Easy Maple Roasted Carrots

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!

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.

1. Arrange the carrots in a single layer in a baking dish and mix in the other ingredients.
2. Bake until fork tender.
3. While baking, put sauce ingredients into blender to make the lemon thyme drizzle.
4. Serve with drizzle.

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:

• Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pie
• Layered Pumpkin Caramel Pie
• Creamy Layered Pumpkin Dessert
• Healthy Vegan Apple Crisp

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: