This is the best roasted carrots recipe and makes the perfect amount if you're cooking for one. Two carrots seasoned simply with olive oil, honey, a touch of salt, and a pinch of pepper then roasted to perfection and tossed with melted butter. The perfect side dish to any meal.
When you're cooking for one, you might not consider making a side dish to go along with your meal. Side dishes often remain in the shadows leaving the main dish to steal the spotlight. But truly, side dish recipes such as these easy oven roasted carrots can absolutely make the meal. In fact, these wonderful carrots will go with just about any main dish.
Why This Recipe Works
- Roasted carrots are super simple to make and when roasted, their flavor is incredible. In fact, once you taste these buttery roasted carrots, you might never make them any other way.
- There's something magical that happens when you roast vegetables. They brown and caramelize and the flavors really come alive. Roasted carrots are not the mushy carrots of your childhood. They're tender, yet firm and will absolutely rival the main dish.
- Roasting vegetables is mostly a hands off process too. Just season, roast, and enjoy.
RELATED: Comfort Food Recipes For One
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Carrots: Use 2 large carrots.
- Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil in this roasted carrots recipe as well as in every other recipe on One Dish Kitchen that calls for olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It's my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use a lighter olive oil instead.
- Honey: Just 1 tablespoon of honey adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Salt and black pepper: For flavor.
- Butter: It's delicious to toss the carrots with just ½ tablespoon of melted salted butter before roasting.
How To Make This Recipe
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Prep: Peel the carrots and slice them on the diagonal into approximately 2-inch lengths
- Season: Place the carrots in a bowl and toss with olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and butter.
- Roast: Roast the carrots as per the recipe below for 20 minutes.
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Expert Tips
- To ensure even cooking, cut the carrots to roughly the same size.
- To achieve beautiful browning and crisp, roasted perfection, vegetables need to be arranged in a single layer on the pan.
- Roast the carrots at 400 F. The high temperature allows the vegetables to be perfectly crisp on the outsides and cooked on the insides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carrots are not just a tasty addition to soups, stews, and other recipes, they are actually very good for you.
One large carrot has about 30 calories and is high in soluble fiber and is rich in antioxidants. The nutrients in carrots can improve the health of your eyes, skin, hair, and nails.
Carrots contain beta-carotene which is converted to Vitamin A in your body. Vitamin A promotes eye health and also helps to reduce your risk for cancer.
In addition, carrots contain potassium which aids in controlling blood pressure, and the Vitamin C found in carrots boosts your immune system.
I prefer to peel my carrots before roasting but it is not required. If you choose not to peel, scrub them with a vegetable brush to make sure you get rid of any dirt or debris before roasting.
Yes! This recipe works the same with baby carrots however they may need less cooking time. Some brands of baby carrots are small so start checking your roasted carrots after about 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
You might like to serve oven roasted carrots with any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Serve these roasted carrots with all the fixings that go on a Thanksgiving table. Here are a few of our popular single serving traditional holiday side dishes:
Make a complete meal by serving it with one of our easy turkey recipes:
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this easy roasted carrots recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Carrots: BBQ Chicken Legs and Carrots, Beef Stew, Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, Curried Carrot Soup
- Honey: Honey Lemon Custard, Baked Chicken Wings, Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken, Peanut Butter Balls
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Meatless Meals
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried these roasted carrots or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Recipe
Roasted Carrots For One
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots , tops removed, peeled and sliced cut on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths (if thick, slice in half again lengthwise).
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon salted butter , melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread cut carrots on a foil lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Pour over carrots and using your hands, toss to coat.
- Bake until tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place carrots in a medium sized bowl. Toss with melted butter and serve immediately.
Notes
- To ensure even cooking, cut the carrots to roughly the same size.
- To achieve beautiful browning and crisp, roasted perfection, vegetables need to be arranged in a single layer on the pan.
- Roast the carrots at 400 F. The high temperature allows the vegetables to be perfectly crisp on the outsides and cooked on the insides.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Lisa Furman says
I've made these several times. Not the mushy boiled carrots of my childhood! We just had them with your scalloped potatoes and ham steak.
James says
Roasting the carrot brings out their sweetness. The honey is a nice compliment.
Kitty Byrne says
Hi, Joanie! I'm delighted to have found your website.
I have 2 questions on this recipe. 1) Do you have to peel the carrots? I usually leave the skins on my veggies, if they're edible - unless they would interfere with the recipe. (Think, classic potato salad.)
2) Could you make this recipe using baby carrots?
Thanks for your answer, & many thanks for your website!
BTW, I found your website in my Google news feed.
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Kitty,
I like to peel the carrots but you certainly don't have to. Just wash and scrub them well.
And yes, you can definitely use baby carrots.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Margaret Hoyle says
I came across this recipe for roasted carrots this afternoon, decided to make them as a side dish to go with my evening meal, prepared exactly as the recipe. 20 minutes later they were done, looked delicious, thought i should try one...oh yummy.
Im sorry to add that the side dish of roasted carrots planned with tonights dinner, will not appear. I had to taste one just to see and somehow one wasnt enough. I more or less had a roasted carrot appetizer with my planned dinner.
Many thanks for this recipe, a keeper simple and easy.
I may try this recipe with a small amount of mushrooms i bought yesterday.
BTW i used my toaster oven @ 400 deg. 20 minutes exactly.