Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
Published 10/6/2019 • Updated 10/19/2023
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Delightfully sweet and savory honey balsamic roasted carrots are the perfect side dish for any holiday celebration. They’re perfectly caramelized, full of flavor, and incredibly simple to prepare.
These honey balsamic roasted carrots are as gorgeous as they are delicious and a unique alternative to roasted potatoes. With just about 15 minutes of hands on time, the oven does the majority of the work making these roasted carrots a welcome addition to any holiday menu.
Hearty carrots are roasted to perfection and coated with the most incredible honey and balsamic glaze that caramelizes in the oven. Along with the carrots, we roast full heads of garlic and onion for the ultimate savory veggie side. If you love our garlic glazed carrots, you’re going to love these!
We’ve made this recipe with full, chopped carrots as well as baby carrots, so feel free to use either one!
Featured Comment
“Absolutely LOVE these carrots!” – Alyssa
What You Need for Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
The name pretty much says it all! These roasted carrots come together with just a few simple yet totally flavorful ingredients. You need:
- Carrots, onion, and garlic heads to roast
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper for flavor
- Honey and balsamic vinegar for caramelization and flavor
Roasted Carrot Variations
Like so many of our recipes, use this honey balsamic roasted carrots recipe as a starting point and customize it to your liking! Here are a few variations to try:
Use all orange carrots instead of multicolored carrots.
Make honey balsamic roasted root vegetables! Instead of all carrots, use your favorite kind of root veggies or simply follow our recipe for roasted root vegetables and add the honey and balsamic vinegar halfway through baking in step 4.
Add dried spices (like homemade Italian seasoning or curry powder) along with the salt and pepper.
Instead of honey, use the same amount of maple syrup for vegan roasted carrots.
FAQ
This is totally your choice. We like to leave the skin on for a little extra heartiness. If you’d like to peel the carrots, make sure to do this before cutting them.
As written, these roasted carrots are not vegan. To make these vegan, simply swap the honey for maple syrup – no other changes needed!
Storage
Free up valuable oven space around the holidays and make these roasted carrots a couple days ahead of time. Store any leftover carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
We especially love these roasted carrots around the holidays, but they’re truly delicious year round. It’s a great way to use up fresh carrots from the farmer’s market, too! Serve this veggie side as part of any holiday meal, alongside maple mustard smoked salmon or turkey meatloaf, or add them to our farro salad.
Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. medium carrots
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 heads garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey*
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray OR spray the baking sheet directly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Cut the carrots in half hotdog-style and then again hamburger-style (you're quartering them). Cut the onion into 1/4-inch slices. Place the sliced carrots and onion onto the baking sheet.
- Prepare the garlic: Slice both ends off of each garlic head. Keep the casing on. Place onto the baking sheet.
- Drizzle the veggies and garlic with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss so that everything is coated.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and give the veggies a good mix. Drizzle the veggies with honey and balsamic vinegar and toss again. Make sure to flip the garlic heads over.
- Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Carefully squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulbs and toss with the roasted vegetables. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Notes
- Storage: Store leftover roasted carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Vegan Option: Use maple syrup instead of honey for vegan roasted carrots.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely LOVE these carrots! I am hoping to save some oven space for Thanksgiving. Have you ever tried this recipe sous vide? Going to do a practice trial this week!
How would you make this ahead so that the carrots don’t get too soft? Cook for less time then heat up before serving? Would you add the balsamic & honey and garlic after re-warmed, or when you originally cook them?
Are you hoping to make these the night before? If so, I think you’re fine cooking as is and then reheating! It’s hard to get a carrot too soft, they’re pretty hearty!
Hi Lee! I have the same question. I’m thinking about making these the night before Thanksgiving but wondering if I can make the entire recipe as you have listed or should I leave some steps out until day of? Thank you!