A truly simple brown sugar glazed carrots stovetop recipe with honey, fresh rosemary, butter and a little acidity to pull of those flavors in. Could it be any easier and any more delicioius?
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
I added my special ingredient after using it in this duck breast recipe and I'm so happy I did! There is a soft caramalization over these carrots which are perfectly cooked and the finish with flaky sea salt! Crunchy, sweet, salty and plain goodness. This sweet and extra special carrot side dish is perfect for the holidays but honestly they're so good they add character to your dinner table on any day.
In this recipe we are cooking large size carrots, sliced down the middle to make smaller length carrots so that we can reduce the cooking time, and it's all done on the stove top. Naturally if you have smaller carrots there's no need to still cut them down.
I love side dishes whether it's a mix of roasted vegetables like brussel sprouts and bell peppers, oven roasted butternut, or a simple Hasselback Potatoes. You want to add these to your side dish collection!
Carrots are often overlooked as not that important but like most side dishes, they do complete your meal. There's no denying that everyone always looks forward to the mains like lamb roast, chicken and potato roast but a great tasting side dish is definitely a bonus.
Let's cook a quick and easy sweet caramalized carrots recipe.
Ingredients For Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
To make these delicious brown sugar glazed carrots stovetop recipe you need a few ingredients in addition to the carrots. The one ingredient I used for a bit of acidity is Vino Cotto which is an Italian 'cooked wine" which is made from the must of grapes, slow cooked over low heat for a long time. If you want to know more about what vino cotto is, substitutions and how to use it, then definitely read this Strawberry Vino Cotto with Ice Cream.
- Olive oil
- Carrots
- Soft packed brown sugar
- Honey
- Salt & pepper
- Butter
- Vino Cotto
- Fresh rosemary
- Flaky sea salt
These ingredients are specific to creating a delicious sweet glaze carrots side dish.
How To Make Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Prep the carrots: Wash the carrots, remove the hard end bits and peel using a vegetable peeler not a knife. The peeler removes just the skin without taking most of the carrot too. If your carrots are large, then slice lengthways and cut the halves down again to make small sized carrots.
Heat the olive oil: Use a large enough skillet or pan depending on how many carrots you are cooking. Heat the oil - medium to high heat and add the carrots.
Season: Let the carrots gain cooking momentum. In other words when you see that they are sizzling away, add the salt and pepper. Don't worry that the pepper makes them look darker in color that doesnt show after you've added the caramalized honey and sugar anyway!
Adjust them slightly here and there intermittently with a spatula but nothing hectic. If your stove is on a decent medium to high heat, they cook gently all by themselves. But if that doesnt happen and they cook too quickly absorbing all the liquid, then add about ¼ cup of water to prevent them from burning.
Tip: I always keep a tablespoon of olive oil to add over the top as they cook so never have to add water.
Add the next layer of flavor: Add the soft brown sugar and honey. Give the carrots a gentle stir and let them cook for 8 to 10 minutes at which point you can use the tip of a sharp knife to check the tenderness. They should be ready for the final ingredients.
Finish off: Add the butter, fresh rosemary leaf and the vino cotto. Let them cook another minute and them remove from the stove. If you added water, you might want to wait for the liquid to reduce. Because we did not add water to this glazed carrot recipe, we can turn the heat off and tranfer them to a serving plate.
If you did not add water you need to take them off the stove so that you save the liquid you have to dress over the carrots.
FAQ's Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Stovetop
What are glazed carrots made with?
Carrots, brown sugar, butter, honey, salt and pepper.
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How to make carrots taste better?
Dont overcook them, add sugar, honey, spices and seasoning and keep the heat medium to high.
What is Vino Cotto?
Vino Cotto translates to "cooked wine" in Italian, is a traditional Italian condiment made by cooking down grape must (freshly crushed grape juice, including the skins, seeds, and stems) until it becomes a thick, concentrated syrup. Sometimes, it's referred to as "mosto cotto.
What is a substitute for Vino Cotto?
I'll say balsamic vinegar but please don't let that make you see vino cotto as a vinegar because its not and it also tastes different. Vino cotto has a balance of sweet and acid, along with the rich sort of a caramilized effect on the tongue. I love this stuff and could go on and on but in a nutshell, to get as close to vino cotto in taste is to perhaps combine a little balsamic vinegar and molasses. An aged balsamic is a great idea and you could try adding a small cinnamon stick and some cloves, all in a simmer. I've tried more or less the same thing in this Duck In Red Wine Sauce. The only difference is that my duck recip included the vino cotto as an ingredient. S
Still, the idea is to be experimental with ingredients and to use them as far as the mind can see.
What flavors go well with carrots?
Sugar, syrup, honey, rosemary, thyme, fresh lemon, vino cotto, butter, orange and spices.
Expert Notes
The only notes I have for you is to share the reasons why this is a winner recipe.
- Easy Recipe: Very easy carrot recipe and from start to finish, it takes less than 30 minutes!
- Simple Ingredients: Although I used vino cotto you can make it without!
- Stunner recipe: One of those smells so good looks so good plates at the table and everyones going to taste them.
- Taste: Love the sweetness of the carrots and it pairs well with just about any roast meat.
Serve These Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots With
Extra Little Tips
Salt & pepper: Don't worry that the pepper darkens the color of your gorgeous carrots, that doesnt show after you've added the caramalized honey and sugar anyway!
Water: I've never had to add water to this particular recipe but as mentioned, if your stove is on high, the liquid will be absorbed pretty quick and you might have to add like a quarter cup of water. This can also be the case if your carrots are bigger and take more time to cook.
Sweetness: These carrots are sweet since they use both sugar and honey and they are delicious especially when served with meat roast! Just incase someone in the family doesnt like sweet veggies I would suggest adding just the sugar.
How to check if carrots are cooked: Depending on how thick your carrots are the cooking time may vary. Use the the tip of a sharp knife to check for doneness or better still, taste them!
What to serve carrots with: Serve these carrots with chicken, lamb, fish or any other protein.
More Delicious Recipes
- Bok Choy & Carrots (Side Dish)
- Carrot And Ginger Soup
- Raw Carrot Salad
- Duck In Red Wine Sauce
- Roasted Vegetables
- Carrot and Potato Soup
- My Homemade Carrot Cake
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Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1 kilo 2lb carrots
- 3 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 Tbsps packed soft brown sugar
- salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter salted
- 1 ½ Tbsps Vino Cotto (or another acid -balsamic/ red wine vinegar
- fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Prep the carrots: Wash the carrots, remove the hard end bits and peel using a vegetable peeler not a knife. The peeler removes just the skin without taking most of the carrot too. If your carrots are large, then slice lengthways and cut the halves down again to make small sized carrots. If you are using small carrots then you don't necessarily have to cut them up.
- Heat the olive oil: Use a large enough skillet or pan depending on how many carrots you are cooking. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil - medium to high heat and add the carrots.
- Season: Let the carrots gain cooking momentum. In other words when you see that they are sizzling away, add the salt and pepper. Move them about slightly here and there intermittently with a spatula but nothing hectic. If your stove is on a decent medium to high heat, they cook gently all by themselves. But if that doesnt happen and they cook too quickly absorbing all the liquid, then add about ¼ cup of water to prevent them from burning.
- Add the next layer of flavor: Add the soft brown sugar and honey. Give the carrots a gentle nudge again with the spatula and let them cook for 8 minutes at which point you can use the tip of a sharp knife to check the tenderness. They should be ready for the final ingredients.
- Finish off: Add the butter, fresh rosemary sprigg and the vino cotto. Let them cook another minute and then remove from the stove. If you added water earlier, you might want to wait for the liquid to reduce (maybe 4 to 5 mintues depending on how much water you added). Because we did not add water to this glazed carrot recipe, we can turn the heat off and tranfer them to a serving plate. If you did not add water you need to take them off the stove so that you save the liquid you have to dress over the carrots.
- Serve: Top off with finely chopped fresh herbs if you wish and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
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