Maple roasted carrots are the perfect sweet and salty buttery side dish! This recipe has a hint of smoke, with an optional 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 - 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.
- 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.
- Maple syrup - using maple syrup instead of brown sugar allows you to get that perfect sweetness without refined sugar. Some other roasted carrot recipes use honey instead, but I prefer the rich flavor of the maple syrup.
- Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil or another mild cooking oil is OK to use as well, or make the recipe oil free by subbing it for vegetable broth. Butter, vegan or standard, is another option.
- Thyme - fresh herbs offer the best flavor, but dried thyme can be used instead.
- Smoked paprika - the flavor of the smoked paprika really elevates the taste, but standard paprika is also good!
- Lemon juice - squeezing fresh lemon juice will yield the best results, but if bottled is all you have that's fine too.
- Sea salt
Here is what you need to make the optional sauce:
- Almonds - choose raw almonds, not roasted.
- Lemon juice - again, fresh is best but bottled is OK too in a pinch.
- Apple cider vinegar - the perfect tang! White wine vinegar could be used instead but it will change the overall taste of the drizzle.
- Thyme - as mentioned above, fresh thyme leaves are ideal but dried can be substituted.
- Sea salt
- Water
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.
- Arrange the carrots in a single layer in a baking dish and mix in the other ingredients.
- Bake until fork tender.
- While baking, put sauce ingredients into blender to make the lemon thyme drizzle.
- Serve with drizzle.
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
What to Serve with Roasted Carrots
Truth be told, even when I ate meat, I wasn't much of a turkey, chicken, roast or whatever person when Thanksgiving dinner rolled around. 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:
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
- Rosemary
- Red Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Ground coriander
- Or sprinkle some cheese on top!
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.
- Tossing the carrots in the maple syrup with your hands will ensure they are coated evenly to create the perfect maple glaze.
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper to help prevent against sticking.
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.
Tips on Choosing Maple Syrup
Other than the carrots, the main star in this recipe 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!
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 to get in your potassium and fiber:
Easy Maple Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 bunch carrots , about 6 carrots
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup , I use NOW Foods brand
- 2 teaspoons olive oil , or 2 tablespoons veggie broth if oil free
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Lemon Thyme Sauce
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 4 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice (1 tablespoon plus 1 ½ teaspoons)
- 1 ¾ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C.
- 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 for 35 minutes. You can bake less or more depending on how cooked you prefer them. (see tip 1 in notes).
- 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
- 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 is optional, the recipe is great without it too!
- The sauce makes 1 ½ cups. Nutrition info includes using half of this sauce.
- Make sauce.
- Make sure they are cooked well.
- Cut into small pieces and serve with sauce as a dip.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
The Vegan 8
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.
veggiesdontbite
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!!
swathi
Looks delicious love this treat,
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!
Julie | This Gal Cooks
Gorgeous photos, Sophia! These carrots look delish; I may need to add them to my Thanksgiving side dish list!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you so much! It's a great holiday side dish!
Sarah
Yes, yes and yes! Perfect Thanksgiving side dish. Heck, perfect fall meal/comfort food side dish. This looks and sounds wonderful.
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Sarah! It's going on my Thanksgiving table for sure!
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy
Love love LOVE maple roasted carrots! I could eat them by the tray-full...that lemon thyme drizzle sounds delicious with them! Love the photographs!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Anjali! I love photographing bright veggies!
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen
That lemon thyme drizzle is calling my name! I'd pour that on just about anything!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Dianne!! I have been dipping quite a bit in it!
Jenn
Mmmm, I love roasted carrots and that lemon thyme sounds so so good! I could imagine that working on so many different dishes!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Jenn!! And yes!! We have already used it in so many things!!
Hauke Fox
Oh dear, this looks sooo tasty. Roasted carrots are the best! Made a batch today as well, without this awesome looking sauce unfortunately.
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Howie! I bet your carrots were delicious!
Mandy
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 ❤️
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Mandy!! Willow would love these. My kids literally can eat an entire bunch of carrots. LOL!
Alisa Fleming
That's the maple syrup I use, too! I LOVE roasted carrots and that hint of maple - yum!
veggiesdontbite
Isn't it SO good! I am a sucker for good maple syrup. The smoky pairs really well with it. Thanks Alisa!
Mel |avirtualvegan.com
Just pass me the whole dish...I could literally eat them all. I adore roasted carrots and that sauce sounds delicious!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you Mel!! They go fast over here. I make them by the bunch!
Linda @ Veganosity
Smoky and maple definitely go together! I love the sound of those two flavors in roasted carrots. They look delicious!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Linda!! The smoky adds such a great layer of flavor!
Nicole Dawson
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.
veggiesdontbite
Me too!! I only like them roasted and the tang of the sauce is such a good complement!
Becky Striepe
This looks absolutely perfect for the Thanksgiving table!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Becky!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O yes! A wintery dinner side dish must to have on the table!
veggiesdontbite
Thank you!