We love
candied yams on the Thanksgiving table, but when it comes to Easter dinner, we like to switch it up with one of our favorite spring veggies: carrots. This dish has all of the signature sweetness you know and love from the classic: they’re sweet with a hint of savory, with chopped toasted pecans for added texture. Don’t be shy about the amount of butter and brown sugar that goes into these candied carrots: decadence is the goal here. Ready to upgrade your holiday? Keep reading on for all of the top tips you need to know:
How to make candied carrots:
— The best carrots to buy. When shopping for your carrots, opt for loose carrots instead of the ones that come in a bag. Bagged carrots typically vary in size and may not yield equal-sized pieces once cut. If loose carrots aren’t available, you can swap in baby carrots, which means you can skip the peeling and slicing. You can also try this recipe with purple or yellow carrots or even parsnips.
— Cutting your carrots. As you’re slicing the carrots, the goal is to keep them all roughly the same size. Since carrots are an irregular shape, you’ll need to cut them wider (a little bigger than an inch) on the thinner end and thinner on the thicker end (a little less than an inch) to get pieces that will all cook in the same amount of time
— Peeling your carrots. In addition to slicing them, you’ll also want to peel your carrots. While the outer layer is edible, we prefer to peel our carrots to help remove any leftover dirt, and to eliminate any tough exterior.
— The sugar syrup. What makes these carrots “candied” is the sugar syrup, created by combining butter, orange juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon together on the stovetop. We decided to add chopped toasted pecans to our carrots, but you can leave them out if you prefer.
How to serve candied carrots:
You don’t need a special occasion to serve this side dish (although it’s a perfect Easter side dish)—we love it served alongside any cozy Sunday meal. If you’re serving this for your holiday, we recommend pairing it with a baked ham, creamy mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and fluffy potato rolls.
Storage:
These will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days, and reheat well in the microwave.
Made these? Let us know how it went in the comments below.