Roasted Baby Carrots Recipe

Content… How to Perfectly Roast Carrots Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions What to Serve More Crazy Good Carrot Recipes to Try

How to Get Perfectly Tender Roasted Baby Carrots

While stir-fries partially cook carrots for a delicious crunchy tenderness, roasting brings out the best of their sweetness. Fortunately, this easy roasted carrot recipe doesn’t require any special cooking techniques, just oven time.

Plan on 30-40 minutes of cooking time and test the carrots’ tenderness to make sure they’re done. When you can pierce them easily with a fork, they’re good to go!

Recipe Ingredients

1. Baby Carrots – These tasty root veggies are harvested before maturity. They’re cute and tender but slightly less sweet. Baby-cut carrots are mature carrots conveniently cut, cleaned, and ready to roast. Either makes great oven-roasted baby carrots.
2. Olive Oil makes the seasonings stick to the carrots and keeps the carrots from sticking to the pan. It also contributes to a beautiful browning that adds loads of flavor. 
3. Seasonings – Creole seasoning and good old S&P add flavor depth and a tiny kick of heat to this dish.
4. Garnish – Fresh dill looks gorgeous and tastes fantastic atop steamy roasted baby carrots. 

How to Roast Baby Carrots

• Preheat – Spray a rectangular-rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and place it on the middle rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220℃). Preheating the pan browns the carrots better! 
• Wash and pat carrots dry to remove any excess moisture, which can inhibit browning. (Photo 1)
• Season – In a large bowl, add carrots, olive oil, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper. Toss the carrots with the oil and seasonings until completely coated.  (Photo 2)
• Roast – Spread the carrots onto the pan in a single layer and roast. Stir once or twice until fork tender, 30-40 minutes.  (Photos 3-4)
• Garnish with dill and serve.

Recipe Variations

1. Regular carrots. You can use whole carrots for this recipe instead if you prefer. Just peel them and cut them into pieces the size of baby carrots.
2. Add sweetness. For a hint of sweetness, you can drizzle honey or maple syrup over the carrots during the last few minutes of roasting. 🍯
3. Seasoning swap. I love the heat from Creole seasoning but feel free to replace it with another spice mix you love. Garam masala works great, or even some harissa paste with a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice. Even using just olive oil, salt, and pepper is divine.
4. Veggie additions. Add other vegetables to the pan, like celery, potato wedges, broccoli and cauliflower florets, Brussels sprouts, etc. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness.

Tips and Tricks

1. Always arrange the carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Crowding them can lead to uneven cooking. And line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
2. Serve immediately! That crisp, caramelized outer layer is the best part of roasted carrots. Sadly, they lose that hint of crispiness and pleasant texture if left out for too long.
3. Not sure if your carrots are done? They should be fork-tender but still have some bite to them. Do I feel a taste test coming on? 😜

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can prep your baby carrots by washing and seasoning them the night before you plan to bake them. You can also cook them ahead (a day or two), but the texture isn’t quite as good when you reheat them. The same is true of freezing cooked carrots. If you don’t mind, then go right ahead.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve roasted baby carrots right out of the oven, hot and crisp! Garnish with your favorite chopped fresh herbs for a pretty presentation.

Keep leftover roasted carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. I usually reheat these in the microwave, but you could do it in an oven set to a low temperature instead. Take them out as soon as they are warm to avoid drying them out. 

What Goes With Roasted Baby Carrots

These orange beauties make the perfect side to poultry and pork, IMO. I like to serve roasted baby carrots alongside blackened spatchcock chicken, roast turkey breast, or pellet grilled pork chops. Other sides they pair well with include green bean casserole and cream cheese mashed potatoes. 😋  

More Crazy Good Carrot Recipes to Try

1. Grilled Carrots
2. Honey Glazed Carrots
3. Sweet Carrot Souffle
4. Carrot Ginger Soup
5. Easy Carrot Raisin Salad