These candied carrots are sliced carrots in a brown sugar and butter glaze that are simmered until tender. A super easy side dish that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a holiday meal!
Even the most staunch veggie haters will adore these carrots coated in a sticky sweet glaze. They’re so simple to make you won’t even believe it! Serve these carrots alongside London broil or baked boneless pork chops for a fabulous and memorable meal.
One thing I always have in my fridge is a bag of carrots. They’re inexpensive, last for weeks and make for a perfect side dish. These candied carrots dress up your basic steamed carrots with a brown sugar and butter glaze that is out of this world delicious! You can have this side dish on your table in about 15 minutes which makes it perfect for those busy days when you’re trying to get dinner made in a hurry.
Candied Carrots Ingredients
This recipe is made with carrots, butter, brown sugar, salt, pepper and parsley.
How do you make candied carrots?
Place the carrots in a large pan with some water, then simmer until the carrots are tender. Drain any excess water from the pan, then add butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until a glaze forms, then add a sprinkle of parsley and enjoy!
Tips for the perfect dish
- You can cut your carrots into slices or sticks, either way will work fine. You can also use whole baby carrots if you don’t want to do any peeling or chopping.
- This dish can be prepared up to 2 days before you plan to serve it. Store the finished carrots in an airtight container in the fridge, then reheat on the stove until warmed through.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Candied carrots will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQs
There are so many different ways to cook carrots that produce great results! My favorite methods include sauteed carrots like this candied carrots recipe, and also roasted carrots.
Carrots are a naturally sweet vegetable, and a little bit of honey or brown sugar really brings out the sweetness. Carrots also pair well with savory flavorings such as garlic, ginger and spices like cumin and paprika.
Yes, you can reheat candied carrots. I recommend reheating them on the stove over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until warmed through. You might need to add a tablespoon of water to the skillet so that the carrots don’t get overly browned as they heat up.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Vegetables: You can add other root vegetables such as parsnips, sweet potatoes and beets for a variety of flavors and textures.
- Sweetener: No brown sugar on hand? Honey and maple syrup both make great substitutes.
- Spices: Feel free to add a pinch of spice to the skillet such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or ground ginger.
I make these candied carrots as a side to a roasted chicken, and they’re always on our Easter table alongside our holiday ham. However you decide to serve your carrots, they’re sure to be a huge hit!
More side dish recipes you’ll love
- Green Bean Bundles
- Garlic Butter Mushrooms
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
- Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Candied Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the carrots in a large pan. Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook the carrots for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
- Drain the water from the pan and return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, butter, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until butter and sugar have melted and carrots are coated in the glaze. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
- You can cut your carrots into slices or sticks, either way will work fine. You can also use whole baby carrots if you don’t want to do any peeling or chopping.
- This dish can be prepared up to 2 days before you plan to serve it. Store the finished carrots in an airtight container in the fridge, then reheat on the stove until warmed through.
I made these carrots and they were really delicious!
I make these fairly often. When my granddaughter was little she didn’t think she liked carrots. She did ask why I called them candied carrots. Did they have candy in them? I explained that they had butter and brown sugar and it made them taste like they had candy in them. From that night on they have been one of her favorite veggies. She just turned 18.
I absolutely love carrots and have never tried them like this! I’ll have to give it a go this Sunday with our pot roast! I bet everyone will love it
I’ve always loved carrots. Recently I’ve even started loving them cooked. This is a recipe I need to try. I’m sure my kids would love it too.
I am not normally a fan of carrots but I feel like I would love these! I will definitely have to try these candied carrots for myself!!
Awesome! That’s actually how I cook my carrots too! This is such an easy recipe and such a great way to eat vegetables 🙂
How delicious and simple. Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones with few ingredients. I totally need to try this recipe.
I have never tried making candied carrots, it looks like sweet potatoes! I would love to try this since I love carrots.
I think this recipe will be a crowd pleaser at my house! Super easy ! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, I am always needing refreshing on my vegetable rotations and how I prepare them. The assist is appreciated as we approach Easter – recipes needed!
I have bookmarked this page because I want to try out this recipe over the weekend. It looks so easy and it will be the first time I will be making candied carrots lol
I have never tried this one yet as a sidings and now I got an idea from you. Sounds great. I will try and add some corns here to make some colors. Thanks for this!
This looks awesome and definitely something that I wouldn’t mind making for my husband and I. I think it’s not that difficult and I’m sure it goes well as a side or as is.
Oh, this is a different way to eat carrots! usually, I toss them in with other vegetables but the brown sugar sounds like it’ll taste that much better!
I keep telling myself that I am going to learn how to can vegetables this year. I have never tried it, so far just talked about it.
YUM!! MY grandmother used to make the best candied carrots! I’ll have to try these out!
These have always been a favorite in my family! In fact, I made these just last night! If you are trying to get kids to eat veggies this is a great way to make them just a little sweet! I add a little orange zest to mine too.
Thank you for providing the PERFECT dish for me to bring to Easter dinner this year. Everyone will love it.
These sound like my kind of carrots. I don’t think I’ve ever tried this version before. I might have to make them for an Easter side dish. I’ve always liked cooked carrots.
These sound really tasty! I am going to send this to my sister and see if she wants to make them as part of the easter dinner she is hosting.