Granny's Candied Carrots Recipe (2024)

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Candied carrots, are you ready for sweet yet savory carrots? Eat one and you will want the whole bowl! Well, my friends, you're in for a big treat today. The glaze, brown sugar and butter is a marriage that is just meant to be. When you put the two on these carrots cooked fork-tender, there is nothing better.

Even my non-veggie loving family, yes, there are a few of them, love these delightfully glazed candied carrots recipe that is screaming with love from brown sugar and warm melted butter.

First Published: February 15, 2019... Last Updated: November 27, 2019

The classic recipes that catapult you back to great memories from your childhood are always the best. This candied carrot recipe is one of those that just brings sheer happiness to me.

Candied Carrots Recipe

One of my favorite childhood food memories was helping my Grandma in the kitchen.I remember when I was old enough to use a veggie peeler and my Granny let me peel the carrots and potatoes.

I thought "look at me now, everyone" It was the beginning of my love of cooking that has always stayed with me. When I was old enough to use the knife, look-out, I was over the moon! If only life could be that easy now!

Back to this amazing recipe. Whether it'sEaster, Thanksgiving, Christmas, any family gathering, or a weeknight meal, my Granny's Candied Carrots should be included in your menu!

They are so good! Easy to prep ahead of time and take just a few minutes of prep! A no-brainer side dish full of flavor!

Besides being delish, why eat carrots:

Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, fiber, and Vitamin K.
Thehigh water content in carrots, just like mushrooms enables carrots to be filling which is great for moderating your food intake.
Carrots are high in solublefiber which can lower blood sugar.
The amount of fat in a carrot is minimal.
Carrots are rich in Vitamin A which are awesome for the eyes.

You all know I love my facts on food! Carrots are no different! Want to read up on how beneficial carrots are for you, check out this article!

Do I have to peel the carrots?

Personal preferencehere, I always peel carrots! You can scrub the skin well and eat the carrot without peeling the skin.

Can I make these ahead of time?

These brown sugar-glazed carrots can be made 2 days ahead. Reheat when ready to serve! Especially helpful for Holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! Prep the carrots - dice and place in water in a saucepan in the fridge. Cook tje carrots when ready.

Can I freeze leftovers?

These carrots are delicious but I do not freeze them after they are made. They tend to be mushy. I tried it and not-good! Eat them and enjoy or use the leftovers in a GuinnessBeef Pie or make a Coconut Carrot Soup!

How long can I refrigerate them?

I have made these carrots 2 days ahead, especially around the Holidays. These are one of my favorite make-ahead sides.

What do I look for when choosing fresh carrots?

Look for firm carrots that are not too thick with a bright orange color with no black spots. For this recipe,you can use frozen carrots with delicious results.

Can I use another type of sugar?

Yes, coconut sugar, Truvia brown sugar, and turbinado all work with this recipe.

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3 ½ Quart Saute Pan: A great pan with a lid! It is one we use daily.
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Expert tips:

Slice the carrots evenly to ensure even cooking.
Use just enough water to cover carrots. Add in a bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
Boil the carrots until just soft, don't overcook.
If reheating carrots, warm over low heat or in the oven for just a few minutes to warm carrots.
You can use Coconut Sugar or Turbinado Sugar to make these glazed carrots.

When you make this recipe, take a pic and tag me on Instagram @everyday_eileen or #everydayeileen

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📖 Recipe

Granny's Candied Carrots Recipe

Not much better than a side dish that you have been enjoying since you were a child. These Candied Carrots are tender and filled with flavor from brown sugar and melted butter. A great side dish for any night. Perfect for Holidays.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Irish

Keyword: Christmas side dish, easy side dish, Holiday side, Thanksgiving side dish

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 96kcal

Author: Eileen Kelly

Equipment Needed:

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
2 cups water, enough to cover carrots
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt

Brown Sugar Glaze

¼ cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoon unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the sliced carrots and enough water to cover the carrots. Add in a bay leaf, and salt.
Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer about 5 minutes. Carrots should be fork-tender.
Drain the carrots of excess water and discard the bay leaf.
Stir in the light brown sugar and unsalted butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Taste for seasoning, re-seasonif needed. Serve and enjoy

Notes

Tips:

Slice the carrots evenly to ensure even cooking.
Use just enough water to cover carrots.
Boil until just soft, don't overcook.
To reheat, warm over low heat or in the oven for just a few minutes to warm carrots.
Swap out sugar and use Coconut Sugar or Turbinado Sugar.
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @Everyday_Eileen or tag #everydayeileen!

FAQs

How do you get the most flavor out of 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.

Can you reheat honey carrots? ›

I am happy to report that you can roast these carrots through ahead, store, and reheat. Here are my tips: they are best served fresh, but still really good reheated. cool and store for up to 24 hours (after that they aren't as good)

See Details ›

Can you reheat carrots in the microwave? ›

Yes, you can reheat vegetables, but be careful not to heat them too much. Reports say that heating vegetables such as spinach, carrots, turnips or celery can turn the high nitrates in them into toxins and cause you more harm than good.

Discover More ›

What makes carrots taste better? ›

If you're roasting your carrots, toss them in olive oil first. This will help keep the moisture in them. To bring out the sweetness in your carrots, season them with orange or lemon juice or a little brown sugar and butter. You can also add cardamom to make carrot deserts, like Indian carrot halwa.

View Details ›

What makes carrots taste good? ›

Carrots are a unique vegetable because they seem to have a taste which battles sweetness and harshness. The sweetness of carrots comes from the presence of multiple sugars such as glucose, fructose and sucrose.

Explore More ›

Does freezing carrots make them sweeter? ›

Loss of Water: Freezing can cause the vegetables to lose water content. This loss of water can lead to a more concentrated taste of the vegetable's natural sugars and flavors, making them taste sweeter when compared to their original state with higher water content.

Tell Me More ›

Does cold weather make carrots sweeter? ›

Carrots are at their sweetest in the cold-weather months because of that cold. Their built-in defense against freezing is to convert stored starches into sugars, giving them a sweeter taste. Some folks say carrots harvested after a frost are “candy carrots.” Winter carrots also are good for you.

Why do carrots get sweet when you cook them? ›

They way we chew soft, cooked carrots will cause different flavours to be released, according to food scientist Lindsey Bagley. Furthermore, she says, "chemically, there are more sugars in a raw carrot than in a boiled carrot", which will have leaked sweetness into the cooking.

Keep Reading ›

What goes well with glazed carrots? ›

Perfect alongside a roast, honey-roasted carrots are also delicious in a salad, served with fish or paired with a salty cheese such as haloumi or goat's cheese.

Find Out More ›

How many carrots per person? ›

How much veg is too much? Whether it's parsnips, sprouts, braised cabbage or carrots, 80g of each per person will do the trick.

Read The Full Story ›

Can you cook carrots and reheat the next day? ›

If you are planning a large meal, you can make these carrots a day before. Cook them, let the cool completely, and then put them in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat them, place them in a medium-heated oven just to heat them through.

View Details ›

Why are my cooked carrots sparking in the microwave? ›

Dense vegetables such as green beans, carrots, and green peppers have a higher amount of minerals in them than other food items. These minerals include iron, magnesium, and selenium. The minerals act like tiny pieces of metal and create arcing effects in a microwave.

Keep Reading ›

What vegetables should not be reheated? ›

Vegetables with high amounts of nitrate, like carrots, turnips, celery, or spinach, can turn toxic when reheated. Such reheated vegetables have carcinogenic properties.

Discover More ›

What food should not be reheated in microwave? ›

6 Foods You Shouldn't Reheat In The Microwave

Reheating Eggs.
Reheating Pasta.
Reheating Casseroles.
Reheating Pizza.
Reheating Fried Food.
Reheating Really Old Leftovers.

Feb 3, 2023

Keep Reading ›

Why do my carrots have no flavor? ›

There are a few possibilities for why your carrots aren't as sweet as they should be. You are right to think about your soil--a crop of carrots can deplete a soil of nutrients. Be sure to rotate crops in your garden, rather than planting carrots in the same place year after year.

What are the most flavorful carrots? ›

Favorite Flavorful Carrot Varieties

'Danvers' 'Purple Haze' In case you hadn't guessed, this hybrid carrot develops a purple exterior. ...
'Purple Haze' 'Cosmic Purple' ...
'Cosmic Purple' 'Dragon' ...
'Dragon' 'Scarlet Nantes' ...
'Scarlet Nantes' 'Paris Market'

Why are my carrots bland? ›

Carrots maturing under warm temperatures or high moisture conditions lack good root color. These carrots also have poor flavor and texture. Plant carrots so they mature under relatively cool temperatures that average less than 80 degrees F. Avoid excessive soil moisture.

Why do you soak carrots? ›

Instead of simply tossing carrots in the vegetable drawer, take a few minutes to cut off the greens and submerge the carrots in water. You'll be rewarded with carrots that stay crisp for weeks, not days.