Stovetop Caramelized Carrots with Garlic and Honey
By Amanda Paa – Updated March 17, 2022
Made on the stovetop, these honey garlic caramelized carrots are absolutely divine, a side dish that everyone will love! They're tender and buttery with browned edges, and you only need 5 ingredients to make. Honey is used for these carrots, rather than a brown sugar glaze, as a natural sweetener.
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As humans, we’re creatures of habit, because sticking with a routine feels good, particularly when we’ve mastered something.
I’ve become accustomed to roasting every vegetable I can get my hands on. You’ll see that reflected in some of these delicious side dish recipes.
But you can also achieve incredible caramelization and flavor on the stovetop! These caramelized carrots with honey and garlic, made in a skillet, quickly became a house favorite side after discovering them in my friend Laurie’s cookbook, Simply Scratch.
How to Cook Carrots on the Stovetop:
Using the heat of the stovetop, carrots cook their way their way to browned edges amongst butter, honey, and garlic.
- First you’ll want to cut the carrots into thin coins on the diagonal, so they have more surface area.
- Then you’ll melt butter in a cast iron skillet and add the carrots, stirring to coat.
- Next, you’ll cover the pan and let the carrots cook for 15 minutes, until they’re starting to get tender. This helps steam them in a hot environment.
- Remove the lid and stir in the garlic, then cooking for another 10 minutes, until carrots are fork tender.
- Finally, stir in honey, remaining butter, and fresh parsley to finish.
They’re absolutely divine! The caramelization brings out their natural sweetness, and the texture is perfect. They’re the perfect side dish, alongside my Easy Potatoes Au Gratin and Red Kuri Squash with Tahini Sauce.
Carrots were meant to be paired with butter, and are finished with a showering of fresh brightening from parsley. And flaky salt!
I adapted the recipe just a bit, adding an extra clove of garlic and slicing it instead of mincing so it would be mild. Instead of adding it at the end, I stirred the garlic in after 10 minutes, so it had some time to infuse the carrots as they cooked.
More Carrot Recipes:
- Miso Butter Roasted Carrots
- Paleo Carrot Cake with Whipped Coconut Frosting
- One-Pot Braised Beef Roast with Carrot Mash
Yield: 4 servings
SCALE:
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal (you don't want them too thick or they will take forever to cook)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (2 cloves if exceptionally large)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a 10 inch skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add carrots and salt once melted, stirring to coat.
- Place cover on skillet and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Then remove and stir in the garlic. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10-15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, honey, and parsley, cooking 2 minutes to combine. Taste, adjusting salt as needed. Serve warm.
Notes
Adapted from the Simply Scratch cookbook.
Did you make this?
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December 4, 2015
These look great!!! Can I make them a few hours before serving and then heat them in the microwave?
Definitely! Just save the parsley or any fresh herbs you are garnishing with until you serve.
I made this again last night and these carrots are so good! I’m enjoying them as my packed office lunch, with rice, living the best life of my life. Thank you!
So glad you like these carrots! They’re a favorite here too.
Very tasty. I have made honey carrots before, but the added garlic was brilliant. I
yay, so glad you liked the recipe!
I’ve always roasted my veggies in the oven but when I saw this recipe, I had to try it. I was already going to be using the oven for other things. WOW!! Totally impressed with how well these turned out on the stovetop with my cast iron. So delicious! Will definitely make these again and again!
Can there be made ahead?
yes, i’ve made them ahead before and they reheat beautifully!
Love Heartbeet Kitchen recipes. Made this as a side dish for Easter today. Very successful—the family enjoyed it. I did end up fishing out most of the thinly sliced garlic several minutes before the cook time was over though because they were getting too dark even though I turned the heat down to avoid that, and there’s nothing like bitter, burned garlic to spoil a beautiful dish. I tasted one of the garlic slices, and scooping the darker ones out was definitely the right call. I will absolutely make this again, and next time I’ll put the garlic in with 5-7 minutes of cook time left, and hopefully I’ll be able to keep the heat at medium to get more of that nice color on the carrots without risking burning the garlic. I used a cast iron skillet, which Amanda mentioned is preferable; it’s basically all I cook with. But the skillet may have contributed to my garlic issue since cast iron holds in heat more than most cookware.
I put a little cracked black pepper on the carrots during cooking, which was nice. I also put a little dark chipotle powder on the carrots on my plate, and it was so delicious I will put some on the entire dish next time because I’m a huge fan of a little flavorful spice to juxtapose the sweet. Maybe a small finishing squeeze of citrus, too. Delicious simple dish. Very pretty. The garlic and parsley really round out the flavor.
These look incredible! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
I’ve heard purple carrots also bleed. Is this true, or is it safe to cook them all together?
Hi! My purple carrots bled mostly when I sliced them, and not really when cooked. They had a yellowish middle, so that was the majority of each slice. I didn’t mind a little of that purple color on the other carrots. It’s nothing like how beets bleed. Hope that helps!
What are the purple veggies in there? Are they beets or are they purple carrots? I have some beets and was wondering if I could do those in with the carrots!
Hello! Those are purple carrots. They taste the same as orange carrots, so you could just use more carrots if you’d like. Beets should work too! But they will bleed and make all the carrots purple so it may not look as appetizing.
These vegetables look absolutly amazing. The pictures are beautiful! That’s my dinner without any doubt :)
They you Juliette! I’m making them for Christmas dinner too. Just love how delicious and vibrant they are!
This sounds amazing! How many ppl will the recipe serve as is???
Hi Danielle! This will serve 4 people. Enjoy!
I am very interested in making both of these recipes.This is awesome tip, Thanks for sharing your experiment..
These look SO amazing Amanda. And I just love your photography and styling of the carrots and produce. Definitely a recipe I can see myself making Xx
thank you Thalia! they were delicious. i’ve made them several times, and planning to for a christmas side dish as well. xo
You know, that like you, I love a good roasted veggie-sheet pan situation, but you’ve got me thinking with this one!! Sounds so good and looks just gorgeous. I’ll have to check this book out and throw my veggies on the stovetop more often. And who doesn’t love stuff smothered in butter and honey?! XO
yes, the sheet pan is always a great choice, but man, what a cast-iron skillet can do to vegetables is awesome too. thanks for stopping by Alison! xo
what a beautiful dish for the Thanksgiving table… your photos are amazing Amanda!
thank you Crista. i miss you – happy holiday season!
I’m the same way, roasting is my go-to for most vegetables! But I love that these beautiful carrots are done on the stovetop – their caramelization looks perfect! It doesn’t get any better, especially with the touch of honey, butter, and garlic, and I can see this becoming a favorite side in my house. xoxo
so good to get out of a rut! funny how that can happen in the kitchen. but exactly what Laurie’s book has been so great for you. xo
Beautiful photo of this dish. I love the yin yang of the sweet and spicy here.
Oh man I am obsessed with roasting vegetables! Even when I’m not hungry I just roast the just in case I might be hungry for the later! I love the colors in these roasted carrots, they look delicious.
thanks for stopping by Linda! plant power wins today. :)
Roasting vegetables is the best because it’s easy and tastes amazing! I’ll take a whole plate of these carrots along with a side of shredded beef. Pinning!
These are actually made on the stovetop, a departure from roasting. It gives them terrific caramelization!
Amanda! I just love you! Thank you for all the kind words, testing a recipe and reviewing the book- words cannot express how honored and thankful I am to you for taking the time! Your photography is off the charts amazing, the way you write is impeccable- thank you-thank you from the bottom of my heart! Xo!
I’m with you and I automatically just toss all vegetables into the oven now, and admittedly, kind of forgot how to cook them properly on the stove top! Which is just one reason that I love this recipe for Laurie – I need a good reminder of how good stovetop carrots can be! Gorgeous photos, friend!
Oh gosh, I love roasting vegetables! It’s almost the only way I can get my husband to eat them, so I’m all over this recipe :) I’ve been hearing so many wonderful things about this cookbook, I need to get my hands on it ASAP! xo
laurie’s cookbook is definitely one to put on your christmas wish list! thanks for stopping by abby. xo