Honey Roasted Carrots

Honey-roasted carrots are glazed and caramelized with a touch of honey, orange zest, coriander, and garlic for a delicious vegetable side dish with Mediterranean flavors. This is one of my favorite roasted vegetable recipes, right up there with roasted fall vegetables and lemon thyme roasted vegetables.

This easy, tasty side dish will have even the non-veggie lovers asking for seconds.

Why This Recipe Works

Carrots are an ideal choice for a vegetable side dish because they’re always available and inexpensive, and nearly everyone likes them. 

In this recipe, honey, orange, and citrus notes from dried coriander complement the carrots’ natural sweetness. And roasting carrots caramelizes their natural sugar, making these carrots absolutely delectable.

It's also a delicious way to get lots of nutrients from a rainbow of colors. You can make this recipe with regular orange carrots or multi-colored rainbow carrots.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make honey-roasted carrots. I’ve listed a few substitutions and variations in the section below.

Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.

Ingredients needed to make honey roasted carrots.

Carrots. Choose orange or rainbow carrots. Rainbow carrots have a slightly more earthy taste, and they add lots of bright color to your plate.

Honey. Look for raw, unfiltered honey for the most health benefits. Also, note that it's best to store honey in a glass jar. If it comes in a plastic container, transfer it to a jar. It will stay fresher for longer, and you'll have it on hand to make hot honey and homemade baked honey nut clusters.

Dried coriander. This comes from the seeds of the cilantro plant, but it does not taste like cilantro at all. Coriander seeds have a warm, spicy, citrusy flavor and are often used in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean dishes. 

Olive oil. Use this instead of butter for a healthier fat that adds some richness to the glaze.

Substitutions and Variations

  • If you don’t feel like cutting the carrots into even-sized pieces, use baby carrots that are precut to a similar size. They often come in rainbow colors as well as orange.
  • To make this vegan, use maple syrup in place of honey.
  • For more vegetable variety, add some parsnips or any other similarly hard root vegetable (like golden beets) to the mix.
  • If desired, sprinkle some crumbled goat cheese or drizzle whipped feta with labneh over your cooked carrots.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon of cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper for some spice and heat.

How to Make Honey-Roasted Carrots

First, peel and slice your carrots. Cut them into similar-sized pieces, about 3 inches long. Cut any thick pieces in half or quarters, so all of the pieces cook evenly.

Steps 1 & 2 to make honey roasted carrots.

Second, toss the carrots with the seasonings. Stir well to combine everything and coat the carrots.

Third, place the carrots in a baking dish. Lay them in a single layer and bake for 25-30 minutes until they are tender and they have brown spots.

Step 3 to make honey roasted carrots.

Expert Tips

Make sure your oven is preheated to 400ºF before you put the carrots in to roast. The hot temperature promotes caramelization (those tasty brown spots) and helps keep the carrots crisp instead of soggy.

The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your carrots. Thicker carrots will need more time to roast, while thin pieces may cook in less than 25 minutes. 

Keep an eye on the oven. The carrots are finished when you can easily stick a fork or knife into them, and they have brown spots.

I find it more effective to toss the carrots with the salt, garlic powder, coriander, and orange zest first, and then add the honey and olive oil and toss again. Tossing with the dried seasonings first and then the wet helps ensure everything gets coated evenly.

Alternatively, you can mix all of the seasonings (wet and dry) in a small bowl and then add the mixture to the carrots.

A white baking dish with honey roasted carrots.

What to Serve With Honey-Roasted Carrots

These carrots are delicious paired with:

Recipe FAQs 

Do you have to peel carrots before roasting them?

You don’t have to peel carrots as long as you wash them well. As a root vegetable, they may be covered with dirt. Most people like to peel them for aesthetic reasons.

Do rainbow carrots taste like orange carrots?

Overall, rainbow carrots tend to be less sweet with more of an earthy flavor than orange carrots, but their flavor can vary depending on the variety. Purple rainbow carrots also have a slight peppery flavor, while yellow rainbow carrots have notes of parsley or celery. 

Are rainbow carrots healthier than regular orange carrots?

All carrots are healthy, but the amounts of various nutrients, especially antioxidants, they provide vary with their color. Orange carrots are highest in carotenoids like beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A. Yellow carrots are high in lutein, and purple carrots are high in anthocyanins.

Other Related Vegetable Recipes

Want to eat more vegetables? These tasty vegetable recipes will help!

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Recipe

A white baking dish with honey roasted carrots.

Honey Roasted Carrots

An easy, delicious way to dress up carrots for dinner.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Lower Carb, Heart Healthy, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 63kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole carrots orange or rainbow carrots
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ½ teaspoon dried coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400℉ and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Peel the carrots and slice them lengthwise into 2-3 inch long slices of even thickness. Place them in a large mixing bowl.
  • Sprinkle the orange zest, coriander, garlic powder, and salt over the carrots. Toss well to combine.
  • Pour olive oil and honey over carrots and toss well to coat everything evenly.
  • Spread carrots onto a baking pan in a single layer.
  • Roast for about 25 minutes or until fork tender and sugars start to caramelize and turn brown in spots.

Notes

You can substitute baby carrots for whole carrots to save peeling/cutting time.
Store leftover carrots in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
If desired, top the cooked carrots with crumbled goat or feta cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 12631IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag me @CravingSomethingHealthy!

6 Comments

  1. What a wonderful side dish! I love coriander but it's definitely a spice I don't use much since I don't have many recipes for it. Thanks for sharing. oxox

    1. Thanks so much for stopping by Gwen! I agree coriander is an underused spice, and I'm going to make a point to experiment with it more. Enjoy 🙂

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