Name: Liz's Candied Carrots
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups carrots (peeled and cut into 1-inch slices); 2 cups water; 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed); 1/2 cup butter; 1 teaspoon salt; 6 sprigs fresh rosemary (plus more for garnish)

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Liz’s Candied Carrots are perfect for holiday meals! They’re an amazing combination of butter, brown sugar & rosemary that’s so easy to make!

Nothing is more perfect during the holidays than a side dish like Liz’s Candied Carrots. They are ready in 30 minutes and go with any main dish you serve! Whether it’s turkey, ham, or a vegetarian centerpiece, these carrots, simmered with butter, brown sugar, and fresh rosemary, will be everyone’s favorite!

Liz's candied carrots in a skillet with a wooden spoon with recipe name at the bottom

Simple Perfection

We love having everyone over for a big dinner to celebrate and enjoy time together and juggling everyone’s likes and dislikes when it comes to food used to be a little overwhelming until I figured out that I just needed to keep things simple! Liz’s Candied Carrots recipe is perfect for serving a crowd, and the combination of butter, rosemary, and brown sugar is an absolute hit with everyone. I also love that I can make this on the stovetop in about 30 minutes without any fuss, so I can focus on all of the other dishes I’m making!

Go big with the flavor of Easy Balsamic Glazed Carrots or check out fun to make Oven Fried Carrots, and show the family just how tasty and versatile carrots can be!

Other Recipes to Serve with Liz’s Candied Carrots

Holiday snacking is a time-honored tradition, especially when there’s a sweet Cranberry Orange Dessert Dip to enjoy!
After you’ve collected all of those beautiful apples from the orchard, make delicious Homemade Apple Cider to really get the family in the holiday mood.

Ingredients

Carrots: To make this dish you can choose to use either large, peeled carrots, sliced into 1-inch pieces, or baby carrots that can be tossed into a saucepan.

Sugar: Use brown sugar in this recipe to bring out more of the natural sweetness.

Butter: You will need your favorite butter to make this dish. If you are watching the salt level in your food, you can use unsalted butter or omit the salt if you use salted butter.

Herbs: Pick up fresh rosemary in the produce section of the grocery store.

Salt: A little salt will be used in this recipe.

Water: You will need water to simmer the carrots in.

How to Make Liz’s Candied Carrots

STEP ONE: Combine the water, carrots, butter, brown sugar, salt, and rosemary in a saucepan on the stovetop.

sliced carrots, water, brown sugar, butter, salt, and rosemary sprigs in a large skillet

STEP TWO: Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer the carrots for 30 minutes or until tender.

carrots with brown sugar sauce in a skillet after coming to a boil

STEP THREE: Carefully pour the carrots and liquid into a bowl and serve.

Liz's candied carrots in a large skillet after simmering to reduce the sauce to a glaze

Tips for Success

You can choose between cutting large carrots into nice diagonal slices or using baby carrots, whichever you prefer and have time for.
If you’re doing a lot of holiday cooking, you can make things even easier by making this dish up to two days ahead and storing it in an airtight fridge. Reheat the carrots in a saucepan until warmed through, and serve. Leftovers will be kept for up to four days.
All out of brown sugar? Substitute honey, maple syrup, or your favorite sweetener to make these candied carrots.

close up of Liz's candied carrots in a skillet with chopped rosemary

Why is eating cooked carrots healthier than eating raw carrots?

You’ve heard that old saying about how eating carrots helps your eyesight? Well, it’s true! Carrots are more likely to help with your eyesight if they’re cooked. However, cooking carrots releases the beta carotene in them, which helps people’s eyes. Almost ten times more beta carotene is found in cooked carrots versus raw carrots. Both ways of eating carrots are still good for you, and there are way more nutrients beyond carrots that help with eyes and overall health, so enjoy your carrots however you eat them!

close up of a spoonful of Liz's candied carrots over the skillet

What other seasonings can be added to candied carrots?

Cooked carrots are actually very versatile, so there are many seasonings that would be great additions to this recipe. Play up the sweeter notes of the carrots and add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves. Parsley, sage, and garlic are wonderful for a more savory dish, and if you like your sweet with a hint of spicy, adding a little cayenne pepper is the way to go! Try out your favorite seasoning combinations and find which one you love the most!

forkful of Liz's candied carrots over a plate

More Delicious Sides for Great Holiday Meals

*This post was originally posted on 03/28/2013.