Easy Glazed Carrots Recipe
This tasty and tender Glazed Carrots Recipe is the perfect go-to side dish, especially during the holidays. It’s made with only 4 simple ingredients and is ready in less than 10 minutes!
Need more side dish recipes? Make some Green Beans, Asparagus, Corn on the Cob, and Crispy Parmesan Zucchini in the air fryer!
Why You’ll Love Them!
- Simple recipe. This recipe uses only a few ingredients, cooks quickly, and goes with a wide variety of dishes.
- Hands-off cooking! Using your Instant Pot means you are free to do other things while they cook!
- A kid-friendly side dish to persuade them to eat their veggies.
- A tasty way to enjoy carrots. Everyone will be asking for seconds on this one!
I’ve been making these carrots for YEARS. I make them all year-around and my family loves them!
~ Brenda
Ingredients
All you need are four simple ingredients to make great-tasting brown sugar carrots. Here’s a look at the ingredients, check the recipe card for the quantities of each.
- Baby carrots: You can use fresh or frozen carrots. Fresh garden carrots will cook faster than store-bought carrots.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the saltiness, but any butter will do.
- Salt: Just a dash of salt to bring out the flavor of the carrots. If you’re using salted butter you might want to taste the carrots before adding it.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar has more flavor than regular sugar and is the best part of these carrots.
- Ground cinnamon: This is the “secret” ingredient that makes these carrots the best.
- Water: Just a little water is needed but enough water needs to be used so that the Instant Pot doesn’t give you a “burn” message.
Tips & Variations
- Swap the brown sugar. You can use maple syrup or honey with great results.
- Mix things up. Add more root vegetables such as parsnips, potatoes, and golden beets all work well!
- Add nuts. Sprinkle the carrots with some pecans or walnuts just before serving.
- Release the pressure right away. Don’t let your pressure cooker release the steam naturally, this will result in overcooked carrots.
How To Make Instant Pot Carrots
Making Instant pot carrots requires just a few easy steps to make. Let’s get started cooking!
How To Make Glazed Carrots
- Place.The carrots into the Instant Pot.
- Add. The butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and water to the pot.
- Cover. The Instant Pot and make sure the vent on the top of the cover is set to “Sealing”.
- Cook. Under high pressure for four minutes and then release the pressure and vent right away.
- Stir. The carrots together and serve.
What To Serve With Carrots
- Dinner. Instant pot glazed carrots go great with all types of main dishes. Enjoy them with Pork Tenderloin, air fryer steak bites, crockpot Mississippi pot roast, or boneless ham.
- Side Dishes. Combine it with other family-favorite sides to create amazing meals. Try these air fryer baby potatoes, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, or hash brown casserole.
- Dessert. Make dinnertime special with a tasty dessert. We love this pineapple cobbler and cinnamon cake.
Recipe FAQ
No, you don’t need a steamer basket to make glazed carrots in your Instant Pot.
Yes, you can steam carrots in a pan with all the same ingredients.
Yes you can. Just make sure the carrots are cut into similar-sized pieces. This will ensure they cook in an even amount of time.
You can though this dish goes together quite quickly so it may not be necessary. If you decide you want to make these carrots ahead of time you can, I would suggest only a day ahead. Once cooked, cool them and then store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Reheat on the stove with two tablespoons of butter.
Leftovers & Storing
- Store. Leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing them.
- Reheat. In a pan on the stove or the microwave. You may want to add a bit of water if they seem dry and cook until heated through.
More Side Dish Recipes
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Glazed Carrots Recipe (In Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. baby carrots
- ⅓ cup butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Place carrots into the Instant Pot.
- Add butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon and water.
- Cover the pot and make sure the vent on the top of the cover is set to "Sealing".
- Press the "Pressure Cook" or "Manual" button. Set the timer for 4 minutes.
- Once the carrots are done cooking, switch the vent to "Venting".
- Stir carrots and serve.
Notes
- Make Ahead. If you want to make these carrots ahead of time you can, I would suggest only a day ahead. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- Reheat. Place them into a pan with about 2 Tablespoons of butter, and cook until heated through.
- Store. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.
- Swap the brown sugar. You can use maple syrup or honey with great results.
- Mix things up. Add more root vegetables such as parsnips, potatoes, and golden beets all work well!
- Add nuts. Sprinkle the carrots with some pecans or walnuts just before serving.
- Release the pressure right away. Don’t let your pressure cooker release the steam naturally, this will result in overcooked carrots.
Your recipe gave me an idea. I was going to do it in the iPot but was doing chicken in my cast iron pot. Chicken was ready for oven after braising so i thre in carrots butter maple syrup on sides and over chicken. Thighs and legs bone in skin. In oven about 40 min. Was delicious. So thanks
I don’t have an instant pot would this recipe work in a crock pot too?
I’m guess you can make this recipe in a crock pot just different cooking directions? Put all the ingredients in and cook for 3 hours on high till carrots are tender?
If I use the crockpot I check them at like the 2-hour mark and see how they are! 🙂
Yes, you can use a crockpot as well. Just put all the ingredients into the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
I love this recipe but the total time for cooking is off. It takes a while for the instant pot to get up to pressure, so it’s four minutes after that, plus venting for about a minute. For my pot, it’s more like 10-12 start to finish vs 6. I have made these carrots so many times, and they always disappear!
This might be a silly question, but since I don’t have an instant pot (and I’ve been asking for one for xmas for about 2 months now lol) can I use my cast iron “crock pot” on the stove top? Think it’ll still be the same, just take a little longer, obviously? 🙂
Yes, you can make these carrots on the stove. I would just boil the carrots in the water for like 6 minutes. Then turn the stove to simmer for another 6 minutes. I hope you get a Instant Pot for Christmas…you will love it! 🙂
If I use sliced carrots and fill to line, would cooking time change? And double the other ingredients, then?
It would depend on how big you slice your carrots. If your using 4 pounds of sliced carrots…then YES I would double the rest of the ingredients. So if you double everything I would cook them for 5 minutes. Carrots don’t take very long in the Instant Pot and you don’t want them to cook too long or they will be mushy! LOL
When carrots are done is there a lot of fluid remaining?
Yes,there will be remaining liquid. Just carefully pour out the remaining water.
Phenomenal! I love carrots, but since I was eating alone I thought halving the recipe would allow for a couple of meals. Probably would’ve, but these carrots are to die for. Delicious! I ate the entire batch! 1/2 of the full recipe. Likely the best you’ll ever have. Super easy too!
It sounds so delicious~ I like carrot so much, I bet this glazed carrots will be better than eating it raw like I always did. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thanks so much for the tips! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Such a great idea to make this side dish in the instant pot to free up the stove top. So quick and easy!
We love baby carrots! This IP method is so easy!
This looks like it would make a perfect side dish at thanksgiving!