Veggies Don't Bite

Cooking with plants and lovin' it...and ditching the gluten and {refined} sugar along the way!

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Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots with Lemon Thyme Drizzle

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Smoky maple roasted carrots are the missing link to the perfect holiday meal! So easy to make, great for the entire family and a lemon thyme sauce to die for!

Smoky maple roasted carrots on a white plate drizzled with a creamy dressing

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

I’m always looking ahead to holidays, especially the delicious ones that come in fall. Since my life is pretty much sides during this season, I need all the delicious things on my table.

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.

By the way, if you are stuck in a dinner rut and need some help there, I have a comprehensive FREE guide on weekly meal planning that comes with a FREE 3 day meal plan and shopping list! Join here!

Front view of hand pouring maple syrup over carrots

Holidays are all about the sides and dessert!

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.

Well, that and dessert (side note, if you haven’t tried my Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Layered Pumpkin Caramel Pie or my Creamy Layered Pumpkin Dessert, you NEED THEM IN YOUR LIFE).

The best type of holiday prep is something simple but fun. Fall always makes me crave warm smoky dishes, and maple is the absolute best compliment to that. So when I saw my container of NOW Foods maple syrup I whipped out my mad scientist recipe making hat and dug in.

By the way, if you’re drowning this holiday season, I have a comprehensive FREE guide on weekly meal planning that comes with a FREE 3 day meal plan and shopping list to help you get through. Get it here!

 

Front view of a hand holding a bottle of maple syrup

It’s all about the flavors!

The smoky and maple flavor of these roasted carrots go heavenly together. But I still wanted another layer in there. Something to counteract that sweetness. Lemon thyme drizzle seemed like it fit the bill.

These things just come to me and I can’t explain it. Almond based, fresh ingredients, and a perfect pair to this side dish. Perfect for drizzling and dipping.

Front view of a thyme sprig in front of a glass jar of creamy sauce

Perfect Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots in 5 Easy Steps:

  1. Wash and peel carrots (if necessary).
  2. Put all ingredients into a dish with the carrots and coat well.
  3. Bake.
  4. While baking, put sauce ingredients into blender to make lemon thyme drizzle.
  5. Devour.

Collage of tray of fresh carrots and tray of roasted carrots drizzled with sauce

Super easy and kid approved. Great for all ages, little guys can mash these right into their mouth, just cook them a little softer. Adults can also mash them in, I don’t judge.

Here are some more mouth-watering sides you might like!

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Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate. Please read more about that here.


5 from 2 votes
A side shot of smoky maple carrots on a white plate
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Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots with Lemon Thyme Drizzle
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

Smoky maple roasted carrots are the missing link to the perfect holiday meal! So easy to make, great for the entire family and a lemon thyme sauce to die for!

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan thanksgiving sides, vegetable side dish
Servings: 3
Calories: 157 kcal
Author: Sophia DeSantis
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch carrots , about 6 large
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup , I use NOW Foods brand
  • 2 tablespoons veggie broth , low sodium if needed or 2 teaspoons favorite roasting oil if using oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Lemon Thyme Drizzle
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

  2. Wash and peel carrots (if needed). Place carrots into a baking dish.

  3. 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.

  4. Bake carrots at 400°F/200°C for 35 minutes. You can bake less or more depending on how cooked you prefer them. (see tip 1 in notes).

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

Recipe Notes
  • 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.
  • I preferred the flavor of the fresh thyme on the carrots, but feel free to use dried.
  • Serving size is 2 carrots.
  • The sauce makes 1 1/2 cups. Nutrition info includes using half of this sauce.

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.
Nutrition Facts
Smoky Maple Roasted Carrots with Lemon Thyme Drizzle
Amount Per Serving
Calories 157 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 610mg 25%
Potassium 490mg 14%
Total Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 5g 20%
Sugars 14g
Protein 3g 6%
Vitamin A 385.3%
Vitamin C 17%
Calcium 9.8%
Iron 8.1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post was originally published on 10/31/2016

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Comments

  7. The Vegan 8 says

    Ok, do you remember telling you one of my obsessions in a message months ago how much I love roasted carrots and how I will eat an entire bag at once?! Yup, that is how much I love roasted carrots and I would DEVOUR these in seriously just 5 minutes. I make some roasted carrots with cinnamon and maple which are rather sweet, but I’m loving the idea of lemon juice and smoked paprika. Smoked paprika is like in my top 3 spices! OMG. I bet they smell amazing. And oh lord, here you go again with sauce….I LOVE fresh thyme, LOVE it and looks like I got another addiction coming up…hahahaha! They look completely beautiful, too.

    Reply

    • veggiesdontbite says

      Ha! We may or may not have eaten an entire bag…whoops! You would love the smoky flavor in these!! The fresh lemon and thyme counter the smoky and sweet really well. Thank you mama!!

      Reply

  15. Mandy says

    Smoky + maple! Sold! These would be a perfect Thanksgiving side dish!! And carrots are actually one of Willow’s favorite so I’m sure she would love these! That lemon thyme drizzle sounds absolutely divine ❤️

    Reply

  19. Nicole Dawson says

    I’m a huge fan of roasted carrots. I just love how they naturally sweeten when roasted and then with that little extra drizzle of sweetener, it’s like a veggie candy. Looks wonderful Sophia.

    Reply

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