Buttery, sweet, and infused with garlic and fresh herbs, these glossy Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots are the easy side dish that always disappears first! I love how the tender carrots soak up that brown sugar butter glaze, with just the right balance of sweet and savory.
They come together quickly on the stovetop and keep well in the fridge for a few days, making them a great make-ahead side for busy weeknights and holiday dinners too!
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 30 minutes
- Method: Stovetop
- Main Ingredients: Carrots, brown sugar, butter, broth
- Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, savory, herby
- Ideal for: Easy side dishes, Thanksgiving sides
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Ingredient Notes
- Carrots: I use regular whole carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally. Look for medium carrots that are firm and similar in thickness so the slices cook evenly.
- Canned broth: Chicken or vegetable broth are fine. Water works too, but the flavor won’t be as good.
- Light brown sugar: Packed! It melts with the butter into a silky, caramel-like glaze that makes brown sugar glazed carrots so irresistible.
- Unsalted butter: Divided, half for the aromatics and half for the glaze. Using unsalted lets you season to taste at the end.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic and thyme leaves. They add a savory, herby balance to all that sweetness.
- Other: Salt, pepper, and chopped Italian parsley for a fresh pop of color.
As always, ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- Baby carrots: Use them whole and add a couple of extra minutes to the simmering time, since they’re thicker.
- Herbs: Use ½ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning in place of fresh.
- Warm spices: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg in the glaze is lovely in the fall!
- Heat: A pinch of red pepper flakes adds a little kick.
How to Make Brown Sugar Carrots on the Stovetop
- Par-cook carrots. Peel and slice the carrots diagonally (1/3-inch thin). In a pan, bring the broth to a simmer, add the carrots and cook (covered) for 8-10 minutes until crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl and reserve the leftover broth. Tip: The carrots should be crisp-tender, as they’ll finish cooking in the glaze.
- Sauté the aromatics. In the same pan, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until fragrant.
- Glaze the carrots. Return the carrots to the pan with the rest of the butter and the brown sugar. Stir as everything melts together and coats the carrots. If the glaze looks thick or sticky, loosen it with a splash of the reserved broth.
- Thicken and season. Let the glaze simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and turns glossy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Top your brown sugar glazed carrots with parsley, and serve warm!
Tips for Success
- Cut the carrots evenly. Same-size slices cook at the same rate, so you won’t end up with some mushy and some crunchy.
- Don’t overcook the carrots. Aim for crisp-tender while they simmer in the broth. They will finish cooking in the glaze.
- Keep the heat at low to medium. Brown sugar can scorch quickly. If it starts to darken too fast, lower the heat and add a splash of the reserved broth.
- Season at the end. The glaze reduces and concentrates, so taste it before adding extra salt, especially if the broth you use isn’t low-sodium.
Make Ahead, Storing, Reheating
Make ahead: These brown sugar glazed carrots are a great make-ahead side dish. Par-cook them 2 days in advance, let them cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container. When ready to cook, just simmer them in the glaze and it will be done.
Storing: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The flavors get even better overnight for these brown sugar carrots!
Reheating: Warm them in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the glaze, stirring until heated through. You can also microwave them, covered, in 30-second bursts.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing. The carrots tend to turn soft and watery once thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, absolutely, but you may want to salt the water.
Yes, that will work just fine, adding a few more minutes to the simmer time.
Lower the heat immediately and stir in a splash to broth.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary sides: Red Skin Mashed Potatoes or Fluffy Mashed Potatoes are a classic match. I also love these brown sugar carrots with my Cauliflower Au Gratin!
These carrots go really well with these mains: Dutch Oven Chicken or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. They’re also lovely next to holiday Dry Brined Turkey or Brown Sugar Glazed Ham.
Bread: Serve them with soft and fluffy Garlic Dinner Rolls or Honey Butter Rolls to round out the plate.
More Easy Side Dishes
Looking for more? Try my Roasted Acorn Squash and Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts!
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds carrots
- 1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup light brown sugar - packed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - divided
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- Chopped Italian parsley - for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare carrots: Peel and diagonally slice carrots into about ⅓-inch thin slices evenly.
- Par-cook carrots: Bring the broth to a simmer in a deep skillet or pan. Add the carrots, cover, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots are crisp-tender, with a little bit of bite in the center (they will finish cooking later).
- Reserve the broth: Remove the carrots from the pan and reserve the broth for later into another bowl.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and thyme and sauté for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Glaze the carrots: Return the carrots to the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar are melted to coat the carrots. Add a splash of the reserved broth to loosen the glaze as needed.
- Simmer to thicken and season: Simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the glaze thickens a bit. It will reduce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Garnish with Italian parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
- Cut carrots into even 1/3-inch diagonal slices so they cook at the same rate.
- Don’t overcook the carrots in the broth, as they will finish cooking in the glaze. You want them to be crisp tender.
- If you don’t have broth, you can use water. Salt the water.
- Low-medium heat is preferred for the glaze to prevent scorching.
- If the sugar starts to darken too quickly or the glaze gets too thick, immediately lower the heat and stir in a splash of the reserved broth.
- Make Ahead: Par-cook the carrots up to 2 days in advance. Let them cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge, then finish them in the glaze when ready to serve.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth, or microwave in covered 30-second bursts.
- Freezing is not recommended
- You can also use baby carrots
- Replace fresh thyme with ½ teaspoon dried thyme, fresh rosemary, or fresh dill.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the glaze for fall flavors, or red pepper flakes for a kick.
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