TL;DR (Quick-Answer Box)
- What it is: A sophisticated side dish of carrots roasted at a high temperature to intensify their natural sweetness, finished with a sweet and spicy glaze.
- Why you’ll love it: High-heat roasting makes the carrots incredibly tender and deeply sweet, while the simple glaze of honey and cayenne adds a bold, addictive kick.
- How to make it: Toss carrots with oil and salt, roast for 25 to 30 minutes, then toss with a quick honey-cayenne glaze (and optional lime zest and juice) and serve immediately.
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I didn’t think that I—The Man Who Turns His Nose Up at All Vegetables—would fall hard for something as humble as roasted carrots. But these? They’ve earned a regular spot on our table. They’re dead simple—tossed with oil, slow-roasted until meltingly tender, then hit with a sweet-spicy glaze of honey, cayenne, and a splash of lime. The combination is unexpectedly addictive. Sweet, tangy, warm—it hits all the notes.
Sometimes I swap in lemon if I’m out of limes. Other times, I’ll toss in a pinch of smoked paprika or a handful of chopped herbs to mix things up. They’re endlessly adaptable, which is kind of the point. Make them yours. Just don’t skip the glaze. That’s where the magic is.
And if you land on a version you love, let me know in the comments. I’m always up for a new carrot trick.
Chow,
How To Roast Whole Carrots
The recipe below cuts the carrots into lengths of a specific size so that the carrots cook evenly and in a short enough time so that the carrots become tender before the honey scorches. If you want a more elegant appearance, as with the beauties you see in the photo, opt for slender, young carrots and leave them whole. Or, if all you have available to you are thicker carrots, slice them in half lengthwise and keep a careful eye on them in the oven.
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If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into sticks 3 inches (7 1/2 cm) long and 1/2 inch (12 mm) wide
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 limes, (optional)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Position 2 oven racks in the centermost positions. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or on a baking sheet, combine the carrots, oil, and salt and toss to coat evenly. Divvy the carrots up between the baking sheets and spread them in a single layer. Roast the carrots, turning them once, until tender and lightly caramelized in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, if using the lime, finely grate the zest from a single lime and set it aside. Halve the lime and squeeze enough juice to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons, using a second lime if necessary.
- About 5 minutes before the carrots are done, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the honey, cayenne pepper, and lime zest and juice, if using, and stir just until hot and bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven, pour the honey mixture over the carrots, and turn them to coat well. Taste a carrot and, if needed, add more cayenne, salt, and/or lime juice as desired. Transfer the carrots to a warmed serving dish and serve right away.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This roasted carrots recipe makes a nice side dish that will go well with almost anything. Slightly sweet from the honey, the zing of citrus, and a little heat to finish it off. I didn’t have any limes so I chose to use a lemon-infused olive oil instead to get that hit of citrus. Preparing the carrots to go into the oven takes almost no effort. I used an oversized baking sheet and found all my carrots fit on there in a single layer so didn’t use a second sheet. I found when I checked the carrots at the 15-minute mark they were tender and slightly caramelized. I turned them on the pan and only left them in the oven long enough to make the sauce. Any longer and they would have burned. I found the seasoning was perfect as written. Instead of dressing them on the pan, I put the carrots into the serving bowl and tossed them with the sauce in the bowl. I can’t wait to make this again with limes.
We LOVED these roasted carrots. I tossed them with the oil on the baking sheet and saved myself a little extra time and a bowl to clean. I used a single pan for about a dozen organic carrots and popped them in a 400-degree oven and prepared another side dish while these were roasting. I used 2 limes, the pop of the cayenne was amazing, and the honey was just enough sweetness to balance out the heat of the cayenne perfectly! The lime zest added a little punch that I had never tried before—great addition. Wished I had made 2 pans. They disappeared very quickly! Crazy easy carrots!
These roasted carrots are a great side dish to add to your rotation. This is a kind of recipe that can be customized and changed to take on different flavors. You could change the kind of citrus you use, omit the honey, or add herbs. After 30 minutes the carrots were tender and some were caramelized in spots.
It doesn’t get any easier than these roasted carrots as a delicious side for a weeknight meal. Although the recipe states using 2 baking sheets, I only needed one. Overall, this is a good recipe and i made no adjustments other than omitting the cayenne. All the ingredients and times were accurate. I found the lime and the honey along with the natural sweetness of the carrots to be quite a nice combination. We enjoyed this as a side to a grilled london broil and though we are only two, the carrots disappeared. This is a great dish with little prep and while the oven does the work there’s time to complete the rest of meal, making this a weeknight winner.
These roasted carrots are a cinch to make and the perfect side dish for any dinner. I added an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil because 1 tablespoon didn’t seem sufficient to cover 2 1/2 pounds of carrots. I used 2 limes to get 1 1/2 tablespoons juice. (My limes were small and not very juicy.) I rolled the carrots with the oil and salt on the baking sheets to save getting a bowl dirty. We loved the sweet hot flavor of the honey and cayenne pepper on the carrots. The lime juice and zest added a fresh tang that balanced out the honey and cayenne pepper. The is a quick and simple side dish that would complement any grilled or fried meat. I’ll definitely make it again!
I love these roasted carrots—simple to prepare with a lovely sweet and spicy flavor profile. A nice change from my regular salt and pepper roasted carrots. Although, um, this is a lot of carrots. I mean, I love carrots and all, but this is A LOT.
These carrots were out of this world delicious! If you can find beautiful baby carrots it does make s really beautiful dish. The flavors with the lime are bright and lively and for someone who doesn’t like roasted carrots, WOW I am now addicted. Wonderful recipe.
Oh, I feel you, BBQG! I’m especially thrilled you went from “meh on carrots” to full-blown addiction—that’s the best kind of conversion story. And you’re absolutely right: gorgeous baby carrots really do turn this into a showstopper. Thank you for trusting the recipe—and for sharing your love for these lively little guys!
The sweet and spicy dressing drizzled over a tray of roasted carrots was a big hit at my house. So much so, that we were snacking on the “cold from the refrigerator” carrots the next day. I doubled the recipe for the dressing for 1 pound of carrots. Instead of warming up the sauce on the stove, I microwaved it for about 30 seconds in a glass mixing cup until just warm and melty. I plan on using this idea for other vegetables and other seasoning ingredients. In my mind, the addition of lime (or lemon) in a must!
We’re so happy you’ve found a new favorite recipe, Deb. We can’t wait to hear what you try next.
Thank you for posting these! As the author of this cookbook, I can say without bias that they are fantastic and I can eat a whole bunch of carrots, roasted, myself. In fact, I ate said bunch just last night for dinner. xo Tori
Tori, thank YOU for this splendid recipe (and the gorgeous photo that accompanies it) that your publisher generously shared with us. The lime is so unique and so perfect. We love it. And, like you, we can’t get enough of it. Or of the recipes in your book.