Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots have minimal ingredients and maximum taste! Roasting accentuates the natural sweetness of carrots plus honey and balsamic add even more flavor!

I’ve been roasting cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, and Brussels sprouts for years. It was high time carrots received the same delicious treatment.

Why You Must Make

• Roasting concentrates the carrots’ sweetness making them super irresistible.
• Adding honey highlights the sweetness of carrots while the acid in the balsamic brightens their flavor and balances the honey.
• They’re easy to make! Just cut lengthwise, add to a sheet pan, drizzle with oil, then balsamic and honey, and finally a sprinkle of kosher salt!!

The picky hubby loves my glazed carrots, which are basically carrot coins coated in brown sugar and butter. They’re perfect for holidays or company. So I never got around to roasting carrots unless they were part of a vegetable medley.

Well, finally the tide has turned and I’ve been experimenting with roasting carrots. When the boys join us for Sunday night dinners, I test out new recipes. Roasted carrots don’t last long, and these honey balsamic roasted carrots flew off the serving plate. Next up, I’m going to try these Parmesan Roasted Carrots!

Ingredient Notes

• Carrots – Peeled. Look for thin carrots, or cut lengthwise.
• Olive Oil – I use extra virgin olive oil.
• Balsamic Vinegar – Must be good quality, aged balsamic.
• Honey – Did you know local honey may help reduce allergies due to the exposure to local pollen? Pretty cool!
• Kosher Salt – to taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper – to taste, optional.

How to Make

The process for roasting vegetables doesn’t vary much except for the time the different varieties need to cook. Here are a few basic tips:

• Cut or choose vegetables that are similar in size, so they’ll all be finished cooking at the same time.
• PRO-Tip: Roast at high heat, like 400-450º. This will allow for nice caramelization. Caramelization is the process of breaking down the sugars in the vegetables at high heat resulting in a sweet nutty flavor as well as browning.
• Lightly coat your carrots or whatever vegetable you’re roasting with olive oil, then sprinkle with kosher salt and a dusting of freshly ground black pepper.
• Alternatively, you can toss them in a homemade vinaigrette or add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
• With sweet vegetables like carrots, a touch of honey accentuates the natural sugars.
• Watch your vegetables carefully. They can easily go from perfectly cooked to mushy (think of bad Brussels sprouts!) in a few minutes.
• PRO-Tip: Test your roasted carrots by poking them with a sharp knife. You want there to be minimal resistance, but pull them out of the oven before they’re too soft or shriveled.

Air Fryer Roasted Carrots

Yes, I do own an air fryer, but I had to dust it off to try to cook roasted carrots. Here’s how to make them:

1. Peel and trim 6-8 large carrots.
2. Cut into 2-3 inch sticks, the size of thick French fries.
3. Place them in a mixing bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan, kosher salt, and herbs or spices you like with carrots. I used ½ teaspoon each of garlic powder and dried thyme.
4. Place the carrots in a single layer in the Air Fryer basket.
5. Roast at 350° for 10 minutes, shake the basket, and repeat until the carrots are tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife. These took about 25 minutes in my air fryer. Enjoy when hot!

Frequently Asked Questions

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The Recipe:

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Carrots roasted with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey for an outstanding side dish!

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds thin carrots, peeled and ends removed (if you can't find thin carrots, cut your carrots lengthwise)
• 1½-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar (my favorite is aged 18 years)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread your carrots out on a rimmed sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil.
3. Shake the pan back and forth so the carrots are coated with oil.
4. Whisk together balsamic and honey, then drizzle over carrots. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste.
5. Roast for 20 minutes, then using hot pads, shake the pan back and forth to coat and turn the carrots. Roast for 10-20 more minutes or until carrots are tender (easily pierced with a knife).
6. Serve warm.

Notes

Works best with full-sized carrots, not baby carrots.

Use a quality, aged balsamic vinegar. It should be sweet and syrupy in texture.

Recommended Products

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• 
  USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan
• 
  Nonstick Foil
• 
  Black Spatula

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 5gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

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