Roasted Carrots

Roasted carrots are a lovely side dish, perfect for many occasions, from a simple weeknight family dinner to a special holiday meal.

The carrots are tender, slightly caramelized, and tasty. The basic recipe is simple: carrots, olive oil, maple syrup (optional), salt, and pepper.

What you'll love about this roasted carrots recipe is how easy it is to turn into a unique side dish. For example, add your favorite condiment and dress up your carrots to become a beautiful and flavorful side.

Our favorite topping combination is a drizzle of our easy and tangy chimichurri, a few spoonfuls of fresh tomato salsa, and some of our cashew sour cream.

Top all with a handful of shaved toasted almonds to make a side dish with beautiful colors and a bold taste.

You can use any fresh carrots, from orange carrots to rainbow carrots.

If you use baby carrots, keep in mind that they'll cool in half the time.

Tip: try to use carrots of similar sizes. If you have large carrots, you can cut them in half lengthwise so they'll cook evenly.

Olive oil

Pick a good quality extra virgin olive oil. It has a nutty and fruity flavor and is stable at high temperatures, thanks to its high antioxidant content.

You can substitute regular olive oil for extra virgin.

Salt and pepper

We season the carrots with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Maple syrup

Maple syrup, agave syrup, or honey are optional; however, we like to add a tablespoon to help the carrots caramelize and bring out their delicious natural sweetness.

But don't worry; the recipe is not overly sweet.

Herbs and spices

Herbs and spices are optional. We like to add a pinch of ground cumin, which melds perfectly with the sweetness of the carrots.

You can substitute fresh herbs like fresh thyme or sage for cumin. Or you can use other spices such as cinnamon, chili powder, paprika, or garlic powder.

Toppings

Top the carrots with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley for a quick and simple side dish.

If you want something tastier and unique, try one of our condiments. Excellent with roasted carrots are:

• Chimichurri: a spicy, tangy, and garlicky parsley-based condiment.
• Cashew sour cream: carrots are terrific with nuts, and our cashew-based sour cream fits them perfectly.
• Fresh tomato salsa: chopped tomatoes, lime juice, onion, and cilantro are excellent with carrots.
• Green goddess dressing: a mix of herbs in a creamy green sauce.
• Cilantro lime dressing: if you like cilantro, that's one condiment to try.
• Toasted shaved or slivered almonds add crunch and a delicious nutty flavor.

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking sheet or a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Peel the carrots, add them to a large container that can fit them, and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, maple syrup, and cumin.

If you've got very large carrots, cut them in half lengthwise for even cooking.

Tip: we recommend using a baking dish long enough to contain the carrots. We don't recommend using a bowl.

Tip: if your carrots are organically grown, you can keep the peel on.

Arrange the carrots on the parchment-lined baking sheet on a single layer without overlapping.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes if you like them tender-crisp or 30 minutes if you want them buttery-tender.

Transfer onto a serving platter and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley.

Loaded Roasted Carrots

Our go-to topping for roasted carrots is drizzling them with chimichurri dressing, vegan sour cream (homemade with blended cashew nuts), fresh tomato salsa (homemade with chopped onion and tomatoes, cilantro, lime, salt, and pepper), and toasted shaved almonds.

This delicious variation is made with fresh, wholesome, and tasty ingredients. We hope you'll love it as much as we do.

Green goddess roasted carrots

Green goddess dressing is packed with fresh herbs like parsley, chives, dill, and mint blended with yogurt.

It's a fresh and flavorful condiment, and it's a perfect flavor match with roasted carrots.

Check out our green goddess dressing recipe.

Serving suggestions

With your main dish as a side, it easily upgrades pasta, salad, and casserole with added color, such as:

• Aglio e olio pasta: easy Italian pasta in just 15 minutes!
• Mushroom risotto creamy, elegant and mushroom-packed main dish
• Pasta e fagioli: authentic Italian flavor with beans, pasta and tomato sauce
• Lentil curry with Indian-inspired spice mix and a creamy coconut infused sauce

Storage

Refrigerator: store roasted carrots leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for three minutes before serving.

Freezer: let carrots cool down completely, transfer them into a freezer-friendly bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or in the microwave. Reheat in the microwave.

If you love cooking with carrots, here are some more recipes for you:

• Easy carrot salad: a Frech-inspired salad with pineapple, cucumber and a light vinaigrette.
• Raisin carrot salad with shredded carrot and an optional mayo dressing.
• Moroccan carrot salad with cumin dressing.
• Carrot ginger dressing: Asian-inspired light and tangy condiment idea.

More roasted vegetable recipes

Get new and colorful ideas from these easy roasted vegetable recipes:

• Rainbow roasted vegetables: the tastiest way to cook a variety of vegetables
• Easy roasted potatoes: creamy, tender, and crispy potatoes that work with any main dish
• Tender roasted mushrooms: great in salads, pasta and as a topping for bruschetta
• Crisp roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic marinade; crispy and scrumptious broccoli florets
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with mustard dressing.
• Roasted sweet potatoes and sweet potato wedges.

For many more side dishes ideas, check out our sides category page.