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Tender, tasty, and ready in a flash, sweet glazed carrots are a four-ingredient side dish that’s always a crowd-pleaser.
OUR favorite side dish!
Glazed carrots happen to be one of our all-time favorite side dishes ever!!
We first made them for Christmas over a decade ago, and we’ve been making them for holidays ever since. The butter and brown sugar bring out the flavor, and the carrots become so tender after cooking them that they literally melt in your mouth.
Now, the kids request these brown sugar glazed carrots for birthdays, special meals and every holiday dinner because they love them so much. Once you try them, you’ll easily see why they’re a favorite.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- They pair well with every main dish! This is the perfect vegetable side dish, especially for special occasions like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
- Quick and easy. Made with just a few ingredients and in 20 minutes.
- Many ways to make. This easy side dish can be made on the stove, in the oven, slow cooker, or instant pot!
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 15 minutes
- 1 16-ounce bag baby carrots – You can also use larger carrots – peel and cut into coins or sticks. Just make sure the carrot slices are all equal in size.
- ½ cup water – This will help cook the carrots and make them tender.
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar – or dark brown sugar or substitute with honey or maple syrup. Reduce brown sugar for less sweet carrots.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter – We use unsalted butter but salted butter can be used as well – just lessen the amount of salt added at the end.
- salt and black pepper – Top with fresh herbs like parsley or thyme. You can also squeeze an orange or lemon juice over the top for a bright twist.
How to Cook Glazed Carrots
- BOIL. Bring 1 16-ounce bag carrots, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar to a boil in a pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.
- SIMMER. Turn to low, simmer for approximately 6 minutes.
- EVAPORATE WATER. Turn back to high and cook until all the water is evaporated, and carrots are fork tender. It took me another 5-8 minutes.
- SEASON & SERVE. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Alternative Cooking Methods
- Slow cooker. Place the carrots in a greased crock pot. Combine melted butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar and water. Drizzle over carrots, mix until carrots are coated. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or until carrots are tender.
- Oven. Place your baby carrots in a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and drizzle on 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour.
- Instant pot. To cook in an instant pot or pressure cooker, place all ingredients in the pot, cover, and secure the vent. Set the pot to “sealing”, press “pressure cook” or “manual” button”. Set the timer for 3 minutes. Once done, manually release the pressure by switching the vent to “venting”.
Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) bag baby carrots
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine carrots, water, butter, and brown sugar in a pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
- Cover and reduce the heat to cook on low for approximately 6 minutes.
- Keeping covered, turn the heat back to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the water is evaporated and carrots are tender, another 5–6 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Add ⅓ cup pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans (chopped and toasted) after simmering for 6 minutes.
Yes! The brown sugar is what makes them “candied” or caramelized. If you want more of the sweetness, just add some more brown sugar!
We suggest making them fresh, but if needed, you can make them a day ahead. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat them in the microwave, or in a skillet on the stove.
To reheat, throw them back into a buttered pan, and cook until carrots are heated through.
Sooooo yummy! My only critique is they take 30+ minutes boiling to get soft.
Thanks for your feedback. Glad to hear you enjoyed the carrots!
So glad I found this recipe. I added about 1 TBSP of honey to the recipe but holy moly…I think they’re the best carrots I’ve ever had! Yum!!
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed the carrots. I bet the addition of honey was delicious too.
Made these last night for my family ranging from 37-1 – Everyone loved them, and it is so simple.
Also- I am a comment reader to see if any “tweaks” to the recipe stand out/look good – and there isn’t any – not that I could find at least… which means it’s perfect as is. Thanks for sharing this one!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe… and that your family all did too! 🙂
So easy to make these super delicious carrots 🥕. My granddaughters loved them. Will definitely make them again.
I’m so happy your granddaughters loved them! That makes me so happy to hear!
Cooked my carrots using stove top method. Easy, please. Took total of 20 minutes and they were tender, hint of sweet taste. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for trying the recipe!
Delicious recipe, but it did take longer than recipe stated
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I will review the recipe and look at the cooking time for the carrots. Thanks for letting me know!
I was looking for something different to do with carrots. This recipe was super easy and the instructions were extremely accurate. I didn’t have baby carrots but I used regular ones and just cut them into similar sizes. Will definitely make this again.
Yay! That’s so good to hear! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
My family loves this recipe! Perfect for cookouts and barbeques!
Yay! So glad to hear it is a hit with the family. We love this one too.
My husband made this recipe for us this week, and we found it absolutely delicious—and VERY easy to follow. So delicious to me, in fact, that I ate the few remainders he’d left in the pot!!!
Oh that is so awesome to hear. I’m glad he found the recipe and that it was a hit! Thanks for coming back and sharing.
Absolutely fabulous! I never liked carrots as a side until I made this tonight. GREAT recipe! Easy, fast, and delicious.
Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the carrots. They are a favorite around here! 🙂