Name: Sweet Heat Roasted Carrots
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients: 1 LB Baby Carrots, washed and patted dry; 3 Tbsp EVOO; 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar; 1 Tsp Salt; 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper; 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder; 1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme; 1/4- 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (See notes above)

I’ll never forget the time that I told my super picky-eater daughter that she had to eat her carrots before leaving the dinner table and she responded with, “Mom, carrots are rabbit food.” I remember that I laughed so hard that I just let her get up. To say that it’s been an uphill battle with that one to eat her vegetables would be the understatement of the year in our house. I will tell you that one thing is for sure- these aren’t your average rabbit’s carrots!

I called these carrots “Sweet Heat” because that’s exactly the flavor that they pack. This recipe calls for 1/4- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. If you have little ones eating the carrots, I’d probably lean towards recommending going with 1/4 tsp. The last time that I made these carrots, I serve them with my Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy (served over mashed potatoes). I made the carrots with 1/2 tsp of cayenne and when I ate them by themselves, you could definitely catch the heat, but when I ate them in combination with my meal, the heat was very subtle and almost nonexistent. So I think that it really depends on your preference, who is eating them and what you’re serving them alongside.

Here 👇🏻 is the Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy with the Sweet Heat Roasted Carrots

These carrots are incredibly easy to make. Start by lining a sheet pan with parchment paper and preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Grab a medium-large bowl and add the EVOO, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme and cayenne pepper (1/4- 1/2 tsp, whatever your preference). Using a whisk, stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Next, add your carrots and toss them around in the spice-oil mix, coating the carrots. Dump the carrots out onto the prepared sheet pan and use a silicone spatula to scrape out all of the oil-spice mix left behind in the bowl and onto the carrots. Spread the carrots out in a single layer and cook for 20-30 minutes until you reach your desired roasted level. For me, I pulled them out around 27 minutes when the carrots were nice and soft and the brown sugar had carmelized.

And that’s it! Enjoy!

Sweet Heat Roasted Carrots

The easiest roasted carrots caramelized in a little sugar with a spicy zing. These Sweet Heat Roasted Carrots are so delish and make the perfect side dish!

Prep Time

5 Minutes

Cook Time

25 Minutes

Servings

Ingredients

1 LB Baby Carrots, washed and patted dry
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme
1/4- 1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper See notes above