Roasted Carrots
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Say goodbye to the mushy carrots of your childhood—these roasted carrots are caramelized and full of rich, savory flavor.
Roasting is by far the easiest and most delicious way to cook carrots. The high heat of the oven caramelizes the natural sugars, giving you perfectly bronzed, tender-crisp carrots with a deep, rich flavor (never mushy!). Whether you serve them with roast chicken, steak, or pork tenderloin, they’re always a crowd-pleasing side dish. Simple, flavorful, and versatile—this roasted carrots recipe is a true staple.
“These are FANTASTIC!! I absolutely love it when something so simple turns out so great.”
What You’ll Need To Make Roasted Carrots
- Fresh carrots – Choose medium-sized carrots that are firm and free of cracks for the best balance of sweetness and texture. Small, thin carrots may get too soft when roasted, while extra-large carrots can be less sweet. Slice them into even pieces to ensure they cook uniformly.
- Olive oil – Helps the carrots caramelize while adding rich, flavorful depth.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – Salt enhances the natural sweetness by drawing out moisture, aiding caramelization. Pepper adds a touch of heat to balance the sweetness.
- Thyme – Adds earthy, aromatic notes that complement the caramelized flavor of the carrots. Feel free to use fresh or dried. (If you want to experiment with different herbs, try fresh rosemary, parsley or dill.)
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Directly on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan, toss together the carrots, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Arrange in a single layer.
Roast, stirring once mid-way through, until nicely caramelized and tender, 20 to 25 minutes (cooking time will depend on thickness of carrots).
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with more fresh thyme, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole carrots are usually fresher and have a more intense, natural sweetness compared to baby carrots. Baby carrots are often shaped from larger, older carrots, which can make them blander and less sweet due to processing. Additionally, baby carrots are typically thinner and may burn or turn mushy when roasted at high temperatures. For best results, stick with whole carrots for roasting and save baby carrots for snacking!
Yes, you can make roasted carrots ahead of time! After roasting, let the carrots cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, spread the carrots on a baking sheet and warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes until heated through.
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Roasted Carrots
Say goodbye to the mushy carrots of your childhood—these roasted carrots are caramelized and full of rich, savory flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried), plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Slice the carrots on the diagonal about 2-in thick. Make sure all pieces are approximately the same size to ensure even cooking.
- Directly on the prepared baking sheet, toss together the carrots, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Roast, stirring once mid-way through, until nicely caramelized and tender, 20 to 25 minutes (cooking time will depend on thickness of carrots). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with more fresh thyme, if desired.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The carrots can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time. After roasting, let the carrots cool completely and then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, spread the carrots on a foil-lined baking sheet and warm them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 153
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 392 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Kid Approved!
Made these on Christmas Day. Our daughter our (5y/o) daughter could have polished them off on her own. They must have really left an impression, too. Last night I made your skillet fried steak w/ rosemary butter and our daughter requested your carrots 🥕 🥕 on the side. Well, the time change has thrown her a bit, so lately by dinner time she has been a bit delirious. We fell into a bit of a power struggle over shower time and knowing she was excited about the carrots, I threatened to not let her have any with her dinner “You’ll just have steak and potatoes for dinner if you can’t listen.” Yes, this felt very counterintuitive, but it worked like a charm! She ran to her bedroom, grabbed her stash of Christmas chocolate. She came to us with her chocolate, apologized and asked if she gave us her chocolate and got in the shower “straight away” if she could also have the carrots! We accepted the deal and everyone was happy! You should add “Broker of Peace in the Northeast” to your resume!
That is seriously too funny — who knew that carrots could carry more weight than chocolate?! 🙂
This dish has been on our Christmas dinner table for the past three years. Looking forward to enjoying it this year too!
Hi Jen, If I use young whole carrots (the type with the tops still on) should I cook them longer?
Hi Debbie, Yes, they may take a bit longer; just check for tenderness at the recommended time to be sure.
These carrots are delicious and reheat well although like some other reviewers, I needed to put them under the broiler for a few minutes to achieve the char effect. Could I add in parsnips as well and cook in the same way? I have always parboiled them before roasting but was wondering if I could skip that step and just add them in with the carrots to save time.
Gald you liked it! Yes, I do think you could add parsnips to this without parboiling them as long as you cut them into a similar size to the carrots.
Tried it and they turned out great. Absolutely delicious! I make tons of recipes from your site and love them all! Thank you.
❤️
This recipe isn’t simple so much as it is bland. 2 stars because at least the high-heat cooking technique is a useful method, transferrable to other vegetable dishes.
So good, like eating candy….it brings out the sugar in the carrots. Only problem, I cut the recipe since I was cooking for two and I did not have enough. Even my adult daughter who likes the tried and true gave them her seal of approval. Served with a chicken bulger / rice casserole with mushrooms, red pepper strips and onion soup mix, a simple, colorful and delicious dinner
Would I have to change the cooking time with this recipe if I used Zuccini instead?
Hi Corrine, I think it’s likely that the timing would be a bit different. I’d look online for a roasted zucchini recipe so you can get an idea of how long they’ll need in the oven.
This was DELICIOUS! Some other recipes I’ve tried before for carrots include butter and sugar, and I’m not against that, by any means, but I love that such a simple and healthy recipe can taste so amazing!! Like another reviewer mentioned, I didn’t have the lovely char after about 25 minutes, so I turned on the broiler, kept a close eye on the carrots and cooked them for a few minutes more til they had that lovely color. They were delicious! My kids even liked them, and I could honestly eat an entire plate full of these carrots!
Hi Jenn, thanks for all your recipes. Can’t wait to try this! Is it 220c fan forced or conventional?
Hi Rosie, All of my recipes are made in a conventional oven. 🙂
Easy and good…but a question. You have “fresh carrots” in the recipe. I’ve been making these with the plastic wrapped one pound organic carrots. Are they not considered “fresh.” Should I be using carrots with the greens still on?
Thanks.
Hi Diana, What you’re using is perfectly fine! 🙂
I have made this recipe several times; healthy and delicious! So easy, and so good with the olive oil and thyme. I’ve used dried thyme and will also plan to try it with fresh thyme. My new favorite way to enjoy carrots!