Jazz up your next gathering with these oven roasted maple carrots. They are perfectly seasoned and are irresistibly delicious. This is an easy recipe that makes a perfect side dish for a Thanksgiving dinner.
Oven roasted carrots are such an easy recipe to add to many main dishes. I always have carrots on hand as it is a vegetable that can be incorporated into many dishes.
These rainbow carrots are coated in a mixture of olive oil, garlic, maple syrup, paprika, salt and pepper. They are then roasted in a hot oven until tender and caramelized. Have fun with your toppings and with Thanksgiving around the corner, I kept it rustic with fresh herbs, toasted panko breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds.
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE
- Carrots: using rainbow carrots adds a little variation of colour if that’s what you are after but standard orange carrots can be used instead
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Maple syrup: my all time favourite is Canadian pure maple syrup
- Smoky paprika
- Seasonings: Himalayan salt and pepper
- Panko breadcrumbs: for a crunchy toppings
- Herbs: fresh dill and parsley
- Pumpkin seeds
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Start by preheating your oven to 425℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
I used organic rainbow carrots for this recipe and any type of coloured carrots or baby carrots would make a delicious alternatives for this recipe. When using organic vegetables, you can expect at times some imperfect shapes and some markings. Growing up on a farm, Mom and Dad grew a large variety of vegetables and we didn’t use any pesticides, so I saw a lot imperfect vegetables but the flavours and freshness was the best!
Mix together in a small bowl, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic and smoky paprika. Toss mixture with carrots. Line the carrots onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.
While the carrots are in the oven, pan fry the breadcrumbs until toasted. Set aside.
Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs, pumpkin seeds, dill and parsley.
TIPS FOR ROASTING CARROTS
These rainbow carrots needed at least 25 minutes of bake time and carrots will vary in size, so take that into consideration when it comes to the amount of time they need. Check the carrots by piercing them with a fork or sharp knife.
You can use regular orange carrots or baby carrots for this recipe. You may need to cut the large regular carrots in half or smaller to lessen the roasting time. Since I used organic carrots, I didn’t peel them, but large orange carrots will need to be peeled.
Honey can be substituted for maple syrup. Both will caramelize and add a natural sweetness to the carrots.
You can coat the carrots ahead of time and place them in the refrigerator when ready to bake up to 2 hours.
As garnishes, adding fresh herbs is a delicious fresh option and the toasted breadcrumbs will add a crunchy texture and like the idea of keeping the autumn theme of pumpkin seeds.
These carrots can be refrigeratored for up to 3-4 days.
Love this rustic fresh yet colourful and delicious recipe! A great side dish to accompany a turkey dinner, pork roast or beef dish.
Oven Roasted Maple Carrots
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 10` oz organic rainbow carrots
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp maple syrup or honey
- 1½ tsp fresh garlic, minced (½-1 tsp garlic powder)
- 1/4 tsp smoky paprika
- 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper
- 1 fresh dill and parsley for garnish
- pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together in a small bowl, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic and smoky paprika. Toss mixture with carrots. Line the carrots onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.
- While the carrots are in the oven, pan fry the breadcrumbs until toasted. Set aside.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately. Garnish toasted breadcrumbs, pumpkin seeds, dill and parsley.
