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Maple glazed carrots are a delicious, easy side dish for any meal. Ready in minutes, these tender carrots are sweet with a hit of heat from red pepper flakes.

Carrots have always been my favorite vegetable, but I didn’t appreciate just how tasty they are until we started buying carrots from our local farmers.

We’ve been getting the most beautiful carrots from our CSA share. While we often just snack on pickled carrots or add carrots to soup, I wanted to really make them a star on our plates.

This recipe was inspired by the one Antoni made on a recent episode of Queer Eye. Quickly sautéed and finished with maple syrup and red pepper flakes, it’s an easy, flavorful side.

They’re good enough to turn any meat-eater into a veggie lover!

How to make maple glazed carrots

Glazed carrots are a wonderful introduction to cooking vegetables. First, grab your ingredients:

Olive oil
Butter
Carrots
Salt
Pepper
Maple syrup
Red pepper flakes
Chopped fresh parsley

We’re using both olive oil and butter here for the added flavor. However, you can always use just one of them if you prefer.

Make sure you use pure maple syrup, not imitation syrup!

Peel the carrots, but leave them whole. If your carrots are too large to fit in the pan, cut them in half.

Add the olive oil and butter to a saute pan and set over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, swirl the pan to ensure it is evenly coated and the fats are mixed.

Place the carrots in the pan in a single layer. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until starting to brown, then turn carrots and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Once browned and fork tender, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle maple syrup over the carrots and sprinkle on red pepper flakes.

Continue cooking, turning the carrots often, for a few minutes more. Sprinkle on fresh chopped parsley and serve.

glazed carrots on a serving plate with hand sprinkling parsley

What kind of carrots do I need for this recipe?

You can use any kind of carrot in this recipe. I love multicolor carrots, but you can use all orange carrots.

If you can, look for carrots that are slightly smaller so they can easily fit your cooking pan without needing to be trimmed.

Keep in mind that smaller carrots will cook faster than larger carrots, so use carrots that are similar in size.

Buying carrots that come with the tops? Don’t throw the tops away after trimming — save them to make carrot top pesto.

Baby carrots will also work in this recipe, if that’s what you have on hand!

What can I add to glazed carrots?

While this recipe is perfectly delicious as is, you can amp up the flavor even more!

Saute chopped shallots briefly before adding the carrots.

Swap the parsley with your favorite fresh herb, such as rosemary or thyme.

Instead of red pepper flakes, try a dash or two of hot sauce.

Try finishing with smoked salt for just a touch of smoky flavor.

Swap the maple syrup for honey or agave nectar.

Serve maple glazed carrots with your favorite meals, from burgers to Thanksgiving dinner.

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It means so much when you enjoy my recipes, so let me know how it goes and leave a comment if you have any questions.