Paleo Oven-Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots

In the spirit of being transparent, I have to tell you guys something. Carrots are my least favorite vegetable (*gasp*). Will I eat them? Reluctantly. Do I enjoy them? Almost never, so when I dropped a question box in my Instagram stories asking for everyone's all-time favorite Thanksgiving dishes, I was less than excited about roasted carrots being a popular answer. 

Nevertheless, I'm a proponent for giving the people what they want, so I created a recipe for carrots that even my carrot hating taste buds could get down with. They're so good I could even eat them for dessert. They're as good as candy! 😉

These carrots are roasted with pure maple syrup, ghee and a warm blend of spices. This easy dish is sure to impress your guests this holiday season while brightening up your otherwise beige spread of food (let's be honest, Thanksgiving food isn't exactly colorful). 

If you're conquering a round of Whole30 during the holidays, more power to you but unfortunately these carrots aren't for you. The recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free and Paleo but the pure maple syrup boots them out of the Whole30 club. They're still incredibly nutritious! Carrots are jam packed with beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K,  potassium and antioxidants. If you're on a round, you're definitely going to want to save this recipe for later!

Although these carrots are pretty enough for the holiday seasoning, they're also simple enough for a quick weeknight side dish. Whether preparing these for a holiday feast or a weeknight meal, I want you to do as little work as possible. Using baby carrots eliminates the grunt work of having to slice the carrots into uniformed pieces. 

So how are they prepared? Easy! 

1. First and foremost, preheat your oven. You want your oven to be warm and toasty for the perfect roasted carrot.
2. Next, make the glaze! Heat ¼ cup of ghee, 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat until the glaze is smooth and heated through. 
3. On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, toss the baby carrots with half of the glaze and then spread the carrots into an even-layer. Roast for 35 minutes, tossing once around the 15 minute mark. 
4. While the carrots are roasting, keep the other half of the glaze on the stove-top over low heat to keep it warm. When the carrots are finished roasting, transfer them to a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining glaze. Garnish with fresh parsley for an additional pop of color.

Told ya it was easy!

Just a few quick notes about the recipe:

• I used baby carrots for the convenience, but you could totally use any size or shape of carrot. Just keep in mind that the roasting time may need to be adjusted depending on the size of the carrot. Just keep an eye on them. When they're fork-tender, they're done.
• If you and everyone around your holiday table can tolerate dairy, the ghee can be swapped out for butter. Although, I think ghee adds a caramel-like flavor to the carrots when roasted (hence what I said about them tasting like candy).
• Feel free to play around a bit with the garnish. I'm old school and love using parsley as a simple garnish, but the possibilities are practically endless. Even a bit of fresh goat cheese crumbles would look and taste amazing on these carrots! 

While the look and feel of this dish screams Thanksgiving, these carrots are great anytime of the year (and conveniently carrots are readily available)! I really, really, really hope you try this recipe and love it as much as I do. If you do, don't be shy! Leave a comment and a star rating! I can't wait to hear what you think!

Pin now! Cook Later!