Maple Roasted Carrots with dried cranberries, feta cheese, walnuts and a buttery maple syrup glaze. This simple, flavorful approach to roasted carrots adds a unique spin to classic roasted carrots, creating the perfect side dish for holiday dinners.
While I thoroughly enjoy my regular roasted carrots, I had a sneaking suspicion that adding some goodies like crunchy walnuts, tangy dried cranberries and creamy feta cheese would be an upgrade.
Let me just tell you. I’m not mad that I did, because this amazing roasted carrots recipe is everything I love in a side dish. Especially when serving guests!
The big flavors and various textures really make this amazing side dish POP!
Truthfully, I enjoy side dishes like this so much that I sometimes lose track of the fact that they are meant to be side dishes and end up eating them dead.
In fact, I could imagine adding rotisserie chicken to this dish for easy lunches or weeknight dinners.
If you intend to make these maple roasted carrots as a side dish for entertaining guests, you won’t be remiss!
Your friends and family will love this all new take on roasted veggies.
We only need a handful of ingredients and this easy recipe pairs wonderfully with almost any main course.
If you’re serving other side dishes, this recipe can serve up to 6 people. Depending on how much other food is available, you may consider making a double or triple batch if you’re serving more than 4 guests.
Let’s chat about the simple ingredients for this yummy holiday side dish.
Ingredients for Maple Roasted Carrots:
Large Carrots: The star of the show! We need a couple pounds of fresh carrots for roasting. I like using large whole carrots that have some girth to them.
I’ve found larger carrots yield a generous bite and also roast better than skinny carrots because they don’t dry out as easily.
Any kind of carrots, including rainbow carrots, purple carrots, or even a bag of baby carrots works here too.
Unsalted Butter & Avocado Oil: To ensure the carrots roast evenly and turn out with delicious flavor, we need some fat.
I like using both butter and avocado oil because the butter provides creamy flavor and the avocado oil protects the butter from burning during the baking process.
You can use olive oil instead of avocado oil if you’d like.
Pure Maple Syrup: To add a touch of sweetness to the carrots, we roast them with pure maple syrup. You can also use brown sugar if you’d prefer.
Be sure to use real maple syrup, rather than standard pancake syrup for the best results. The natural sweetness of the carrots is enough to create a sweet flavor so if you prefer cooking without added sweeteners, feel free to skip this ingredient.
Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt enhances all of the flavors in this dish so that everything comes together in a flavor medley.
You can stop at just the roasted carrots, or you can do as I do and add some extra goodies to the mix.
For Serving:
Dried Cranberries: Bringing a burst of sweet, tangy flavor, dried cranberries give everything a festive vibe.
Feta Cheese: Creamy feta cheese brings a lovely tang to the side dish, creating balance in the flavors.
Raw Walnuts: If you love crunchy texture as much as I do, crunchy nuts are a must in vegetable side dish recipes like this!
Fresh Parsley: A little bright infusion of fresh herbs is always a lovely addition to any dish. Fresh thyme and fresh rosemary are also great here.
For the best flavor, be sure to include these tasty additions.
No worries if some of the ingredients aren’t enticing to you. Here are some ways you can customize this healthy recipe.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Replace the feta cheese with goat cheese or blue cheese if you’d prefer. For dairy-free, omit the cheese or use your favorite vegan cheese substitute.
- Use pistachios, almonds, or pecans instead of walnuts.
- Swap the dried cranberries for raisins, chopped dried apricots, or raisins if you’d prefer.
- Add some garlic powder or mix in some fresh garlic if you’re a garlic lover.
- Sprinkle some cayenne pepper, chili powder, or red pepper flakes over the carrots for a little heat if the whole family is into spice.
- For a little tang, add a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for this carrot recipe, let’s make this delicious side dish!
How to Make Maple Roasted Carrots:
Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Wash and scrub the carrots well to get any dirt off the outside.
Use a sharp knife to cut the carrots into diagonal slices, about ¼-inch thick.
Transfer the carrots to a large bowl along with the melted butter, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, and sea salt. Toss everything together until the carrots are well-coated.
Pour the carrots onto the prepared baking sheet, including any excess liquid, and spread them into a single layer.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the carrots are golden-brown and have reached your desired level of doneness.
Allow carrots to cool completely on the roasting pan before using a spatula to transfer them to a large serving bowl.
Note: thinner sliced carrots will need about 15 minutes whereas thicker carrots will need closer to 20.
Add the feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and fresh parsley to the bowl with the carrots and toss to combine. Taste for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Serve maple roasted carrots with your main dish and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Enjoy this easy side dish during the holiday season for Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving dinner. You can also make it any time of year to add to weeknight meals, no occasion necessary.
These maple glaze carrots are a great way of bringing color and flavor to the dinner table while keeping the holiday meal health-conscious.
If you’re looking for more healthy side dishes, also try these reader favorites!
More Healthy Sides:
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables
- The Best Broccoli Salad
- Healthy Green Bean Casserole
- Crock Pot Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Apple Cider Glazed Roasted Carrots with Rosemary
May all your carrots be fun and festive!
Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Carrots:
- 2 lbs large carrots, cut into ¼-inch diagonals
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp sea salt, to taste
For Serving:
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Wash and scrub the carrots well to get any dirt off the outside.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the carrots into diagonal slices, about ¼-inch thick.
- Transfer the carrots to a large bowl along with the melted butter, avocado oil, pure maple syrup, and sea salt. Toss everything together until the carrots are well-coated.
- Pour the carrots onto the prepared baking sheet, including any excess liquid, and spread them into a single layer.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the carrots are golden-brown and have reached your desired level of doneness. Allow carrots to cool completely on the roasting pan before using a spatula to transfer them to a large serving bowl. Note: thinner sliced carrots will need about 15 minutes whereas thicker carrots will need closer to 20.
- Add the feta cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts and fresh parsley to the bowl with the carrots and toss to combine.
- Serve maple roasted carrots with your main dish and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Debby Jones
Tuesday 26th of December 2023
I made this recipe as part of our Christmas dinner and it was a complete success. Everyone loved and asked for seconds. It was a great mixture of sweet and salty and crunchy. Highly recommend.
Julia
Tuesday 26th of December 2023
I'm happy you and your guests enjoyed it, Debby! Thanks so much for following up with your sweet note! xo