Now that Halloween is here, it’s time to think about the next phase of fall. Thanksgiving. And these smoky maple roasted carrots are number one on my veggie side dish menu this year! I mean, what is better than a super easy, super tasty, and healthy recipe that your kids devour? As a mom, NOTHING.
Truth be told, even when I ate meat, I wasn’t much of a Thanksgiving person. I always was one of those people that loaded up on sides. To me, those made a meal. Well, that and dessert (side note, if you haven’t tried my Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pie or my Layered Pumpkin Caramel Pie, you NEED THEM IN YOUR LIFE). So when I set off to start my side dish checklist for this year, I wanted to create something simple but fun. I started thinking about flavors, and smoky came to mind. With smoky, I often think maple. And in a moment that can only be described as kismet, my eyes met the brand new container of NOW Foods maple syrup I had in my cupboard.
The smoky and maple flavor of these smoky maple roasted carrots go heavenly together. But I still wanted another layer in there. Something to counteract that sweetness. Lemon thyme drizzle was born. Almond based, fresh ingredients, and a perfect pair to this side dish. I drizzled it on and dipped it in!!
Perfect Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots in 5 Easy Steps:
- Wash and peel carrots (if necessary).
- Put all ingredients into a dish with the carrots and coat well.
- Bake.
- While baking, put sauce ingredients into blender to make lemon thyme drizzle.
- Devour.
See how easy this is?! My kids loved the hint of maple on them. I have made them multiple times, mainly because they keep asking for smoky maple roasted carrots and you just can’t say no to more veggies! Plus, super easy for the youngest one to eat cut up in little pieces. I have more Thanksgiving deliciousness to come, so stay tuned, but in the mean time MAKE THESE!!
Sophia DeSantis | Veggies Dont Bite
Yields 6 large carrots, 1 ½ cups sauce
Smoky maple roasted carrots are your favorite holiday side dish this year! So easy to make, great for the entire family and a lemon thyme sauce to die for!
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 bunch carrots (about 6 large)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (I use NOW Foods brand)
- 2 tablespoons veggie broth (or 2 teaspoons favorite roasting oil if using oil)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ¾ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Wash and peel carrots (if needed). Place carrots into a baking dish.
- At this point you can put all the other ingredients into the dish (not the sauce, just the carrot flavorings) and simply use your hands to mix and coat well. Or you can put the flavor toppings into a small bowl, mix well, then pour over the carrots to coat.
- Bake carrots at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. You can bake less or more depending on how cooked you prefer them. You can also transfer the carrots onto a parchment lined cookie sheet before roasting, just make sure to get all the flavor onto the carrots. Be aware that the maple syrup does tend to burn while baking, so if it collects or pools in a certain area you may get some burning. The carrots should be fine, you can easily throw away or clean off the burned syrup pieces.
- While they are baking, make sauce by putting all ingredients, except for thyme, into a high speed blender and blending until smooth. Then put in thyme and pulse to break up and incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- When the carrots are done, remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Then drizzle on lemon thyme sauce and devour! The sauce is great used as a dip too.
Notes
I preferred the flavor of the fresh thyme on the carrots, but feel free to use dried.
Tips to prep ahead: Make drizzle.
Baby/toddler food idea: Make sure they are cooked well. Cut into small pieces and serve with drizzle as a dip.
This post was sponsored by NOW Foods but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own.
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