These glazed carrots with maple butter sauce are a simple and delicious side dish that shines at the dinner table. They’re ready to eat in just 15 minutes!

Recipe Science
- The carrots are briefly blanched to soften their cell structure, enhancing flavor absorption.
- The carrots are simmered in a maple glaze, evaporating moisture to concentrate sugars into a glossy, syrupy coating.
- A touch of acid, like lemon juice, enhances the natural flavors of the glazed carrots by amplifying sweetness and saltiness.
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Featured Comment 10
“These were so good I couldn’t stop eating them! They pair very well with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes.”—Brandie
Why It Works
This glazed carrot recipe combines maple syrup, butter, and lemon for a balanced flavor profile. The preparation involves a two-step stove top method to ensure tenderness and a rich glaze. First, the carrots are briefly blanched in boiling water to soften their cell structure, enhancing their ability to absorb flavors.
The carrots are tossed in a sweet citrus sauce and cooked until enough moisture evaporates for the glaze to cling to their surface. Glazed or roasted carrots are ideal for holiday dinners with honey glazed ham, prime rib, or roast turkey at Thanksgiving or Easter, yet they’re simple enough for busy weeknights.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Carrots: You can use any type of carrot to make this dish, like traditional bright orange varieties, or grab a colorful array of purple, red, or white if in season. I like to work with large pieces and cut them into small, uniform sticks. For a quick pre-cut option, use baby carrots, petite carrots, or sticks. Thicker pieces may need a few more minutes to tenderize.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds richness to the maple glaze.
- Lemon Juice: Adds fresh citrus flavors to the dish. The citric acid in the lemon intensifies the sweetness of the sauce.
- Sweetener: Pure maple syrup adds a light caramel flavor to the vegetables.
- Seasoning: The glazed carrots are seasoned with salt and pepper to enhance their natural sweetness.
- Herbs: Chopped parsley adds a mild herb flavor and a pop of green color to the side dish.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
These simple and elegant glazed carrots are easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Spices: A pinch of nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ginger, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice will add a sweet baked aroma. Cayenne or chipotle powder will add some heat.
- Citrus: Instead of lemon juice and zest, use oranges for a less tangy sauce.
- Sweetener: Any sweetener can be used, such as light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for a molasses note, honey, coconut sugar, or granulated sugar. Each has its own unique flavor profile. I like maple syrup for its caramel notes.
- Butter Substitution: This recipe can be easily adapted to be Whole30 and Paleo-friendly. Just use homemade ghee as a substitute for the butter. That will add butterscotch flavors. Olive oil also works for a vegan version.
- Herbs: Garnish the dish with fresh herbs like chives, tarragon, thyme, rosemary, or dill.
How to Make Glazed Carrots

Step 1: Prepare the Carrots
Wash and peel the carrots, then cut them into bâtonnet stick-size pieces, about 1/2-inch wide and 2-inch long. Don’t worry if they aren’t all exact lengths. I’d rather you have more yield to enjoy than throw away perfectly good carrots.
Pro Tip: The more uniform the size, the more it helps with even cooking when in hot water.

Step 2: Par-Cook the Carrots
The carrot sticks are blanched in hot, boiling water to soften their cell walls. I like to add salt to the liquid to season the interior of the vegetable. Cook until the carrots are tender and sturdy enough to hold their shape when stirred with the maple glaze, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Ingredient Chemistry: Cooking intensifies the taste of carrots’ natural sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose.
Step 3: Make the Glaze
You need butter, lemon juice, and pure maple syrup to make the sauce for these maple-glazed carrots. Melt the butter and flavoring in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring as it cooks.
Expert Tip: Adding a little acid to a dish can enhance its natural flavors. Just a little bit of vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice can heighten the sweet and salty taste and balance the dish’s overall flavor. A little goes a long way, so use sparingly.

Step 4: Glaze the Carrots
The tangy maple syrup sauce simmers with the par-cooked carrots until hot and bubbly. In about 5 minutes, the sauce will reduce, and the sugars will caramelize to create a concentrated coating that clings to the surface. Season with salt and pepper to balance the sweet and savory flavors.

Step 5: To Serve
Sprinkle the glazed carrots with fresh lemon zest to add a pleasant citrus aroma and Italian parsley for an eye-catching presentation. That’s it—super easy. Kids and adults will love this side dish all year long!
Frequently Asked Questions
Carrots are cut into sticks or coins and par-cooked. They simmer in a buttery honey or maple syrup sauce (or sweetener of choice) until a syrupy glaze forms. Brown sugar-glazed carrots are a delicious variation!
The most effective way to soften carrots is to boil or steam them until fork tender. These methods are great for preventing overly crunchy interiors. The syrupy glaze will be done sooner than the time needed to cook raw carrots in the sweetened sauce.
Yes! This carrot side dish can be made up to 5 days ahead and reheated before serving. For meal prep, the blanched carrots can be cooled, refrigerated for up to 3 days, and cooked in the sweetened sauce the day of serving.
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If you tried this Glazed Carrots Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Glazed Carrots

Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound carrots
- 2 quarts water
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon minced parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Carrots – Wash, peel, and cut the carrots into 2-inch long and ½-inch wide sticks.
- Par-Cook the Carrots – In a medium saucepan, add water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Add the carrots and cook until tender but still hold their shape, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain well with a colander.
- Make the Glaze – In a large saute pan, add the butter, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted.
- Glaze the Carrots – Once the glaze is bubbling, add the carrots. Gently stir to combine. Cook, occasionally stirring, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper, and stir to combine.
- To Serve – Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with lemon zest and parsley.
Recipe Video

Notes
- Storing: Cool and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheat: Cover and reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until hot. Alternatively, heat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding some water if needed to prevent the sweetener from burning.
- Make it Paleo: Use ghee or olive oil instead of butter.
- Make it Vegan: Substitute olive oil for butter.
- Make it Whole30: Reduce ¼ cup of fresh orange juice to 1 tablespoon over medium-high heat, and then add ghee or olive oil and lemon juice. Add the carrots and cook until the sauce glazes the vegetables. Use sea salt instead of kosher salt.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Susan Mercurio says
I never thought of maple syrup for glazed carrots but they sound so good! Saving on Pinterest
Jessica Gavin says
It’s so yummy!
Brandie Shanor says
These were so good I couldn’t stop eating them! They pair very well with the meatloaf and mashed potatoes. My son and husband did say there was a little too much lemon flavor so I think next time I’ll just omit the zest for them but they were perfect for me!
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the carrot recipe, Brandie! Love the pairing with meatloaf and mashed potatoes, yum!
Susan Mercurio says
Maybe try orange juice and zest. It will still have the citrus zing you want but it will be a little more mellow for the rest of your family.
Malou Matthew says
This recipe turned out to be so delicious!
Sonia says
Really good but sauce didnt have the consistently of a glaze
Susan Mercurio says
Maybe you could use a grocery store maple syrup instead of genuine maple syrup. The store-bought kind is made out of corn syrup with maple flavoring while the authentic kind is very liquid. Corn syrup will make a better glaze.
Judy says
Yummy. I could make a meal of these Jessica.
Jessica Gavin says
We sure did! You will love them Judy 🙂