These roasted carrots with honey and thyme is a delicious and wholesome side dish you can enjoy all year round.
The combinations of savory roasted flavors, lemon and thyme goes perfectly with the sweetness of honey, making these carrots sexier than ever before.
Want some more sexy vegetable side dishes? Then, make sure to check out my spicy roasted cauliflower or my roasted garlic and parmesan Brussels sprouts. I’m sure, you’re gonna love them!
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About this Recipe
Carrots are one of my favorite vegetables since they are so versatile. They fit perfectly into soups, stews, salads and even stir fries. But rarely do they take the starring role. So, it’s time to let them shine and be the star of the show – or dish.
This recipe is all about carrots and with a few tweaks we’ll get the most out of their savory yet sweet flavor. But to achieve that, we need a marinade that reflexes this sweet and savory flavor profile.
Therefore, we start with a bit of vegetable oil, like avocado or olive oil. To that we add some coarsely cracked salt and pepper, some fresh (or dried) thyme and a little bit of lemon zest and juice.
On the other hand, we also add some honey to enhance the natural sweetness of carrots. And if you want, you can also add some garlic since garlic is always a great idea.
Ingredients
To sum things up, here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card further down. Feel free to adjust the servings to your needs and let the recipe card recalculate the exact amount of each ingredient.
Ingredient Substitutions
I like to buy a bunch of carrots with greens for this recipe. That way I can leave a little green on my carrots to add a nice color contrast to the dish and make this recipe more visual appealing. But feel free to buy regular carrots or a mix of purple, orange and yellow carrots.
Instead of fresh thyme you can use some dried thyme. The same is true for the garlic. You’re welcome to use a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder or a teaspoon of dried, minced garlic instead of fresh garlic. But if garlic is not your cup of tea, feel free to omit it.
How to Make this Recipe
Alright, this recipe is very easy to make, even kids can do it. But before you start, make sure to preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F.
Then grab your carrots and cut of the greens. Make sure to leave an inch or two of the green stalks on the carrots as they add a nice colorful contrast to the finished dish.
Depending on how dirty your carrots are or whether you bought organic or non-organic carrots, you can either rinse them thoroughly or peel of the skin.
Then cut them in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on their thickness. For thin carrots, cutting them in half is perfect, thicker ones should be quarter. Then put them on a baking tray.
To the carrots, add the oil and season them generously with salt and pepper. Next, zest about half of your lemon and add the zest as well as the juice of half a lemon to the carrots.
Now, finely mince your garlic and pluck the leaves from your thyme stem and add both to the baking tray as well. Finally, add the honey and give it a good toss.
Then make sure all the carrots are lying next to each other and not on top of each other and then pop them in the oven at 200°C or 400°F for about 25 minutes.
How to Serve this Recipe
These honey and thyme roasted carrots are a delicious side dish for both festive occasions as well as your regular weeknight dinner. Their hearty, sweet flavor goes perfect with meat, game or fish as well as vegetarian dishes like tofu, halloumi, feta, lentils or beans.
If you like to serve them with a dip or sauce, I recommend some hummus, a tahini sauce or this cream vegan queso made with cashews.
If you’d like to add some more texture and flavors, you can sprinkle some crumbled feta cheese and dried cranberries on top. But keep in mind, by now nobody will care about the main dish anymore.
Here’s How to Save this Recipe or Make It in Advance
If you like, you can prepare this dish in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for several days.
To reheat, either microwave the carrots or reheat them in a skillet on the stovetop. You may need a little more oil here, depending on which pan your using.
Obviously, the same applies to leftover carrots. These, too, can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for several days.
Your Common Questions Answered
In case there are any questions left, I hope these FAQ will help you. If not, feel free to drop your question in the comments below.
Carrots are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. In particular, they have lots of vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are important for the health of our eyes, skin, and immune function, among other things. Carrots also contain lots of fiber, especially pectin, a soluble fiber that strengthens our gut flora, and cellulose, an insoluble fiber that supports regular and healthy stools. In addition, they contain many phytochemicals that act as antioxidants in our body.
The carrot season runs from June to November. However, because of their good storage capacity, they are available year-round.
Organic carrots do not need to be peeled, washing them thoroughly is usually good enough. However, with non-organic carrots it is recommended to peel them.
Simply replace the honey with maple syrup and you’re good to go.
Creamy dips like hummus, a tahini sauce or this creamy cashew queso go especially well with roasted carrots. Furthermore, toppings like crumbled feta and dried cranberries go great with the salty, sweet flavors.
Save for later
Click the pin button in the upper left corner or on the Pinterest button below the recipe card and add the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards. This way you can also easily bookmark the recipe for later. The pin button will appear as soon as you hover over the picture.
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I hope you like this recipe and that you give it a try soon. If you have any further questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments, or send me a massage via email at contact@julesbalancedrecipes.com or Instagram(@julesbalancedrecipes).
In case, you’ve tried this recipe, I’d appreciate your comment and rating for this recipe. It’s easy to do and it would mean the world to me.
And if you loved this recipe, you may also like some of my other recipes…
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Carrots
- Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- or if you’re fancy something sweet: Low-Calorie Recipe for Healthy Carrot Muffins
Have fun trying it out and bon appétit,
Jules
Roasted Carrots With Honey and Thyme
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
- 1 zester
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of carrots (approx. 650g or 1.5 ounces 23 ounces after removing the greens)
- 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
- salt, pepper
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (alternatively 1 tsp of dried thyme)
- 1 organic lemon (you’ll need the zest and juice of only half a lemon)
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
Optional
- 1 clove of garlic (alternatively ¼ tsp of garlic powder or ½ tsp of roasted garlic)
Instructions
Carrots
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F. Cut of the greens, leaving an inch or two of the stems on the carrots. Wash or peel them, then cut them in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on their thickness.
Marinade
- Place the carrots on a baking tray, add the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Wash the lemon and add half the zest to the carrots. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze on half over the tray.
- Peel and finely dice the garlic, pluck off the thyme leaves and add both to the carrots. Finally, add the honey and give everything a good toss.
Roasting
- Make sure the carrots are evenly distributed on the tray and then put them in the oven for about 25 minutes.
