always have them on hand.
But do you know what is probably my favorite way to cook carrots?
Roasting them.
These Oven Roasted Carrots are not only super easy to make, but they are so good that even the non-vegetable loving people in my house devoured them.
Ingredients
- Carrots: I prefer the flavor of full carrots in this recipe. I’m sure baby carrots would work, but I always think that full carrots taste better.
- Thyme: If you have fresh thyme, it is best in this recipe. You can also use dried thyme, but the amount will be less. If you are subbing dried, the amounts are listed in the recipe card notes.
- Olive Oil: I like to use extra-virgin olive oil, but another oil, like avocado oil, will work, too. You could even use melted butter for some extra indulgence.
- Honey: Carrots are already a little sweet, but the honey brings in another layer of sweetness that is perfect.
- Salt and Pepper: I’ve listed salt and pepper amounts in the recipe, but I encourage you to season to taste.
Steps to Make Oven Roasted Carrots
- Start by trimming the carrots. I like to cut off the tops and the bottoms.
- If the carrots are thin, I’ll leave them whole, but if they are thicker, I cut them in half lengthwise.
- Combine the carrots in the bowl with the oil, honey, and 2 tablespoons of the thyme. Mix until they are evenly coated.
- Spread the carrots on a baking sheet that is lined with foil. Bake them until they are fork tender.
- Sprinkle with the remaining thyme before serving.
Oven Roasted Carrots Video
This is a super simple recipe to make, but if you are a visual learner, this video shows all the steps!
Tips and Tricks
You want to make sure all of your carrots are approximately the same thickness. The thicker they are, the longer it will take to cook them.
If you don’t love thyme, you can simply leave it out, or sub in another herb that you love. Oregano, parsley, rosemary – these would all be great with these carrots.
I like to microwave the honey for a couple of seconds to make it easier to stir into the mixture.
You technically don’t have to peel your carrots (just give them a good scrub) but I still like to.
You want to serve these once they come out of the oven, so I wouldn’t suggest cooking them beforehand, but if you want to save some time, you can cut the carrots and combine them with the oil, honey, and herbs earlier in the day. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to roast them.
More Favorite Vegetable Side Dishes
Lemon Broccoli
Sauteed Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes
Herbed Tomato Salad
Sesame Green Beans
Avocado and Tomato Salad
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Oven Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh carrots
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme divided*
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey**
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Peel the carrots (if desired) and cut off any ends. If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise. You want all of the carrots to be about the same thickness.
- In a bowl, combine the carrots, 2 tablespoons of the thyme, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir until the carrots are coated evenly.
- Transfer the carrots to the prepared baking sheet. Spread them out so they are in a single layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the carrots can be pierced easily with a fork, about 25-30 minutes.
- If desired, sprinkle with the last tablespoon of thyme before serving.
Barbara says
Made these for Easter and they were a hit!