A springtime favorite, seasoned with the perfect amount of warming spices, and just enough honey to enhance their sweetness, this baby carrot recipe is a lovely side dish for any occasion.
How pretty would these Cardamom Honey Roasted Baby Carrots be in the center of your Easter or Passover table? Or simply the dinner table! 😉
Very pretty, and even more delicious.
Baby carrot recipes are always especially popular during the spring. Usually the smaller the carrots, the sweeter their flavor, and when you roast them, their deliciousness doubles (or triples!).
With just a few simple ingredients, from start to finish, this recipe takes about forty minutes, with only about ten minutes of active work time.
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The Key Ingredients
- baby carrots - Choose baby carrots that are bright orange and smooth, without cracks in them. Buying carrots in bunches with the greens attached is always best. The greens will help you tell if they're old or not -- as they age, they'll turn yellow and dry out, which means the carrots will be less flavorful. During the spring you should be able to find baby carrots in most grocery stores and your local farmers market.
- ground cardamom - This adds a delicious citrusy earthy flavor.
How to Make Them
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
- Peel the carrots, and place them on a sheet pan. If they're dirty around the stem, use a damp paper towel to clean that area.
- In a small bowl mix the honey with the oil, cardamom and salt.
- Use a pastry brush (or a spoon), to thinly coat the carrots with the glaze. You will have some leftover, which will be used for basting.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated 400°F oven and roast the carrots -- basting them every 8 minutes or so, until they are very tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. (Cooking times might vary, depending on the size of the carrots.)
- Remove them from the oven and baste a final time so they'll be shiny for a pretty presentation. Serve!
Substitutions and Variations
- Cardamom is always a great match for carrots and honey, but if you prefer you can try cinnamon, which would also be fantastic. A mix of the two would also be lovely.
- If you'd like to make this recipe with larger carrots, peel them and then slice them into rounds or longer pieces by cutting them diagonally. Then proceed with the instructions for the baby carrots.
Recipe Tips
- Please do not confuse the baby carrots I'm using with those that come pre-peeled in a bag. (Those are actually "baby cuts," which have been cut form large carrots.) The carrots here are fresh, smaller-than-typical carrots.
- Sometimes when peeling carrots, we don't necessarily have to wash them, but if you're leaving a bit of the stem, you should at least wash that portion.
- While you don't have to leave part of the stems on, it adds color and makes for a really pretty presentation.
- If your honey is very thick, you should heat it a bit to thin it.
- Basting the carrots is easiest with a small basting brush . If you don't have one, you can drizzle the honey mixture over them with a teaspoon.
Serving Suggestions
I really like these glazed baby carrots with this Cilantro Coconut Rice. And with that, a delicious light protein is perfect, like Baked Lemon Rockfish Fillets or Pan Seared Sea Bass.
And to keep the meal vegetarian, I love the carrots with Whole Roasted Citrus Cauliflower, Spinach and Ricotta Rolls, or Quinoa Patties.
They're also a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish!
Making Them Ahead
- Though they'll be delicious for a few days, roasted baby carrots are best the day, or day after they're made. Reheat them only long enough to heat them through.
- Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Other Must-Try Carrot Recipes: Sweet and Savory
I hope you love this baby carrot recipe as much as my family and I do!
Cardamom Roasted Baby Carrot Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby carrots, greens removed (except for about an inch)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
- Prepare the carrots. Peel the carrots, and place them on a sheet pan. If they're dirty around the stem, use a damp paper towel to clean that area.
- Make the glaze. In a small bowl mix the honey with the oil, cardamom and salt.
- Glaze the carrots. Use a pastry brush (or a spoon), to thinly coat the carrots with the glaze. You will have some leftover, which will be used for basting.
- Roast and serve. Place the baking sheet in the preheated 400°F oven and roast the carrots -- basting them every 8 minutes or so, until they are very tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. (Cooking times might vary, depending on the size of the carrots.) Remove them from the oven and baste a final time so they'll be shiny for a pretty presentation. Serve!
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Marissa
You had me at cardamom, Valentina! It's one of my favorite spices and so rare in recipes. And the caramelized carrots and touch of honey have my mouth watering.
valentina
Thanks, Marissa. Cardamom is one of my favorites too. Love it in both sweet and savory things. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha
For some reason baby carrots with all the beautiful greenery still attached are called Dutch carrots in Australia and are available at every supermarket methinks all year. More expensive naturally but lovely to buy and use on occasion. Yes, have almost always prepared them with honey . . . must remember to reach for cardamom the next time around . . . 1
valentina
Hi Eha, I think Dutch carrots sounds more intriguing than "baby." I'm going to go with that. So nice you can get them year round. Thanks!:-) ~Valentina
Chef Mimi
Beautiful carrots. Love the seasoning. The photos just scream spring to me!
valentina
Thanks, Mimi. Yay for spring! 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
Such a delicious side dish! Love the pairing with cardamom and honey. I bet they taste as good as they look!
Frank Fariello
Don't these look delicious! I quite like the taste of cardamom but am always at a loss to know how to use them in recipes. Will definitely give this a try!
valentina
Thanks, Frank! Hope you try and love them. I love cardamom in both sweet and savory recipes, and this one is sort of a combination of both. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
Hmmm. I thought I had left a comment saying how much I love this recipe and how I planned to try it. My message (I blame my computer) didn't seem to get through BUT I did make the carrots to go with a grilled leg of lamb Friday evening and they were PERFECT! I used fresh carrots from the farmers market - they could not have been better. Thanks, Valentina!
valentina
Thank you, David! It means a lot to me that your try some of my recipes and I'm so happy this one was a hit. Sounds perfect with a leg of lamb. I must make that combination soon. 🙂 ~Valentina
christina
Delicious! Just the perfect combination of flavors! Thanks, Valentina!
valentina
Thank you and enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Blackbird
I found this because I was looking for a way to use cardomon on my carrots, this was outstanding. I added a touch of nutmeg, too, and they turned out excellent!
valentina
Hi there! Thanks for writing in. I'm so happy you loved this recipe. Cardamom is one of my favorite spices in both sweet and savory recipes, so I work it in where I can. The touch of nutmeg is perfect with the other flavors. Great idea. 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
Where I live, we use the term "baby carrots" for those little carrot nuggets that have been - so I understand - ground down from regular carrots. I don't care for them. The kind of carrots you've used ... I'm not sure what they're called locally, but I always snatch them up whenever I can find them. They're so delicious!
Valentina
Thanks, Jeff, good to snatch them up when you can. I do too! 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
Carrots and cardamom? You got me intrigued Valentina..... Love it!
Valentina
I hope you love it, Davorka! 🙂 ~Valentina