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Thanksgiving is next week! How crazy is that?! Are you ready? Do you have your stretchy pants on?
These roasted carrots with orange honey glaze are just the side you need to add to your Thanksgiving menu. They are super simple and come together in only 30 minutes.
Thanksgiving cooking extravaganza. We’ve got this!!!
Sweet and tender whole roasted carrots are topped with a sticky sweet, tangy, slightly spicy orange honey glaze and crunchy toasted pine nuts. Did you ever think carrots could be so fancy, yet so simply delicious all at the same time?!
I chose to use green top carrots, I cut off the leaves keeping an inch or two of the stem. There is something about a stem left on a carrot that makes it feel extra fancy, perfect for a Holiday. However, if you can’t find green top carrots feel free to use regular whole carrots (I mean they’re the same thing, they simply did the work of cutting the stem off for you) and trim off the end piece. You could also use rainbow carrots if you can find them, that would be extra pretty.
Either way you will end up with perfectly roasted whole carrots that everyone will love!
The orange honey glaze is so delicious and simple to make. It’s the perfect way to add a little something extra to those sweet roasted carrots.
Here’s all you need for the orange honey glaze:
- orange juice – keep it simple by using a high quality, pulp free bottled orange juice
- honey – which gives it the perfect amount of sweetness and helps make it a nice sticky glaze
- white wine vinegar – just enough to add a tang
- salt – where there is sweet there should be salt. Balance.
- red pepper flakes (optional) – they add a nice subtle kick. Love me some good sweet and spicy flavors. Of course, you can omit them if you don’t want the heat.
- orange zest – even though we used bottled orange juice the fresh orange zest really adds an extra boost of orange-y goodness.
That’s it. All you do is simmer the sauce on the stove top for 10 minutes, or until it has thickened into a pour-able glaze-like consistency to drizzle right over the carrots.
Seriously so yum!
The best part is that you can make that orange honey glaze a few days in advance to make the big cooking day go a little faster. You can also toast the pine nuts and peel the carrots in advance – all the details for how to prep ahead is in the recipe card below!
I’ve got you!
Pine nuts! It’s been a while. OMG how I have missed you!
A little crunchy, a little buttery, slightly sweet, they are the perfect little sprinkle to add to our roasted carrots. They are the cherry on top. And toasting them really helps to bring out their flavor. Don’t skip that step. Trust.
The bonus of making whole roasted carrots is that you barely have to chop a thing – and they look gorgeous, don’t you agree?
See that nice char on those carrots? That adds so much flavor. They sort of caramelize as they cook, bringing out their natural sugars and making them even sweeter than they already are. The ends of the carrots get a little crispy, it’s the best!
I’m in love.
Just give me that platter of roasted carrots with the orange honey glaze for Thanksgiving and I will be all set.
Okay, maybe give me a little turkey too.
….and just maybe some mashed potatoes and gravy.
But I wouldn’t be mad if these roasted carrots were the only vegetable side dish on the table.
I hope you love these roasted carrots as much as we do. They are tender, sweet, crunchy, just a little bit spicy and anything but average. Simple yet elegant roasted carrots, yes, I think you need them to join your Thanksgiving party!
Also, these roasted carrots would be a great side dish for Easter!!! Because carrots for Easter is just perfection.
Here are more Thanksgiving side dish recipes for you:
- Instant pot garlic mashed potatoes (stove top recipe also included)
- green bean casserole from scratch
- cranberry apple pear sauce
- roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with pomegranate
- wild rice mushroom stuffing with bacon
- Brussels sprouts and bacon with orange tahini sauce
- roasted acorn squash with cinnamon tahini sauce
Yay for the best food holiday of the year! Enjoy!
If you made this recipe do me a favor and leave a comment below along with a star rating. It really helps me to be able to continue the work I do and I love hearing from you! Thanks!
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Roasted Carrots with Orange Honey Glaze
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 5 to 6 1x
- Category: sides, vegetable, healthy
- Method: roast
- Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian, dairy free, refined sugar free
Description
Easy roasted carrots with orange honey glaze and toasted pine nuts is the perfect side dish for any Holiday or dinner party.
Ingredients
Carrots
- 2 to 3 bunches of green top carrots (depending on how large the bunches are)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- salt
Orange honey glaze
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice (pulp free)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- zest of 1 orange
Optional garnishes
- 1/2 cup pine nuts (highly recommended)
- parsley leaves, chopped
- sliced oranges
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim the bushy green ends off your carrots, leaving behind about 1 inch of the stems. Scrub and dirt off the carrots and peel. Carefully slice any really thick carrots in half lengthwise. Place them on an extra large rimmed baking sheet. You don’t want so many carrots that they overcrowd the pan, otherwise they will steam, you want to them to be in a nice even layer (see photo in post). Toss them in the oil and a good sprinkle of salt, and arrange them in an even layer.
- Roast the carrots: Roast the carrots for 15 minutes, or just until the carrots begin to char on one side. Flip the carrots, reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and roast the carrots another 10 to 15 minutes or until they are fork tender.
- Make the orange honey glaze: While the carrots are roasting make the glaze by adding all of the ingredients except the orange zest to a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce is done when it clings to the back of the spoon, yet is still pour able – remove from heat and set aside. Stir in the orange zest. If it’s too thick then add a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon more orange juice.
- Toast the pine nuts: Add the pine nuts to a small skillet, turn the skillet to medium low heat. Toast for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the pine nuts are golden brown and smell fragrant (see photo in post) – remove from the heat and set aside. Be careful not to burn the pine nuts, they can go from perfectly toasted to burnt real quick.
- To serve: Just before serving transfer the warm carrots to a serving platter. Add orange slices to the edge of the platter, to decorate (if desired). Sprinkle on a generous amount of the pine nuts and a little parsley. Just before serving drizzle with a generous amount of the orange honey glaze. The carrots are best served warm, but they are also really good room temperature.
Notes
Carrots: green top carrots aren’t essential to this recipe, I just think they add an elegant look. If you can’t find green top carrots you can use whole carrots and just trim off the top. Also feel free to use rainbow carrots if you can find them.
Make ahead tips
- Make the glaze up to 2 days in advance. Store in the fridge in an air tight container. Allow to sit at room temp for 20 minutes before using. If it’s thickened too much just stir in a splash or two of orange juice.
- toast the pine nuts up to several days in advance. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.
- wash and peel the carrots up to 1 day in advance. Store them in a bag with a damp paper towel.
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