Roasted Carrots with Cane Syrup

A simple, 4 ingredient recipe that elevates carrots to new heights. The sweetness of carrots and the tang of Cane Syrup are elevated by roasting with herbs.

Servings Servings

Cuisine Creole

Course Side Dish

Calories 268

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Here's What You Need

▢ 2 pounds fresh carrots - See Notes for using frozen carrots
▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
▢ ½ cup Butter
▢ 1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
▢ 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
▢ ⅓ cup cane syrup
▢ Kosher salt and Fresh Ground Pepper taste

Here's What You Do

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a shallow baking sheet by covering with aluminum foil and a coating of non-stick oven spray.
Clean and slice carrots in about 1 to 1 ½ inch lengths; half or quarter thicker pieces so they are all relatively the same size. See Notes if using frozen carrots.
Add the carrots to about 4 to 5 cups of boiling water with a pinch of salt and sugar. Parboil for about 3 minutes (after the water comes back to a heavy boil). Remove the carrots to an ice bath for 3 minutes.
Drain the carrots. Add butter to the same pot the carrots were boiled in. Add the carrots, dry thyme, kosher salt, and pepper; mix well until all the carrots are liberally coated. Don't skimp, use a little more butter if you need to.
Pour the carrots onto the prepared baking sheet; spread out until the carrots are in a single layer, add the fresh thyme sprigs on top of the carrots.
Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven (425 degrees Fahrenheit) and roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots begin to brown and the butter is getting a little bubbly. See Notes if using frozen carrots.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Drizzle the cane syrup over the carrots and mix well with a rubber spatula or spoon, careful not to break the carrots.
Return the carrots to the oven and roast for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the cane syrup and butter begin to form a glaze.

Notes

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Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots, adding sugar to the parboiling water and the cane syrup at the end really plays well against the thyme.

If you choose not to parboil the carrots, increase the roasting time: start out the first 10 minutes or so covered with aluminum foil to get a little steaming action going. Make sure to check them for tenderness after about 20 minutes.

If you don't have cane syrup, you can substitute molasses, maple syrup, or honey.

I recommend fresh carrots, but frozen baby carrots are also excellent.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 9 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.

Nutrition