Orange Glazed Carrots

Glazed with maple, orange juice, and garlic, these Glazed Carrots make a simple side dish that elevates the natural flavors of carrots perfectly.

Even picky eaters get excited about these carrots! They are sweet, tangy, and downright delicious. Perfect to serve alongside Baked Ham or Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin, for a delicious family meal.

Why Everyone Loves These

My kids are all about raw carrots.

But when it comes to cooked carrots, that is a whole other story. They always turn their nose up and beg me to swamp out their cooked carrots for raw carrots. There are worse battles to fight in life!

However, if I prepare glazed carrots, they never complain!

I grew up eating brown sugar-glazed carrots, but now I make my glazed carrots with maple syrup and orange juice for a more sophisticated taste--not to mention a bit healthier.

Carrots are boiled to achieve a tender bite, and then pan-roasted in a glaze made from maple syrup, orange juice, and garlic, which perfectly coats and caramelizes the carrots. The natural sweetness of carrots is emphasized with a sweet maple orange glaze and the fresh minced garlic cuts through the sweetness to balance this easy side dish recipe.

Trust me if my kids are willing to eat these carrots, they deserve a place on your dinner table.

Notes on Ingredients

• Carrots: Use peeled carrots that have been cut into 1-inch chunks, or baby carrots to cut down on prep time.
• Maple Syrup: I love the earthiness and sweetness of maple syrup, but honey can of course be used in its place. Be sure to use pure maple syrup for these glazed carrots. If not, the taste will be artificial and overly sweet.
• Orange Juice: The acidity of the orange juice brings such a bright, refreshing flavor to the glaze on the carrots. It is my secret to really great glazed carrots.
• Minced Garlic: A little bit of fresh garlic helps to cut the sweetness of this dish, but you can certainly leave it out for a sweet version of glazed carrots.
• Butter: If I am feeling really decadent, I add in a tablespoon of butter to round out the flavor of the carrots, but you can easily leave out the butter if you are dairy-free or vegan.

How To Make Glazed Carrots

This easy side dish comes together in about 20 minutes and in just 2 simple steps.

The first step is to parboil the carrots so that they are tender and easy to bite through. Just be sure you only simmer the carrots until they are JUST fork tender, so they hold their shape when glazed.

Next comes the magic--the simple orange glaze. It is as easy as adding the ingredients of the glaze to the cooked carrots and simmering until the carrots are coated in a rich maple glaze. This only takes a few minutes.

Then your carrots are ready to plate up and serve. I added parsley for color, but my kids prefer the carrots without the green specks! 😉

Recipe Tips

• Baby carrots will work in place of the diced carrots if desired.
• Feel free to omit the garlic from the glaze if you don't care for garlic or are looking for a simply sweeter recipe.
• Glazed Carrots can be prepared up to 2 hours before serving and taste delicious at room temperature as well as warm.
• If you don't have fresh oranges, feel free to use orange juice in a pinch.
• Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing the carrots once glazed.

More Easy Vegetable Side Dishes

• Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Green Beans Almondine
• Zucchini and Squash Saute
• Carrot Raisin Salad

If you enjoyed this simple recipe for Glazed Carrots, I would love for you to leave a comment and review.