Glazed Carrots with Cumin
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 40-50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Serves: 4
I have heard people say, “It’s like eating candy,” about vegetables, but I have never tasted any veggie and thought that…. but, after this recipe, I totally get it! The combination of the brown sugar and maple syrup give a sweetness to these colorful carrots like I have never had. I might need to rename them, “Candied Carrots.”
This recipe could not be simpler. Peel and cut your carrots. Place the ingredients in a bag. Mash them around and dump them onto a baking sheet. Bake until nicely glazed. Done. (The recipe below words it with a little more structure and finesse.)
These do take some time in the oven. If you bake them on a convection cycle, it may speed up the time a little.
Don’t be concerned about the liquid at the beginning of the cooking process. The brown sugar is melting into a liquid, but will tun into a nice, thick, syrupy coating for these beautiful carrots.
I added some ground cumin to bring a subtle earthliness to the sweetness of the carrots. You are certainly welcome to use more cumin than I have listed in the ingredients. You could also add cayenne for a little heat. Sprinkle a little bit of fresh cilantro just before serving and you’ve got a delicious and beautiful side dish to your dinner.
These gorgeous carrots came from Malco, one of our local farmers’ markets here in Cookeville, TN. This is one of my favorite places to stop and browse and, as always, end up purchasing fresh, beautiful veggies, flowers, plants, or homemade soaps. Like most farmers’ markets, Malco is opened seasonally. Fresh, sweet strawberries opened their season this year and I baked a fresh strawberry cake that friends absolutely loved. Remaining strawberries were pureed for a cheesecake. Mmmmm. Perfect strawberry season.
Glazed Carrots with Cumin
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, peeled
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up; set aside.
- If your carrots are larger than 3/4" in diameter in the thickest part, cut them down so they will all bake about the same time.
- In a gallon zip-top bag, place the brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and melted butter. "Massage" the bag to combine the ingredients.
- Add the carrots to the bag and seal the top very well. Using your hands, massage the bag to cover the carrots with the brown sugar mixture.
- Pour the carrots onto the lined baking sheet, placing them in one layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the carrots to coat.
- Bake for another 20 minutes and check for caramelization. Continue to bake for another 10 minutes or so, or until the brown sugar mixture has thickened and the carrots are nicely glazed.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired and serve warm.
It is great to find healthy savory recipes. Thanks for these creative recipes.
What would be a good pepper to use if we wanted a spicy version? What would go well with these flavors?