Roasted Baby Carrots
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Roasted Baby Carrots are an amazing side dish that kids (and adults) will eat! With only four ingredients the sweet baby carrots are roasted in the oven until tender and caramelized.
I buy baby carrots all the time! We use them cut up in our soups and for snacking. But, did you know you can roast baby carrots in the oven too? If you have never tried roasting your carrots, you are in for a treat!
Oven roasted carrots are one of my favorite side dishes. They with just about any main dish and with the bright color, they look amazing on your holiday table as well. (Great with ham!)
This Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe will provide you with fork-tender, caramelized baby carrots – a delicious alternative to the usual honey glazed carrots. Sweet, slightly salty, it’s impossible to just eat one!
Why Make Roasted Carrots
While you can prepare your carrots using other cooking methods, (and yes, there ARE more uses for baby carrots than just a vessel for Ranch dip, lol.) I always prefer oven baked carrots and why you should try them too!
- This recipe is just 4 ingredients and hardly any prep!
- Roasting the baby carrots caramelizes the natural sugar so you don’t have to add any additional sugar to create that sweet flavor. This is great if you are looking to prepare your food in a healthier way.
- There’s just something so addictive about those bite-sized baby carrots! The color is amazing- plus kids love baby carrots, so this is an easy veggie side dish to convince the little ones to eat.
- Roasting carrots creates the perfect combination of tender-crisp texture; and the salt, pepper, and oil together with the natural caramelization creates an ideal sweet and salty side dish!
So what are you waiting for? Get those baby carrots out and start roasting!
Ingredients for Easy Roasted Carrots + Notes
(Ingredients at as glance, find the full printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Baby carrots | Baby carrots are merely normal carrots that have been machine cut, trimmed, shaved, and packaged as “baby carrots”. If you don’t have any baby carrots, simply use normal size carrots and cut them down to uniform size.
- Olive oil | Avocado oil is a good substitute for olive oil.
- Salt and Pepper | I love Himalayan salt in a grinder for roasting veggies, but you could also use normal table salt. For a kick of heat, sprinkle on some cayenne pepper too.
How to Make Roasted Carrots
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Arrange carrots in a single layer on a jelly roll pan or baking sheet with a lip. then coat carrots with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Roast carrots at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring carrots at the 10-minute mark.
- Stir carrots again and reduce heat to 325 and bake for 15 more minutes or until carrots are browned and tender.
How Should I Store Roasted Carrots?
You can store roasted carrots in a shallow airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
I don’t recommend freezing your already roasted carrots as they are likely to end up mushy from the freezing and thawing process.
Can I use Full size Carrots Instead of Baby Carrots?
Yes, you can!
You could easily use normal-sized carrots for this recipe and cut them down into 2-inch pieces to replicate the store-bought baby carrots.
Alternatively, you can roast normal-sized carrots. Depending on the size and thickness of your carrots, you may need to increase your cooking time. If in doubt, pierce your carrots with a fork. They should be soft and tender with a golden brown finish!
Can I make these Roasted Carrots in the Air Fryer?
Definitely! Using your air fryer to roast your carrots is a great way to reduce the cooking time and not heat up the kitchen with the oven. To air fry your carrots, follow these steps:
- Preheat the air fryer – some models come with a preheat button of 400℉ for 5 minutes while others will need you to heat them up manually for a couple of minutes.
- While preheating, prepare your baby carrots by tossing them with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Once preheating is complete, set the air fryer temperature to 360℉ and arrange the carrots in a single layer in the air fryer basket to cook for 16-18 minutes.
- Shake the basket midway through the cooking time which helps with even cooking.
What Temperature is Best For Roasting Baby Carrots?
This recipe for baking the baby carrots calls for 450 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reducing the heat and baking for another 10 to 15 minutes at 325 degrees F.
Keep in mind, this could vary a bit depending on the size and thickness of your carrots. The higher heat at the beginning of the roasting helps to caramelize the outside of your carrots and then the lower heat ensures that they come out nice and tender!
To test doneness, pierce your carrots with a fork. They should be fork tender with a golden brown finish!
More Carrot Roasting Tips:
- If you’re feeding a larger crowd then simply double the quantities used in this recipe. Make sure though that you don’t overcrowd your baking pan so that the carrots get a good roast and caramelization.
- If you end up with a few larger carrots in your bag, just cut them down to size so that all your baby carrots are uniform in size to ensure they all cook through evenly.
- Smaller, thinner baby carrots may require less time in the oven. (Petite baby carrots.) It’s best to prick your carrots to test if they are cooked through. Your fork should be able to pierce the carrots with ease. If it doesn’t, keep them in the oven a little longer.
- This recipe can easily be used when roasting whole carrots too. For fastest cooking, peel the carrots and slice them into smaller pieces. (about the thickness of a baby carrot.)
More Side Dishes You’ll Love
If you end up making this dish, be sure to come back and let us know what you think!
Roasted Baby Carrots
- Prep Time: 2 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: oven
Description
Roasted Baby Carrots are an amazing side dish that kids (and adults) will eat! With only four ingredients the sweet baby carrots are roasted in the oven until tender and caramelized.
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 oz bag of baby carrots
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F.
- Arrange carrots in single layer on jelly roll pan or baking sheet with a lip.
- Coat carrots with oil, salt, and pepper.
- Roast Carrots at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring carrots at the 10-minute mark.
- Stir carrots again and reduce heat to 325 and bake for 15 more minutes or until carrots are browned and tender.
Notes
- Smaller, thinner baby carrots may need less time.
- Nutrients calculated based on 16 oz bag of baby carrots.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 77
- Sugar: 7
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 11
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 1