Instant Pot Glazed Carrots

Infused with citrus and glazed with honey, Instant Pot Carrots are a kid-friendly side dish that comes together quickly. 

If you love buttery, sweet glazed carrots, you are going to love this Instant Pot version! Instant Pot Glazed Carrots come together so much faster than the stovetop version, and the flavor is spot on!

And what sets THIS recipe for Instant Pot Carrots above the rest is that the carrots cook in pineapple juice rather than just water. The carrots absorb the natural sweetness of the pineapple juice, adding incredible flavor to the carrots. It also cuts back on the amount of brown sugar and honey needed to glaze the carrots, making these a tad bit healthier.

If you have been following my instant pot recipes, you know I love using juices as the cooking liquid in instant pot recipes. From Instant Pot Chicken Breast to Instant Pot Pulled Pork, to these carrots, cooking in juice adds incredible flavor to recipes.

Adding a bit of soy sauce helps to give the carrots a bit of umami flavor and balances out the sweetness better than simply adding salt.

Bottom line, these Instant Pot Glazed Carrots are an easy, delicious recipe! They make a fabulous side dish for meals like Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin or a holiday side dish when paired with Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham.

Notes On Ingredients

• Carrots: This recipe works for either baby carrots or carrots cut into 1to 1.5-inch chunks.
• Pineapple Juice: To add natural sweetness and flavor to the carrots as they pressure cook, I love using a bit of 100% pineapple juice, The pineapple juice helps to add flavor and sweetness to the carrots. I typically use a 6-ounce can of pineapple juice or juice from canned pineapple.
• Soy Sauce: Instead of using salt to season the carrots, I love adding a bit of soy sauce. It helps to add a savory notes and balance out the sweetness in the carrots.
• Sweeteners: Using both brown sugar and honey to sweeten helps to give the carrots the absolute best flavor.
• Cornstarch: To thicken the cooking liquid to create a glaze for the carrots, I use a mixture of cornstarch and water, otherwise known as a cornstarch slurry, after pressure cooking the carrots.

See recipe modifications below to see how to make these glazed carrots, dairy-free, soy-free and/or without pineapple juice.

How To Make Instant Pot Carrots

The process for pressure cooking carrots is incredibly simple. The most time-consuming part is thickening the glaze, but even that is simple!

• Mix the pineapple juice water, soy sauce, and brown sugar together in the inner pot.
• Add the carrots and toss to coat.

• Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is pointed to sealed. Set to cook on high pressure for 2 minutes.
• Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, you want to do a quick release of any remaining pressure by using a long utenstil and knocking the venting knob from sealed to venting. This will stop the cooking process, ensuring the carrots still have a bit of bite to them.

• Using a slotted spoon, remove the carrots from the inner pot so that you can thicken the glaze.
• Turn Instant Pot to saute and let the cooking liquid come to a boil.
• While the liquid is heating, prepare the cornstarch slurry by whisking cornstarch into water until fully dissolved.
• Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the inner pot, and whisk until thickened. This should only take a few minutes.
• Add in the honey and butter, and whisk until the butter has melted and the honey is fully incorporated into the sauce.

• Add the carrots back into the sauce and gently toss to coat evenly with glaze.
• Remove the carrots from the inner pot and serve immediately for best results.

Recipe Modifications

While this recipe for Instant Pot Carrots is delicious, I have tested the recipe with fabulous results to suit various different dietary preferences.

• Soy-Free: Replace the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
• Dairy-Free: Use your favorite nondairy butter in place of the traditional butter.
• Orange Glazed Carrots: For a unique, bright citrus flavor, swap out the pineapple juice for pulp-free orange juice. Absolutely delicious!
• Instant Pot Carrots without Juice: If you don't have pineapple juice or orange juice on hand, I would simply pressure cook the carrots in water. To account for the sweetness of the juice, I would suggest increasing the brown sugar to ¼ cup.

More Delicious Recipes for Instant Pot Vegetables

• Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
• Instant Pot Green Beans
• Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash

If you tried these Instant Pot Carrots, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

Instant Pot Glazed Carrots

Infused with citrus and glazed with honey, Instant Pot Glazed Carrots are a kid-friendly side dish that comes together quickly. 

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Pressure Build-Up and Release: 10 minutes

Total Time: 17 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 103kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds carrots peeled and cut into 1-1.5 inch chunks,
• ▢ ½ cup 100% pineapple juice see note
• ▢ ¾ cup water plus additional for cornstarch slurry
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce see note
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter

Cook ModePrevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

Instructions

• Pour the juice and ¾ cup of water into the inner pot. Add in the brown sugar, soy sauce, and carrots and toss to coat.
• Place the lid on the pressure cooker and be sure the vent knob is pointed to sealed.
• Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes by hitting manual or pressure cook and use the +/- buttons to adjust until it reads "2".
• Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, and then release the remaining pressure by using a long utensil to knock the venting knob from sealed to venting.
• Remove the carrots to a serving bowl from Instant Pot using a slotted spoon.
• Turn Instant Pot to saute. You need to hit cancel and then saute. And allow the cooking liquid to come to a boil.
• In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons of water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the simmering liquid in the instant pot. Allow to cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened. Turn off the saute function by hitting cancel, and then whisk in the honey and butter until the butter is melted.
• Add the carrots back the instant pot and toss to coat with glaze.
• Sere as desired.

Equipment Needed

• Electric Pressure Cooker (6 or 8 quart)

Notes

Soy-Free: Replace the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Sweeter Carrots: Use up to ¼ cup of brown sugar for really sweet carrots. 

Dairy-Free: Use your favorite nondairy butter in place of butter.

Orange Glazed Carrots: For a unique, bright citrus flavor, swap out the pineapple juice for pulp-free orange juice. Absolutely delicious!

Instant Pot Carrots without Juice: If you don't have pineapple juice or orange juice on hand, I would simply pressure cook the carrots in water. To account for the sweetness of the juice, I would suggest increasing the brown sugar to ¼ cup.

Storage: Allow the carrots to cool and store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 103kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 405mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 19063IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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