Maple Glazed Carrots (2024)

This recipe is excerpted from my cookbook, Maple. I originally shared it here on the blog on October 20th, 2015. This post contains affiliate links.

These maple Glazed Carrots are so classic and yummy! I love the buttery sweet maple glaze and tender cooked carrots. I love them with roasted chicken or as a simple kid-friendly side dish for a Sunday supper or weeknight meal. And it almost goes without saying that they make a great side dish for your Thanksgiving turkey or holiday dinner!

Ingredient notes

Carrots

First start by peeling the carrots. I like this vegetable peeler because it is sharp and easy to hold and they’re really inexpensive. As I explained in my post about how to make chicken stock, carrot peels are bitter, so removing them will help the flavor of the glaze be sweeter.

Cut the carrots into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cutting them uniformly will help them soften and cook at the same rate.

For a simple shortcut, you can also use Baby Carrots if you want to skip the step of peeling and cutting the carrots. Adjust your cook time accordingly and make sure they are fork tender. Also check out our Cooked Baby Carrots with Garlic Butter for another way to prepare them.

Maple Syrup

My husband and I have a small batch maple syrup business, and we sell our Vermont maple syrup here. If you’re not familiar with how maple syrup is made, you can read more about it over on our website for Little Hill Sugarworks. Our maple syrup is different that what you can buy at the grocery store or Whole Foods because it comes from a single source. Like wine, maple syrup has terrior, and you can only taste that when you buy it from a single source sugarmaker. We appreciate your support!

No matter where you get your syrup, I recommend that you buy Grade A Dark Robust maple syrup for cooking because it has the strongest maple flavor.

Shallot

Shallots are a great way to add savory nuance to the flavor of this glazed carrot recipe and helps to balance the sweetness of the maple syrup. That way this doesn’t taste like dessert! Shallots can be described as a marriage of an onion and garlic.

1. Shallots often come with two lobes attached, you’ll only need one lobe of the shallot for this recipe. Break them apart. You can save the other half for the dressing in this wild rice salad.
2. Remove the stem end and most of the root end.
3. Then cut the shallot in half. That makes it very easy to remove the skin.
4. Next, lay the shallot cut-side down on the cutting board, and mince it in the same way you would dice an onion, but on a much smaller scale.

Apple Cider Vinegar

I know maple and vinegar sound like a strange combination, but the tangy vinegar is a must in this glazed carrots recipe. If you leave it out, your carrots will be far too sweet. I even add vinegar to my maple turkey chili and my apple cake too! I used apple cider vinegar in this recipe, but white vinegar or red wine vinegar would work in a pinch too!

How to Make Maple Glazed Carrots

Step 1: Sauté the Shallot in Butter

Start by melting one tablespoon of unsalted butter in a skillet or sauté pan. Add the minced shallot and stir it in the butter for a minute or two just to soften it and let it start to brown a little bit in the butter.

Step 2: Add Liquid, Maple and Add Carrots

To stop the shallots from browning too much, add in water (this will add moisture to cook the carrots through before the glaze can be thickened) 1/4 cup maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.

Bring that mixture up to a simmer to dissolve the salt.Then add the carrots in at this point.

Step 3: Cook the Carrots in the Maple Syrup Mixture

Continue cooking for just a few minutes. You want the carrots to soften up so keep the lid on to let them steam in the syrup mixture. Test to see if they are tender with a fork. You want the fork to go in, but not slide out easily because the carrots will continue cooking in the next step.

Step 4: Add Vinegar and Reduce the Glaze

Next add in apple cider vinegar. Remove the lid at this point because now your goal is to let the moisture evaporate and to let the syrup glaze thicken and coat the carrots. This takes about 5 minutes and the carrots will need to be stirred regularly so they soften up completely and evenly.

How to store cooked carrots

Transfer the cooked carrots to a re-sealable container and let cool before sealing shut. Keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

Can I substitute the maple syrup?

Yes you can use either light or dark brown sugar or honey instead to sweeten this recipe.

What To Serve With Maple Glazed Carrots

1. These Maple Glazed Carrots go great with Thanksgiving Dinner, so you will have to add that to your plan for Thanksgiving this year for sure.
2. I also like to make them to go with Crispy Skin Chicken, which we have several times a month. It is one of my family’s favorite dinners, and I love how hands-off it is to make.
3. If you want to make the flavors of Thanksgiving, but you want less of a commitment, you can make this Chicken and Leek Shepherd’s pie. And I would even make my mom’s 10 minute cranberry relish to go with it.
4. For a basic Sunday supper you can make my baked Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and serve these Maple Glazed Carrots on the side, and you will have a clean plate club meal. I guarantee it!

More Carrot Side Dishes