This Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots dish features oven roasted carrots covered in a delicious thyme infused buttery brown sugar sauce that caramelizes in the oven for a sweet and savory side dish! 

Do you need to spruce up the side dishes you serve at the dinner table? If so, these brown sugar roasted carrots with thyme would be a great place to start! You’ll also love my Honey Butter Skillet Corn and my Oven Roasted Broccoli!

Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots with thyme on a tan parchment paper.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Brings out carrots’ natural sweetness. Did you know that carrots are naturally sweet? That’s right! That’s why pairing carrots with a sweet glaze is a great flavor combination because it complements the natural sugars so well. The roasting process also helps bring out some of the natural sweetness of the carrots, too.
  • Great caramelization. When roasting the carrots with the brown sugar and butter, a delicious caramelization develops on the carrots! 
  • Easy recipe. This is a delicious side dish to make for any meal! Whether it’s a special holiday meal or for those busy weeknights, this carrot recipe is the perfect side dish because it’s super easy and ultra tasty! 

Ingredient Notes

Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots ingredients on a baking sheet.
  • Raw Carrots: You can keep the tops on or cut them off. As you can see in the photo, I kept the small stem stubs on. You can also use regular carrots or baby carrots, but the cooking time will be much less. 
  • Unsalted Butter: You can use unsalted or salted butter. If you want a healthier option, you can do part butter part olive oil. 
  • Fresh Thyme: I used a little over 1 tsp, 1 1/2 teaspoon to be exact. However, you could use 2 teaspoons to get a more powerful thyme flavored dish.
  • Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar for these brown sugar baked carrots. You won’t get that much of a difference. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Make the sauce. Combine the melted butter, thyme, garlic powder, brown sugar, and salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir. 
  2. Place the carrots on a baking sheet. Place the peeled carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
Two photos: left has a Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots butter and thyme mixture in a bowl, right has peeled long carrots on a baking sheet.
  1. Drizzle with sauce. Drizzle the buttery sauce on top of the carrots and toss with your hands. 
  2. Bake. Bake at425°F for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender. 
Two photos showing how to make Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots: left a spoon is drizzling a butter brown sugar mixture over carrots, right shows the mixture on all the carrots.
Brown sugar roasted carrots on a baking sheet.

Recipe Tips

When tossing the carrots in the brown sugar mixture, make sure to get each carrot fully coated. 

Bake time will vary depending on the thickness of your carrots.

I suggest you use fresh thyme in this recipe, however you can substitute the fresh thyme for dried thyme.

If you want a different flavor profile, you can swap out the thyme for a hint of cinnamon. 

For a healthier take on these brown sugar carrots, swap out the brown sugar for maple syrup. You can also do part butter part olive oil. 

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

You can peel and prepare the carrots ahead of time and make the butter mixture ahead of time. Once ready to use, microwave the butter to return to a melted state.

Store leftover brown sugar roasted carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave. 

A white rectangular plate with peeled long Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots garnished with fresh thyme.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with roasted carrots?

A few recipes that would make great main dishes alongside this carrots recipe are my Copycat Wingers Sticky Fingers, Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe, Dijon Mustard Chicken, Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks, and Skillet Lasagna

Can I use baby carrots?

Yes you can! The cook time will be much shorter though. I would check the carrots between 10 and 15 minutes. 

Are brown sugar carrots healthy?

The carrots are healthy, yes, but these are brown sugar carrots! So there is sugar in it. If you are wanting a healthier option, use maple syrup instead and sweeten to your liking. You can also use olive oil instead of butter. 

Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots topped with fresh thyme on a white plate.

More Vegetable Sides

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A close up photo of Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots on a tan parchment paper.
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5 from 2 votes

Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots

A buttery, brown sugar, thyme infused sauce covers healthy carrots, making for a…. healthy-ish side dish!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 12-15 carrots - peeled
  • 3 tablespoons butter - melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt - reduce to 3/4 tsp if using salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar - packed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F. 
  • Place the carrots on a baking sheet. (Use parchment for easy clean up). 
  • In a small bowl combine the butter, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper and brown sugar. Stir to combine. 
  • Pour the buttery mixture over the carrots. Using your hands, toss the carrots in the mixture, making sure to get each carrot coated in the mixture. 
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender. 
  •  Bake time will vary depending on the thickness of your carts. 

Notes

Store leftover brown sugar roasted carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave. 
If using baby carrots, bake time will be about half.
Recipe adapted from Chef-in-Training

Nutrition

Calories: 176kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 24g (8%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 5g (25%)Cholesterol: 23mg (8%)Sodium: 785mg (33%)Potassium: 595mg (17%)Fiber: 5g (20%)Sugar: 15g (17%)Vitamin A: 30870IU (617%)Vitamin C: 12mg (15%)Calcium: 71mg (7%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
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