A simple side dish that packs a lot of flavor, these Honey Cumin Roasted Carrots are sweet, savory, and incredibly delicious. They're simple enough to serve on a weeknight, yet beautiful enough to serve as a side dish for a holiday dinner.
These roasted carrots are sure to become a staple in your home with their irresistible blend of sweet and savory flavors (similar to this Rosemary Balsamic Roasted Root Veggies dish).
I was influenced to create this recipe by one of the restaurants I used to cook in. We had this glazed carrot side dish at one point on the menu, and I loved how the carrots were just so tender and enrobed in a sweet buttery sauce. However, that dish was made on the stovetop and was very fussy. I wanted something easy peasy to just throw in the oven, but one that was still like the glazed carrots I had come to crave.
For my rendition of them, the recipe roasts the carrots for hands-off cooking with honey and cumin. The cumin adds a really lovely savory component to the dish and helps round out the flavor (very similar to this Cumin Citrus Winter Slaw).
This side dish is elegant enough to serve at a holiday dinner (I think these are perfect for Easter) but also easy enough to serve on a weeknight (like with this amazing Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe).
So let's get to making it! You can jump around the article using the menu below, or you can head right to the bottom for the complete recipe.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The recipe card lists the full recipe with quantities (below this article).
- rainbow carrots (and of course regular orange carrots will work just fine too)
- butter (this adds a lot of flavor to the finished sauce)
- olive oil (this is used in conjunction with the butter so that the butter doesn't burn in the oven while the carrots roast)
- mild honey (you could also substitute maple syrup for this)
- kosher salt (this recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by half for volume)
- ground cumin + cumin seed (if you don't have cumin seed you can omit it, but using it adds a lot of flavor to the dish without needing to coat the carrots in ground cumin)
Prepping the Carrots
During my culinary training, I learned that utilizing all available techniques is crucial to elevate the final product. One of the often overlooked techniques is selecting the best cutting method. A particular cut not only affects the texture but also enhances the visual appeal of the dish. This is especially important for seemingly simple recipes like roasted carrots.
I recommend slicing the carrots on the bias (diagonally) to not only improve their roastability by increasing surface area (which I talk about in this Baked Parmesan Potato Wedges recipes) but also provide more texture for the sauce to adhere to. Additionally, it adds an element of sophistication compared to other cutting styles such as square dice or half rounds.
That being said, you don't need to cut the carrots this way. What truly matters is ensuring uniformity in size, so they cook at the same time.
A Magical Sauce
This roasted carrot recipe is pretty straightforward. You add all the ingredients to the baking dish, stir it together, and roast the carrots until they are tender.
The carrots exude liquid as they roast, which mixes together with the butter and honey to create its own sauce. It's really magical. However, in order for the sauce to coat the carrots properly, enough liquid has to evaporate out of the baking dish.
So when you are checking the carrots for doneness at the end of the 30-minute roasting period, you'll also want to check in on the sauce that surrounds the carrots. If there is too much liquid left, it won't stick to the carrots, so give it a few extra minutes if it it needs it to cook the liquid out.
Kelli's Best Tips
- Cut the carrots into similar sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Don't hesitate to use the full amount of oil and butter in the recipe. Sufficient fat is essential for ensuring the veggies roast evenly, retain moisture and promote a good Maillard-Hodge reaction, which enhances flavor development.
- Salt your carrots before roasting to ensure well-seasoned flavor throughout the cooking process, avoiding the risk of them turning out merely salty
- When checking the carrots for doneness after 30 minutes, also ensure the sauce isn't too liquidy; if needed, give it a few extra minutes to cook down for better adherence to the carrots.
Serving and Reheating Tips
This side dish is best served immediately after making. They won't need any additional garnish, as the finished dish has a "sauce" already on it.
If you have leftovers, they can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days and reheated in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through.
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PrintFull Recipe
Honey Cumin Roasted Carrots
- Prep Time: 00:05
- Cook Time: 00:30
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roast
Description
A simple side dish that packs a lot of flavors, these Honey Cumin Roasted Carrots are sweet, savory, and so delicious. They're simple enough to serve on a weeknight, yet beautiful enough to serve as a side dish for a holiday dinner.
Ingredients
- 1-½ pounds of rainbow carrots, sliced on the diagonal about 2” long
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mild honey
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, more to taste (see note)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cumin seed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 and set a rack in the middle.
- Add the carrots to an oven safe baking dish.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients to the dish and toss to coat. It’s okay if there are pieces of butter scattered throughout, as they will melt in the oven.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, stirring the carrots half way through, until the carrots are tender.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by half for volume.
Alyssa
Talk about a low effort, high reward dish! This was super easy to throw together and so tasty. Love the warmth from the cumin and sweetness from the honey and carrots. Served it with chicken and rice - perfect weeknight meal!
Kelli Avila
YAY!
Sally
This is a new fave at our house. Easy, colorful, and absolutely delicious!
Kelli Avila
Sally, I'm so happy you enjoyed them! -Kelli
Kacie
Simple and delicious. I'm not usually one for roasted carrots, but I love honey glazed ones and I love cumin so I had to try it. I look forward to making this again.
Heather
I love recipes that can up-level day-to-day vegetables like carrots to something extra special. These flavors are perfect together.
Kelli Avila
Yay! So glad you loved it! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience! -Kelli
Jill
I never thought to put cumin and carrots together but it is so delicious! Definitely recommend this one!