These honey roasted colorful carrots have crispy edges and tender insides with a delicious caramelized glaze! These rainbow carrots are roasted to perfection in the oven with the delicious scents of fresh thyme, brown sugar and honey. Air fryer carrots recipe also included!
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Multi colored, rainbow or colorful carrots – there many names for this delicious veggie side dish that elevates your traditional carrot recipe.
Whether you are following this honey glazed and brown sugar roasted carrots recipe or are adding in your own spin with balsamic vinegar, maple syrup or adding in parsnips, beets or potatoes, you cannot go wrong with trying out these fun and honey roasted colorful carrots for a side dish. They’re even delicious garlic roasted for a savory version!
You can pair these with basically any meat but I recommend a hearty meat dish like meatloaf for an easy weeknight meal or pair with air fryer turkey breast for Thanksgiving, Easter or Christmas.
P.S. if you love carrot recipes be sure to try my healthy carrot cake bread or crock pot roast with potatoes and carrots! And – my homemade taquitos and Ninja Foodi chili both have them hidden in them, so be sure to give those a try too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy yet fancy veggie side dish for holiday dinners like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Add in a little bourbon or orange zest for a yummy holiday spin!
- Delicious flavor. These honey roasted colorful carrots have a unique earthy flavor that when combined with thyme, brown sugar and honey glaze marry sweet and savory so well! If you like roasted potatoes or brussels sprouts, you will love these!
- Fun for your family to eat! I like to make these whole and baked in the oven rather than cutting them up which makes them even more fun to eat. It’s a great way to introduce more veggies to your picky eaters.
- Wholesome, simple ingredients. This recipe is vegan, naturally gluten-free, paleo and dairy free which makes it great for dietary restrictions.
- Simple prep. These are made without blanching and you don’t need a steamer! You can make them right in your oven or air fryer.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Colorful carrots: These are generally labeled as rainbow, heirloom or carrots of many colors. Generally, they include purple along with yellow and white or sometimes even red. Orange or baby colorful carrots may be substituted, however using baby ones will require a reduction in cooking time.
- Brown sugar & honey: Maple syrup can be interchanged with either brown sugar or honey.
- Fresh thyme: Fresh rosemary, parsley or sage are good substitutions. Dried herbs are not recommended if possible.
How to Cook This Recipe
This is a step by step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. Exact cook time and temperatures are available in the recipe card at the bottom.
Oven Instructions
- Clean carrots or peel skin using a peeler. Rinse, towel-dry and place on a baking sheet.
- Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove and stir in honey and brown sugar until dissolved.
- Spray carrots with coconut oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with honey brown sugar glaze and top with fresh thyme.
- Roast at 425F for 40 minutes, flipping halfway. Test with a fork and roast until they are fork tender.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Clean carrots or peel skin using a peeler. Rinse, towel-dry and place on air fryer basket sprayed with coconut oil spray.
- Season with salt & pepper and then air fry at 375F for 20-25 minutes, shaking halfway. Coat with brown sugar and honey glaze and toss with fresh thyme once done.
Expert Tips
- Opt for fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or parsley rather than dried herbs if you have them.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Leftovers can be reheated in the oven at 425F until heated through. Air fry leftovers at 375F until heated through. They are also delicious cold or chopped up and added to a salad or soup.
FAQs
You do not have to peel them to roast them, however they do need to be washed prior to cooking. You can peel them if you desire, it’s basically a personal preference.
In my opinion, the purple and red ones have the most unique taste when compared to yellow, white or orange carrots. The taste difference is not huge between colors, however each variety definitely has a distinct flavor compared to traditional orange ones.
Personally, I find orange carrots to be more sweet while the other colors to be more savory and earthy in taste and flavor.
Trader Joe’s has both full and small, baby sized organic colorful carrots (theirs usually have 3 different colors) in their produce section and they have roasted carrots of many colors in the freezer section. You can also check your local grocer like Publix, Meijer, Walmart, Whole Foods or Heb. Aldi has them occasionally in the freezer section.
According to Healthline, purple carrots in particular have some great benefits that may interest you. I found this article on purple carrots to be very helpful in answering this question.
Related Recipes
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Honey Roasted Colorful Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 pound colorful carrots also known as rainbow carrots
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- fresh thyme to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Oven Baked Instructions
- Clean carrots or peel skin using a peeler. Rinse, towel-dry and place on a baking sheet.
- Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove and stir in honey and brown sugar until dissolved.
- Spray carrots with coconut oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with honey brown sugar glaze and top with fresh thyme.
- Roast at 425F for 40 minutes, flipping halfway. Test them with a fork and roast until they are fork tender.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Clean carrots or peel skin using a peeler. Rinse, towel-dry and place on air fryer basket sprayed with coconut oil spray.
- Season with salt & pepper and then air fry at 375F for 20-25 minutes, shaking halfway. Coat with brown sugar and honey glaze and toss with fresh thyme once done.
Notes
- Opt for fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or parsley rather than dried herbs if you have them.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Leftovers can be reheated in the oven at 425F until heated through. Air fry leftovers at 375F until heated through. They are also delicious cold or chopped up and added to a salad or soup.
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