Crockpot Glazed Carrots Recipe

Name: Crockpot Glazed Carrots Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 310 min
Ingredients: 2 lb. baby carrots; ¼ cup water; 3 Tbsp. brown sugar (packed); 3 Tbsp. honey*; 3 Tbsp. butter* (cut into 8 cubes); ¼ tsp. salt; Chopped fresh herbs (optional)

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Crockpot Glazed Carrots are the absolute easiest and most delicious side dish that is also kid-friendly. Prep takes less than five minutes, simply toss baby carrots, brown sugar, honey, and butter into your slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. This vegetarian, gluten-free recipe is perfect for both holidays and weeknights alike!

Healthy side dish recipe for honey carrots with a brown sugar glaze that were made in a slow cooker.

When I was growing up, a side dish that was served on the reg was brown sugar glazed carrots. They were always saved for last, like a sweet treat at the end of dinner.

As I got older, I wanted to recreate those delicious, glazed carrots – but a bit healthier and easier to make.

A bit healthier because instead of using 100% refined sugar to sweeten these baby carrots, we’ll use half honey and half brown sugar.

And yes, I said even easier than canned carrots because all you are going to do is plop your ingredients into your Crock-Pot and let it do the work for you!

(Don’t have a Crock-Pot? You can also make a slightly different version of this recipe with these Instant Pot Glazed Carrots!)

While these glazed carrots can definitely make an easy side dish for weeknight dinners, they’re also such a wonderful recipe to make for your holiday festivities. Serve them up for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas!

They’re so easy to meal prep ahead of time, and you can also double this batch if you’re feeding a crowd.

And not to mention, even the little kiddos absolutely LOVE them!

Ingredients

The simple ingredients you need for these glazed carrots include:

Carrots. This recipe was originally created with a 2-pound bag of mini baby carrots. Baby carrots have already been washed and peeled, helping you skip a step in the preparation process. You can always choose to use the carrot chips, or cut and peel whole carrots. Do know that the cook time may vary depending on how thick you cut your carrots.
Honey. A little bit of natural sweetness helps to balance the brown sugar. Feel free to substitute this with pure maple syrup if you’re vegan.
Brown Sugar. Half of the sugar used in this recipe comes from brown sugar. It does a better job of caramelizing the carrots and creating that delightful glaze than unrefined sugars do. However, if you would like to make this recipe Paleo and refined sugar free you can always use coconut sugar instead.
Water. A bit of water is needed to help steam the carrots and create enough moisture buildup in the slow cooker. If you forget to add this, you will end up burning the carrots in the Crock-Pot!
Butter. This fat helps to balance out the sweetness from the sugars. If you are vegan, you can substitute with coconut oil or a dairy-free butter substitute.
Salt. Just a touch of salt will bring out the naturally sweet flavors of the carrots.

How to Make Crockpot Carrots

The process of making these honey glazed carrots is quick and easy:

Combine Ingredients

If you are peeling and cutting whole carrots, do this first. Remember, the bigger the pieces, the longer it will take to cook.

Start by dumping all of the carrots in the bottom of the Crockpot. A 6-quart size is best. If you have a smaller one, be sure to scale the recipe. If you are using a larger one, add a few extra tablespoons of water.

Pour the water over the carrots, then pile the brown sugar, honey, butter, and salt on top.

Carrots in a Crock-Pot with brown sugar and honey. — Fill the Crock Pot with the ingredients.

A crock pot is full of carrots, honey, butter, and brown sugar. — Fill the Crock Pot with the ingredients.

Set it and Forget it

Place the lid on the Crockpot.

If you have a little more time, cook these carrots for 6 to 8 hours on Low.

But if not, High for 5 to 6 hours should do it.

If you’re home during the day, give the carrots a stir after 4 hours on High or 6 hours on Low. Watch the carrots and add some water if needed. But do not remove the lid more than absolutely necessary, as this will slow down the cooking.

They are done when the carrots are fork tender.

A 6-quart Crock-Pot with baby carrots that have been cooked in a honey, brown sugar, and butter sauce until perfectly glazed.

Serve

These honey glazed carrots are delicious with additional brown sugar, honey or a sprinkle of your favorite herb!

We served ours up with a sprinkle of fresh parsley from our herb garden.

Finely chopped rosemary, thyme, or dill would also taste great.

A white serving dish full of honey glazed carrots with brown sugar.

Meal Prep and Storage

To Prep-Ahead: If you are peeling and chopping whole carrots, you can do that a day or two in advance. Additionally, you can also measure out all of the ingredients you will need, store them in a gallon-sized ziplock container, and add them to your slow cooker on the day of serving.
To Store: Keep leftover carrots in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To Freeze: It is so simple to freeze these carrots in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 to 6 months.
To Reheat: You can warm these back up in a skillet or in the microwave.

Dietary Modifications

The recipe you’ll find below is already vegetarian, gluten-free, and low-fat as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:

Dairy-free: Opt for coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative.
Vegan: Skip the butter and use coconut oil instead and use pure maple syrup instead of honey.
Paleo: Replace the brown sugar with coconut sugar.
Refined sugar-free: Stick with coconut sugar instead of brown sugar.

A close-up of baby carrots covered in a honey glaze with parsley sprinkled on top.

FAQs

Do carrots go soft in the slow cooker?

It is so easy to prepare your carrots in the slow cooker. Be sure to add a bit of water so they steam and get fork-tender while cooking.

How do you soften carrots without boiling them?

While boiling carrots is an easy way to soften them, you can use your slow cooker, as well! Simply toss the carrots into your Crockpot with a little bit of water and you’re good to go.

What do I serve slow cooker carrots with?

You can serve these Crockpot carrots with your favorite weeknight meal, like baked chicken or hamburgers. But they are also perfect for a holiday celebration, as well.

Expert Tips and Tricks

Ooo baby, baby. A bag of baby carrots is so simple to use and saves a step in preparation!
Adjust the cook time. If you slice your own carrots, you might need to increase or decrease the time depending on their thickness.
Leave it alone. Don’t remove the lid more than absolutely necessary.
Don’t let it get dry. If needed, add a bit of water during cooking so the carrots don’t burn.
Feelin’ herby. Get creative with topping these veggies. So many herbs, like rosemary, thyme, parsley, and even sage are delicious on top.

Easy Easter side dish for honey carrots with a brown sugar glaze that were made in a slow cooker.

More Carrot Recipes

Put these sweet and savory recipes on your menu to use up all the carrots:

Other Holiday Side Dish Recipes

If you’re looking for sides to entertain a crowd, try one of these at your next holiday celebration:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Air Fryer Broccoli with Parmesan
Green Beans Almondine
Air Fryer Baked Potato
Sweet Potato Casserole
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Cajun Cornbread Dressing with Sausage
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas

A white slow cooker full of glazed baby carrots with honey and brown sugar.

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