Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (2024)

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posted by Jenniferon Sep 14, 202361 comments »

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This tasty and tender Glazed Carrots Recipe is the perfect go-to side dish, especially during the holidays. It’s made with only 4 simple ingredients and is ready in less than 10 minutes!

Need more side dish recipes? Make some Green Beans, Asparagus, Corn on the Cob, and Crispy Parmesan Zucchini in the air fryer!

Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (1)

Why You’ll Love Them!

  • Simple recipe. This recipe uses only a few ingredients, cooks quickly, and goes with a wide variety of dishes.
  • Hands-off cooking! Using your Instant Pot means you are free to do other things while they cook!
  • A kid-friendly side dish to persuade them to eat their veggies.
  • A tasty way to enjoy carrots. Everyone will be asking for seconds on this one!

I’ve been making these carrots for YEARS. I make them all year-around and my family loves them!

~ Brenda
Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (2)

Ingredients

All you need are four simple ingredients to make great-tasting brown sugar carrots. Here’s a look at the ingredients, check the recipe card for the quantities of each.

  • Baby carrots: You can use fresh or frozen carrots. Fresh garden carrots will cook faster than store-bought carrots.
  • Butter:I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the saltiness, but any butter will do.
  • Salt: Just a dash of salt to bring out the flavor of the carrots. If you’re using salted butter you might want to taste the carrots before adding it.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar has more flavor than regular sugar and is the best part of these carrots.
  • Ground cinnamon: This is the “secret” ingredient that makes these carrots the best.
  • Water: Just a little water is needed but enough water needs to be used so that the Instant Pot doesn’t give you a “burn” message.

Tips & Variations

  • Swap the brown sugar. You can use maple syrup or honey with great results.
  • Mix things up. Add more root vegetables such as parsnips, potatoes, and golden beets all work well!
  • Add nuts. Sprinkle the carrots with some pecans or walnuts just before serving.
  • Release the pressure right away. Don’t let your pressure cooker release the steam naturally, this will result in overcooked carrots.

How To Make Instant Pot Carrots

Making Instant pot carrots requires just a few easy steps to make. Let’s get started cooking!

Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (3)

How To Make Glazed Carrots

  1. Place.The carrots into the Instant Pot.
  2. Add. The butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and water to the pot.
  3. Cover. The Instant Pot and make sure the vent on the top of the cover is set to “Sealing”.
  4. Cook. Under high pressure for four minutes and then release the pressure and vent right away.
  5. Stir. The carrots together and serve.

What To Serve With Carrots

  • Dinner. Instant pot glazed carrots go great with all types of main dishes. Enjoy them with Pork Tenderloin, air fryer steak bites, crockpot Mississippi pot roast, or boneless ham.
  • Side Dishes. Combine it with other family-favorite sides to create amazing meals. Try these air fryer baby potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, or hash brown casserole.
  • Dessert. Make dinnertime special with a tasty dessert. We love this pineapple cobbler and cinnamon cake.
Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole with Corn Flakes
Cinnamon Cake
Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (7)

Recipe FAQ

Do I need a steamer basket?

No, you don’t need a steamer basket to make glazed carrots in your Instant Pot.

Can I make steamed carrots on the stovetop?

Yes, you can steam carrots in a pan with all the same ingredients.

Can I use regular carrots instead of baby carrots?

Yes you can. Just make sure the carrots are cut into similar-sized pieces. This will ensure they cook in an even amount of time.

Can I make glazed carrots in advance?

You can though this dish goes together quite quickly so it may not be necessary. If you decide you want to make these carrots ahead of time you can, I would suggest only a day ahead. Once cooked, cool them and then store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Reheat on the stove with two tablespoons of butter.

Leftovers & Storing

  • Store. Leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing them.
  • Reheat. In a pan on the stove or the microwave. You may want to add a bit of water if they seem dry and cook until heated through.
Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (8)

More Side Dish Recipes

  • Cucumber Tomato Salad
  • BLT Pasta Salad
  • Air Fryer Zucchini
  • Fruit Salad
Air Fryer Zucchini
Air Fryer Asparagus
How To Blanch Green Beans

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Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (12)

4.60 from 298 ratings

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Servings: 6 servings

Glazed Carrots Recipe (In Instant Pot)

Prep Time: 2 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 minutes mins

Total Time: 6 minutes mins

Brown sugar carrots only use simple ingredients and they only take less than 10 minutes to make. Perfect holiday side dish that everyone will love.

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Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. baby carrots
  • cup butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup water

Instructions

  • Place carrots into the Instant Pot.

  • Add butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon and water.

  • Cover the pot and make sure the vent on the top of the cover is set to "Sealing".

  • Press the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" button. Set the timer for 4 minutes.

  • Once the carrots are done cooking, switch the vent to "Venting".

  • Stir carrots and serve.

Notes

  • Make Ahead. If you want to make these carrots ahead of time you can, I would suggest only a day ahead. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge.
  • Reheat. Place them into a pan with about 2 Tablespoons of butter, and cook until heated through.
  • Store. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
  • Swap the brown sugar. You can use maple syrup or honey with great results.
  • Mix things up. Add more root vegetables such as parsnips, potatoes, and golden beets all work well!
  • Add nuts. Sprinkle the carrots with some pecans or walnuts just before serving.
  • Release the pressure right away. Don’t let your pressure cooker release the steam naturally, this will result in overcooked carrots.

Calories: 190kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 397mg, Potassium: 378mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 21166IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 64mg, Iron: 1mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Side Dish

Author: Jennifer

Tried this recipe?Mention @deliciouslysprinkled on Instagram or tag #deliciouslysprinkled.

Christmas Easter Holiday Instant Pot Side Dishes Thanksgiving

published on Sep 14, 2023

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Leave a Reply

61 comments on “Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe”

  1. Jo Walker Reply

    Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (13)
    Made these tonight and they are delicious! Thank you for sharing!

  2. Robin Reply

    is there a time difference if carrots are frozen?

    • Jennifer Reply

      If the carrots are frozen add a few minutes until done.

  3. Julie Fisher Reply

    Great recipe. I do 7 min. on timer.
    Love these. Even the dog loves them.

    • Jennifer Reply

      Our dog loves these too! 🙂

  4. Jessie Reply

    Can you use 1lb of carrots and half this with everything?

    • Jennifer Reply

      Yes! 🙂

  5. menta Reply

    Yay! I never thought of getting my son to eat his carrots by adding cinnamon and butter until now!

Leave a comment »

Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are glazed carrots made of? ›

Glazed carrots coated in a mixture of brown sugar and butter are a versatile side dish you can serve alongside a weeknight meatloaf, a Sunday ham, or your Thanksgiving turkey. These caramelized carrots are a definite kid-pleaser but they're elegant enough to impress the adults as well!

What makes carrots taste better? ›

#1 Roasted

This is our CSA members' favorite way to enjoy our farm's fresh carrots. Slice or keep them whole if baby sized and toss with salt and pepper as your most basic preparation, or optionally add garlic, dill or honey to change it up. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until tender. So, so, so sweet!

How do you get the most flavor out of carrots? ›

Here's some of our favorites to sprinkle on carrots:
  1. Garlic (minced, powder or granules)
  2. Onion powder or granules.
  3. Black malabar pepper.
  4. Cinnamon (Cassia for sweeter, Ceylon for sweetness with some more complex savory and vanilla flavors)
  5. Nutmeg powder.
  6. Cayenne pepper powder.
  7. Ginger powder.
  8. Aleppo chili.
Mar 28, 2021

How many minutes does it take to soften carrots? ›

Cook carrots in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Strain carrots, leaving just enough of the cooking water to cover the bottom of the pan; set carrots aside.

What should I season carrots with? ›

Seasoning carrots is a great way to help bring out their flavor. For a simple and versatile seasoning, stick with salt, pepper, and garlic. For an herbier taste, add rosemary, parsley, cumin, or coriander. Or, to bring out their fresh, woody flavor, add some anise.

What are the main ingredients in carrots? ›

Raw carrots are 88% water, 9% carbohydrates, 0.9% protein, 2.8% dietary fiber, 1% ash and 0.2% fat. Carrot dietary fiber comprises mostly cellulose, with smaller proportions of hemicellulose, lignin and starch. Free sugars in carrot include sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

Should you boil carrots before roasting? ›

Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

Why do my carrots taste bad? ›

These are volatile compounds that, along with sugar, give carrots their naturally sweet yet slightly bitter flavor. However, when terpenoids reach excessive amounts and are no longer balanced with sugar, they give these root vegetables that unpleasant soapy taste.

What brings out the sweetness in carrots? ›

Carrots are naturally sweet, cutting them doesn't affect the flavor. If you want them even sweeter, roasting is a good option. Toss them with some oil, and something sweet- maple syrup, orange juice or even a little honey. Then roast in a hot oven.

What happens when you overcook carrots? ›

Overcooked vegetables are mushy or dry, sometimes both at the same time! What's happened, is the cell structures of the vegetables have been damaged creating mushiness and the liquid inside may have been released to cause dryness.

Is boiling or steaming carrots better? ›

Which is healthier – Steaming or Boiling. As steaming doesn't rob the vegetables of their essential nutrients, it is advisable to steam the vegetables instead of boiling them.

Why won't my carrots get soft? ›

It's not the vegetables or your cooking skills, it's the amount of acidic liquids in the cooking liquid! As you've no doubt observed in your everyday cooking, vegetables normally soften as they cook.

What is vegetable glaze made from? ›

Add your vegetables to a pan and fill it halfway up the sides of the vegetables with water. Or, for more flavor, try using broth, orange juice or wine in place of water. Add a touch of butter and sugar with a pinch of salt. The sugar and butter add shine to the glaze.

Can you buy glazed carrots? ›

Fits your lifestyle and your freezer.™ Green Giant® Simply Steam™ vegetables are not only delicious, they come in freezer-friendly, easy-to-stack boxes, with a microwavable pouch inside. Great for a meal, side dish or snack—anytime.

What to eat with glazed carrots? ›

What to serve with glazed carrots. Glazed carrots will pair beautifully with most non-Asian meals though I wouldn't use them with mains with a sweet sauce – too much sugar. It would be ideal to pop in the oven at the same time as this Baked Chicken Breast or Roast Chicken, or this Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling.

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