Roasted Carrots Maple Glaze (Printable)

Tender roasted carrots coated in a sweet maple glaze with fresh herbs for a flavorful side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into sticks or left whole if thin

→ Glaze

02 - 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
03 - 1.5 tbsp olive oil
04 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
05 - 0.5 tsp sea salt
06 - 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
07 - 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
08 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil, melted butter, maple syrup, salt, pepper, cinnamon if using, and thyme until evenly coated.
03 - Spread the coated carrots in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the carrots are tender and caramelized at the edges.
05 - Transfer carrots to a serving platter, spoon any remaining glaze from the pan over them, and garnish with extra thyme.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Carrots transform into something almost dessert-like when roasted with maple, but still feel like a proper side dish.
  • Prep takes ten minutes, then the oven does the work while you handle everything else on your plate.
  • It tastes fancy enough to serve at dinner but honest enough to make on a weeknight without fuss.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the pan—carrots need space to brown, not moisture to collect and steam them soft instead of caramelizing them crispy.
  • The glaze thickens and concentrates in the oven, so what feels like a light coating on raw carrots becomes rich and syrupy once roasted.
  • Even if your oven runs hot or cold, the visual cues matter more than the time—golden edges and fork-tender texture are your real done signal.
03 -
  • Keep an eye on the pan in the last five minutes of roasting; once they start caramelizing, they can brown quickly, and you want deep golden, not burnt.
  • If your carrots are very thick, cut them into thinner sticks so they roast through before the outside gets too dark.

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