These slow cooker glazed carrots are a super easy side dish that’s perfect for a casual dinner or a holiday gathering!
Sweet and savory brown sugar glazed carrots are coated in butter and sugar and cooked to tender perfection. Your whole family will love these slow cooker carrots!
One thing you’ll always find in my fridge is a bag of carrots. They’re cheap, healthy, they last for weeks, and they’re my go to when I need an easy veggie side. These slow cooker glazed carrots are the perfect side dish for a busy weeknight or for Thanksgiving dinner. Glazed carrots is a classic dish that never goes out of style and making it in the crock pot is just so easy. It also frees up oven space if you’re preparing a big holiday meal!
How to make glazed carrots
These slow cooker carrots are made with sliced carrots, brown sugar, butter and some spices. That’s it!! Everything goes into the slow cooker for about 3 hours and what comes out is tender carrots in the most delicious sauce. I add a little parsley at the end just for color, but you can skip that step if you like. After my carrots are cooked through, I typically like to thicken the glaze a bit, although this is also an optional step. I thicken the glaze by removing the cover of the slow cooker and cooking the carrots for another 15 minutes. This step helps to reduce and thicken the sauce which helps it cling to the carrots.
For this dish, you can use full sized carrots that have been peeled and cut into rounds, or you can use a bag of baby carrots if you prefer. I think the carrot coins are prettier, so I always go that route. My kids love these glazed carrots too, this recipe is one of their favorite side dishes! These slow cooker glazed carrots will definitely be on my holiday table this year, they’re easy, cheap, beautiful and delicious. How can you go wrong with that?
More easy side dishes
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
- Bacon Ranch Green Beans
- Green Bean Bundles
Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the carrots in a slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Pour the brown sugar mixture over the carrots and toss to coat.
- Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until carrots are tender. If you'd like to thicken the glaze, remove the cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Hi Sara
I want to make baby carrots with a glazed pork loin. The pork is cooking for 4-6 hrs. on low. When should I add the carrots?
I’d probably add them during the last two hours!
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
And would it be fine to use a pumpkin pie spice blend?
Either type of butter is fine, and pumpkin pie spice will work!
Excellent
These look great and I love the slow cooker idea – so many pots and pans to fit on the stove for Easter! I’m wondering your opinion on omitting the cinnamon and nutmeg and just using some pepper – my uncle doesn’t like anything different done to his vegetables so I’d like to keep it simple!
That should work fine!
I am planning on making this for 13 people, using 4-5 lbs of carrots. One person is vegan and does not use butter or oil. Can I make this without the butter, using only the sugar & spices and then, when serving, pour melted butter over the carrots? I will remove some for my vegan guest. Thank you!
You’d need to add a little water or something, as the butter provides moisture to help the carrots cook.
Can these be made in a casserole dish in the oven?
Yes that should be fine!
If made in a casserole dish, at what temperature and how long should they be cooked? If I make them the day before Thanksgiving and keep in fridge overnight, what do you suggest for reheating? I will be bringing them to a someone’s home for dinner.
Thank you!
I recommend following my stove top recipe, which can be reheated either on the stove or in a covered baking dish: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/glazed-carrots/
I do not have any nutmeg, I know it will taste different but would it still be good you think?
Yes that should be fine!
If I double the recipe do I cook them longer?!
You can add one hour to the cook time.
i want to do carrots this way. my question is can i bag and freeze them in small quantities after?
That should be fine!
Can this be cooked on low for longer?
Yes that will work fine!
If I use bagged baby carrots do I cut them at all? And do I cook for the same amount of time?
It’s fine to use bagged baby carrots, I’d add another 30 minutes to the cook time.
I know these will be great. However, if I cook them the night before like someone else asked, how do I heat them up on the day I want to serve them.
I want to double the recipe. I bought 2 pounds of fresh coin carrots can I use 2 pounds frozen with it? Should I defrost the frozen before putting in the crock pot?
Most frozen carrots are pre-cooked. So you’d be putting cooked carrots in with raw carrots and they would not cook at the same rate. I’d recommend starting with the raw carrots, then adding in the unthawed frozen carrots during the second half of the cooking time.
So we should thaw the frozen carrots, then refreeze them before adding them?
Or do you mean adding the previously frozen carrots that have been thawed?
Frozen carrots are pre-cooked, so you can add them thawed or not thawed, but regardless you’re still just heating them up rather than cooking raw carrots to a softer state. So it can be done either way, but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time.
What size slow cooker is best?
4 quart is fine!
This recipe was wonderful and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and the only thing was that the carrots needed about an extra 20 minutes cooking time in the crock pot. It was so easy to prepare and great for me to be able to just put it in the crock pot as I had several other dishes to prepare. The fresh parsley sprinkled on top gave it a beautiful & festive presentation. I will be using this recipe for the coming holidays. I may try it with the maple syrup next time, I’ll bet that would be delicious too. Thank you so much.
Can this be doubled using the same cooking time?
Yes that’s fine! Just make sure the crock pot is not overly full.
Can you add brandy to the carrots? If so how much?
I’d add a tablespon or two but just be aware the alcohol will not cook off in the slow cooker!
This is similar to a recipe I’ve been making for years. You can add some orange juice to the mixture for some added flavour. I use the Power Pressure Cooker XL to cook it.. The benefit is I turn it on melt the butter and mix everything in one pot, then set it for 6 hours slow cooker mode, that’s it. One pot, less mess. Happy Holidays!
Delicious! But absolutely no need to premix the butter and seasoning. Just toss it all in the crockpot and stir it up. I have done both ways and no difference except less dishes and time! These have become a Holiday staple in our family.
Great recipe for a food staple that lasts a long time ! Kids loved it!
Cool! Can I make these the night before serving them?
Yes that’s fine!
The taste was fine because the sauce is tasty. However I found that three hours was not enough time. I am wondering if my carrots were harder as they came from a five lb. bag, of which I used two lbs., and they seemed “woody.” I will try again with better carrots.