Name: The Best Ever Candied Carrots Recipe {Stovetop or Instant Pot}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound carrots (500 gm); 1 teaspoon dried thyme (5 gm); 1 teaspoon salt (5 gm); 1/4 cup brown sugar (48 gm); 2 tablespoon unsalted butter (30 gm); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (2.5 gm); 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (4 gm)

Jump to Recipe

You are going to fall in love with how delicious and easy these candied carrots are to make! A perfect side dish to nearly any meal, they are sweet and savory at the same time, and an excellent way to get more beta carotene into your diet naturally. Serve these at dinner and have everyone coming back for seconds.

Candied Carrots Recipe

Carrots are one of the best vegetables to keep on your menu. Not only are they loved by almost everyone, but they are also affordable and highly nutritious. Carrots are chock full of beta carotene, Vitamin K1, tons of fiber, and even potassium. Needless to say, they are a great choice to add to your meal plan.

Making candied carrots takes these up a notch and makes them more palatable. Just a hint of savory in the thyme, salt, and pepper is ideal for the brown sugar and butter candy coating. Not overly sweet, but just enough, this is one of the best ways to serve a healthy vegetable in a fresh new way.

What Kind of Carrots Should I Use?

For this recipe, baby carrots were already on hand and easy to add to the pot. They are ideal since they are already peeled and bite-sized. You can, however, use any carrot for this recipe. The key is to cut them into similar sizes so they cook evenly. If using whole carrots they should be peeled then cut into 2" pieces for best results.

I also love making this recipe with colorful purple carrots or heirloom carrots in many different colors. It's so fun to see a variety of colors on your dinner plate! Kids will reach for a purple carrot faster than orange any day!

What Other Herbs Can I Add to Carrots?

Experimenting with herbs in this recipe showed me the best pairing was definitely thyme. A substitute that works well is fresh or dried rosemary, and I can see using oregano, in a smaller quantity, as a nice pairing.

Remember, if you choose to use fresh herbs instead of dry herbs, you will want to use 3 times the amount fresh as you would dry. So, for 1 teaspoon dry, you would serve 1 tablespoon fresh. Also, the fresh herbs would be best added when caramelizing to add a brighter flavor to the carrots just before serving.

What Should I Serve Candied Carrots With?

If you want to make them, but just aren't sure what they would go well with, you are in luck! There are tons of dishes and meals that are ideal for this, but a few of my favorites are below.

Carrots go excellently with this Instant Pot roast recipe as well as with the slow cooker Mississippi pot roast. Something about carrots goes great with beef like that. It may also be a great side to this authentic German rouladen recipe or these delicious braised short ribs.

Of course, it can also go with dishes like the 30-minute sloppy Joes recipe, blackened chicken breast, or even this simple chicken meatloaf recipe.

It's okay to eat them all by themselves too! They are great alone or on top of some fresh Jasmine rice for a nice vegetarian dish. I would definitely serve a larger portion, but if you want to just have tasty carrots for lunch, go for it!

Can These Be Made Ahead to Freeze?

If you are planning a gathering, event, family meal, or you prefer to meal prep for easy weeknight meals, this is a great side to prepare in advance. You can cook them completely, allow them to cool, then put them into freezer storage containers.

Alternately, you can just boil the carrots until tender, then cool and freeze. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator then saute as directed to "candy" or caramelize them. If frozen fully cooked, just thaw overnight and then reheat in a skillet until warm.

These are good frozen for up to 3 months. Make sure to always date the bag or container and label it with the recipe name and any cooking instructions.

Ingredients

Carrots
Dried Thyme
Butter
Salt
Black pepper
Brown sugar
Fresh parsley

Handy Kitchen Tools

How to Make Candied Carrots on the Stovetop

In a medium deep-sided skillet add the carrots, then cover completely with water.

Add in the dried thyme and salt, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, stir, and let cook for 20 minutes until the carrots are soft and fork-tender.

Drain the carrots.

In the same skillet, add the butter, drained carrots, and brown sugar.

Cook over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the carrots begin to caramelize.

Season with black pepper and additional salt if needed.

Serve topped with chopped parsley.

How to Make Candied Carrots in the Instant Pot

To the Instant Pot, add 1 ½ cups water, carrots, thyme, and salt.

Set the lid to seal and place the Instant Pot on manual, high pressure, for 2 minutes.

Once the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure.

Drain the carrots, then add them back to the Instant Pot along with the butter and brown sugar.

Turn on the saute feature, and cook for 3-4 minutes until caramelized.

Then stir in additional salt and black pepper and serve with chopped parsley.

More Side Dishes

One of the easiest ways to add variety to your menu is by adding unique side dishes to meals. Whether you need a vegetable, salad, or starch, below you will find great choices that are sure to add flavor and variety to your menu. Make sure to bookmark, print, or pin these for your future menu.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4