Practical Recipes for Parents

Say goodbye to boring veggies! These delicious, sweet, and spicy glazed carrots are the perfect combination of buttery sweetness with a slight kick of heat to liven up any dinner. They also get major bonus points for being easy to cook up in 20 minutes and can be customized to please everyone, whether you’re someone who finds poblanos spicy or you add hot sauce to everything.  

Look for the Lil’ Steps symbol throughout this post for ideas on how kids can help out!

Detailed Instructions for beginner cooks are written below or…

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These glazed carrots are my go-to side dish for almost any meal. Seriously, whenever I realize our dinner is lacking some serious color and nutrition, I default to this recipe. What sets it apart from other glazed carrots is that I use a roux to make a thick glaze that coats the carrots beautifully in a sweet and spicy symphony. They are so simple to make with just five staple ingredients, require minimal prep time, and cook away nicely while you get other tasks done or, dare I suggest, sit down and relax. These taste absolutely amazing with a dash of sriracha, but it’s also easy to reserve some carrots before adding the heat if your loved ones don’t prefer things as hot and spicy as you.

3 Reasons Why I Love Carrots

• They save me money! – I always keep a big bag of carrots in my fridge (in the crisper section) and it’s one of the few fresh items I buy that can last for a month or more. I know I’m not the only one who gets extremely frustrated when a veggie goes bad 4 days after purchasing it (I’m looking at you pepper). Carrots are always there for me when I need them and come at an affordable price.
• Nutritional Value – Carrots have Vitamin A carotenoids to fight off infections and are great for your eyes, heart, and waistline. Feel free to read all about the health benefits of carrots from the Cleveland Clinic here.
• Versatility – Carrots can be mashed, grated, blended, cut, or even left whole which means I can incorporate them into a variety of dishes.

Orange, Yellow, Red, Purple, and White. Ask your little ones if they want to try out other carrot colors!

Ingredients and Equipment

• All-purpose flour – This pantry staple will be used to make the roux.
• Butter – I love to use unsalted butter in my recipes for a little more salt control but go with whatever you prefer and have on hand.
• Brown Sugar – I tend to keep Light Brown Sugar around, but if you prefer Dark Brown Sugar there’s nothing wrong with a deeper molasses flavoring in this recipe.
• Sriracha – This has become my go-to ingredient when I want to add some heat to a meal. It incorporates into the glaze beautifully and I find it easier to control the spice level.
• Carrots – I prefer large, whole, organic carrots that I peel and cut down, but baby carrots are great to use if you’re looking for less prep time.

• 12” Skillet with Lid – I love stainless steel cookware.
• Vegetable Peeler (optional) – Needed if using whole carrots.
• Knife – Smaller carrots will cook faster, so I recommend cutting baby carrots in half if using those.
• Cutting Board – Protect those countertops.
• Spatula – For stirring up those yummy carrots.
• Measuring Spoons – Or eyeball it, it’ll be our secret.

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Glazed Carrots

Step 1. Give the carrots a quick rinse in the sink and peel them. If you grow your own veggies, spring and summer carrots do not need to be peeled but come fall the peel will start to develop a bitter taste. I always peel my store-bought carrots, just in case.

Ask your little one(s) to pick out which carrots to use from the bunch (assuming that you’re not using all of your remaining carrots for this recipe). Then ask your child for advice on how to cut the carrots. We love sticks in this house, but you could also cut them into rounds. Another fun option is to use a crinkle cutter!

Step 2. Cut the carrots into the preferred shape and size. If using baby carrots, I recommend cutting them in half so that they cook faster.

Step 3. Heat your skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan. Once melted, add 1 tbsp of flour and mix for 1-2 minutes until the roux turns slightly golden. Make sure to keep the mixture moving so that it doesn’t burn.

Step 4. Add 4 tbsp of brown sugar and 2 tbsp of butter to the skillet and mix into the roux until well incorporated.

Step 5. Next, add the carrots to the skillet and give them a quick stir with your spatula to coat them in the sweet glaze. Turn the heat up to medium and cover the skillet with a lid. Allow the carrots to continue cooking for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note – As the carrots begin to cook they will release water, making the glaze slightly thinner and easier to cover the carrots with.

The timeframe to cook really depends on how crunchy or soft you like them. Ask your little sous chef for their preference. We like ours pretty soft, but not floppy. Sometimes I throw in a carrot stick that is half the thickness of the others. When it gets floppy, I know the others are just how I like them.

Step 6. Add approximately 1/2 to 1 tsp of sriracha to the pan and stir well to distribute evenly over the carrots. Serve up and enjoy!

Tips

• Hate cooking when you’re hungry? Prep the carrots the night before and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. (Better yet, you can prep them up to 2 weeks in advance if needed)
• Some family members can’t handle the heat? Plate up their carrots before adding the sriracha. Then reduce the amount of sriracha slightly to compensate for fewer carrots or leave it as is for extra spice!
• Honey is a great alternative to brown sugar. Just make sure your little ones have hit their first birthday before using this as an ingredient.
• Cut the carrots into relatively even sizes for uniform cooking.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I love to use glass containers that are easy to see through and I can easily reheat the carrots in.
• So, what is the best way to reheat glazed carrots? I like to put them in the microwave in 30-sec bursts, stirring between them until they are warm. It usually only takes 1-1.5 minutes depending on the amount of leftovers you have (we usually don’t have any).  

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Carrots

Kelli

These quick carrots are covered in a thick, sweet, and spicy glaze. The perfect side dish for any meal!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp Flour
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 4 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 500 grams Carrots Approximatly 6-10 carrots depending on size
• 1 tsp Sriracha More or less depending on your spice level preference

Instructions

 

Prep

• Give the carrots a quick rinse in the sink and peel them.
  500 grams Carrots
• Cut the carrots into your preferred shape and size.
  

Cook

• Heat your skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add butter to the pan and once melted, add the flour. Mix for 1-2 minutes until the roux turns slightly golden. Keep the mixture moving so that it doesn’t burn.
  1 tbsp Flour, 1 tbsp Butter
• Add brown sugar and butter to the skillet and mix into the roux until well incorporated.
  4 tbsp Brown Sugar, 2 tbsp Butter
• Add the carrots to the skillet and give them a quick stir with your spatula. Turn the heat up to medium and cover the skillet with a lid. Allow the carrots to continue cooking for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note – As the carrots begin to cook they will release water, making the glaze slightly thinner and easier to coat the carrots with.
• Add approximately 1 tsp of sriracha to the pan and stir well to distribute evenly over the carrots. Serve up and enjoy!
  1 tsp Sriracha

Keyword carrots, easy, quick, spicy, sweet, vegetarian

Enjoy!

Looking for more veggie-filled recipes? Check out my Healthier Sloppy Joe Recipe.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below!