Easy Vegan Maple Roasted Carrots

Maple roasted carrots are the perfect side to any meal! This recipe is a touch sweet and salty with a hint of smoke, and is vegan even with the creamy lemon sauce!

I love how easy this recipe is. You can even just mix everything in the baking dish and just bake, no need to mix in an extra bowl unless you really want to!

This post was sponsored by NOW Foods but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own.

This post was originally published on 10/31/2016

I love to pair these maple roasted carrots with my vegan lentil meatloaf. Something about the smokiness in both, mixed with a hint of sweet and lots of salty is just amazing!

Ingredients

Making these roasted carrots with maple syrup is simple and doesn't take a lot of prep. You don't even have to make the sauce drizzle if you're really pressed for time (or thyme, hahaha!) because this recipe is great without it too!

Here is what you need to make these amazing carrots:

•  Carrots
• Maple syrup 
• Olive oil - or veggie broth if oil free
• Thyme
• Smoked paprika
• Sea salt
• Lemon juice

Here is what you need to make the sauce:

• Water
• Almonds
• Fresh lemon juice 
• Apple cider vinegar
• Sea salt
• Thyme

How to Make Maple Roasted Carrots

As a super easy and kid approved vegan side dish, these are a go to for me. Great for all ages, little guys can mash these right into their mouth, just cook them a little softer.

1. Put the carrots in a dish and mix in other ingredients.
2. Bake.
3. While baking, put sauce ingredients into blender to make lemon thyme drizzle.
4. Serve with drizzle.

What to Serve with Roasted Carrots

Truth be told, even when I ate meat, I wasn't much of a turkey or roast or whatever person. I always was one of those people that loaded up on sides. To me, those made a meal. Here are a few other great sides we love, both for holidays and every day:

• Vegan Broccoli Salad with Cranberries
• Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole
• Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole
• Vegan Broccoli Casserole
• Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Baked Lima Bean Recipe (Gigantes Plaki)
• Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
• Easy Cauliflower Casserole
• Easy Vegan Quinoa Stuffing 
• Protein Packed Stuffing
• Healthy Cranberry Sauce
• Baked Broccoli Cauliflower Veggie Tots

We can't forget the dessert though! After eating all these healthy veggies, we need to finish it off with the best vegan dessert ever:

• Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pie
• Layered Pumpkin Caramel Pie
• Creamy Layered Pumpkin Dessert
• Healthy Vegan Apple Crisp

Variation Ideas

The flavors used in this maple glazed carrots recipe go well with other foods as well! Try this recipe out while substituting with these:

• Brussels sprouts
• Sweet potatoes
• Butternut squash
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes
• Beets
• Parsnips

You can also play around with different seasonings, these flavors will taste great too:

• Cinnamon
• Chili Powder
• Paprika
• Dill
• Parsley
• Red Pepper

Preparation Tips

• Since you are baking maple syrup, and it's a sugar, there is a chance it can burn. This will mostly happen if it pools in one area of the pan. So you need to watch it carefully and take it out at the right time.
• Use your hands to coat the carrots well with the maple syrup to ensure they are completely covered.
• Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to help prevent against sticking.

Tips on choosing carrots

Since this is such a simple recipe, you want to make sure that the ingredients you use are top notch. When it comes to the carrots, you want them flavorful. So make sure that you get fresh full size carrots. Look for those with a rich orange color.

You can also use multicolored carrots to add an extra pop of color to your table.

As much as I love the baby carrots, those would not be my first choice. They would bake up too soft, which isn't my favorite.

Tips on choosing maple syrup

The other main star is the maple syrup, and let me tell you that there IS a difference between kinds of maple syrup. The first thing you need to look at is the ingredients. There should only be one, maple syrup! No sugar, no additives.

One of my top faves when it comes to maple syrup is NOW Foods maple syrup. It is made of pure maple syrup, the flavor is top notch and it's organic. The perfect complement to this recipe!

Make Ahead and Storage Suggestions

Because there isn't much to this maple roasted carrot recipe there isn't a whole lot of prep that can be done in advance, but you can shave a few minutes off the day of!

• Wash and peel the carrots and make the lemon thyme drizzle the day before so it's ready to go!
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Technically roasted carrots can be frozen, however the texture will change once defrosted. Only freeze them if you plan on incorporating in another recipe like soup or a casserole.
• Reheat the roasted carrots either in the microwave or oven. Add a little bit of broth into the bottom of the pan to avoid them drying out and burning if you use the oven.

More Vegan Carrot Recipes

These maple roasted carrots are incredible, but it's not the only way we like to eat them! Try out these other plant based recipes featuring the orange veggie:

• Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing
• Roasted Carrot Hummus Recipe
• Vegan and Gluten Free Carrot Cake
• Healthy Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
• Carrot Dogs
• Healthy Vegan Carrot Soup