Crockpot Glazed Carrots: A Set-It-and-Forget-It Sweet and Savory Side Dish

A plate of roasted carrots, cut into sticks and garnished with chopped fresh parsley, sits on a dark tabletop beside a silver spoon and a gray napkin.

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5 from 1 vote

Crockpot Glazed Carrots: A Set-It-and-Forget-It Sweet and Savory Side Dish

Tender slow-cooker carrots coated in a butter and brown-sugar glaze, with optional honey and warm spices.

Prep Time15

Cook Time6

Total Time6 15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrots, crockpot, glazed, set

Servings: people

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds of carrots (baby carrots or regular carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks)
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark, depending on your preference)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional for added sweetness)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional for a warm, spiced flavor)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional, pairs well with cinnamon)
Fresh parsley or thyme for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Start by washing and peeling your carrots. If you’re using baby carrots, you can leave them whole. If you’re using regular carrots, slice them into sticks or rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. The key is to keep them all roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup (if using), salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make sure everything is well combined, so the carrots get evenly coated in all that sweet, buttery goodness.
Place the carrots in your crockpot. Pour the glaze over the carrots, making sure they’re all coated. Give them a quick stir to ensure the glaze is evenly distributed.
Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, until the carrots are tender. Stir the carrots once or twice during cooking to make sure they’re cooking evenly and soaking up all the glaze.
Once the carrots are tender and glazed to perfection, transfer them to a serving dish and garnish with fresh parsley or thyme if desired. Serve them up hot, and get ready for some serious compliments!

Notes

Cut regular carrots evenly so they soften at the same pace.
Keep the lid on between the brief stirring checks to avoid slowing the cooking.
Stop when the carrots are fork-tender; extra time can turn thin pieces mushy.

Nutrition is estimated for one-fourth of the recipe using 1½ pounds of prepared carrots, unsalted butter and packed brown sugar. Optional honey or maple syrup, optional spices and garnish are excluded. All of the glaze is counted; leaving some in the slow cooker lowers the amount eaten.

Nutrition