Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe with Orange and Sage

This maple roasted carrots recipe makes a simple, yet stunning, side dish. Sliced carrots are roasted in an orange maple glaze, then sprinkled with fresh sage for a flavorful veggie side the whole family will love.

Why you will love maple roasted carrots

Maple glazed carrots are one of the most popular recipes for preparing these affordable root vegetables. But this carrot recipe takes things to the next level.

The sweetness of the maple glaze is balanced with tangy orange juice. Then aromatic sage deepens the flavor profile, to make a simple side dish recipe fancy enough for Easter brunch or Thanksgiving dinner.

Scroll down for the full Maple Roasted Carrots measurements and instructions on creating this recipe – including a free printable recipe!

RELATED VEGETABLE SIDE DISH RECIPES

Balsamic Strawberry Asparagus Spears are another stunning yet simple veggie side that is perfect for holiday meals.

Roasted Root Vegetables combine carrots with other root veggies for an easy affordable side dish recipe.

Paleo Sweet Potato Hash continues that stunning orange and green color theme, and tastes as good as it looks.

I love this Easy New Potatoes Recipe. Tiny red potatoes are seasoned with fresh garlic and parsley, and ready in just 30 minutes. 

Ingredients

• 4 large carrots (or around 15 ounces of carrots of any size)
• 1 teaspoon salt (I like Pink Himalayan salt)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons orange juice, fresh squeezed or bottled
• 10 sage leaves, cut into thin strips

How to Make Maple Roasted Carrots

PRO TIP: If using a smaller baking dish, it’s okay to not keep your carrots in a single layer. Just know that they may take a bit longer to cook. The single layer gets them nicely roasted before adding the glaze.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel the carrots and slice into coins. Place them in a single layer in a casserole dish or baking pan.
3. Toss the carrots with the oil and salt, then roast for 15 minutes in the oven.
4. Whisk maple syrup and orange juice together.
5. Pour over carrots and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes, until carrots are easily pierced with a fork.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sage just before serving.

Maple Roasted Carrots Ingredient Substitutions

Best oil for roasting carrots

While I recommend olive oil in the ingredients, because almost everyone has some in their kitchen, you can use your oil of choice. I have made these maple roasted carrots with coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil.

Just know that if your coconut oil is the kind that tastes like coconut, it will impact the flavor.

Seasoning salts

Feel free to swap in your preferred seasoning salt for added flavor. This rosemary sage salt is one of my favorites!

Rainbow Carrots

You don’t have to stick with orange carrots for making maple roasted carrots. 

We grow rainbow carrots in our garden, and used the yellow, orange, and white carrots the kids picked last week to make step by step photos and recipe video. 

The purple carrots are great too, we just ate them all before I could cook any!

LEARN HOW TO PLANT A KID’S VEGETABLE GARDEN!

Fresh Sage or Ground Sage

You can definitely buy fresh sage at the store, or swap in some ground sage in a pinch. But you should also consider growing your own.

I’ve found sage to be one of the easiest herbs to grow, both in pots and in the ground.  Sage makes it through our snowy winters, and does fantastic in the hot summers.

When I’ve had sage in a pot and forgotten to water it, the plant quickly bounced back and grew new shoots to replace the dried up dead ones.  

Check out my top ten list of herbs if you’d like to learn more about growing your own herbs for affordable cooking.

FAQs

Can I use pancake syrup instead of maple syrup?

Pancake syrup and maple syrup are NOT the same thing.  Pancake syrup is basically corn syrup, a processed sugary junk food.  Maple syrup is sap from a maple tree that’s been boiled.  It’s pure and delicious.

While maple syrup has about the same calorie count as sugar, maple syrup has several nutrients including manganese, zinc and calcium.  It’s also much lower in sodium than honey, and a bit lower in calories compared to honey.

Should I peel my carrots before roasting?

Whether or not you peel your carrots is up to you. Peeling the carrots takes a bit more time, but leads to a more even texture after cooking. 

We also find that unpeeled carrots directly from our garden can have a bitterness to them, even after a good washing.

Are unpeeled carrots healthier?

The nutrients in the carrot skin, concentrated vitamin C and niacin, are also found in the rest of the carrot. Carrots are one source of produce that doesn’t have a much higher value of fiber or nutrients in the skin than in the rest of the fruit or veggie.

So don’t feel like you need to leave the peel on for added health benefits.

How long does it take to cook roast carrots?

How long to roast carrots depends on how they are sliced. Sliced into ¼ inch thick coins, they will take 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees F. One inch lengths will take about 45 minutes.

Be aware that garden fresh carrots have more moisture, and can roast faster. Drier, store bought carrots can take longer to roast to a tender texture.

What to serve with Maple Roasted Carrots

These maple roasted carrots can go with almost anything, but they pair especially well with chicken, lamb, turkey, and pork.

If you’re looking for a fun kid friendly meal, try pairing your carrots with these coconut crusted chicken skewers.

This low carb baked chicken is another wonderful, simple chicken dish complimented by maple glazed carrots.

Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops cooked in the oven only take 15 minutes, but are perfect with this carrot recipe for a fancy Easter dinner.

If you’re doing Easter brunch, try this Pressure Cooker Ham recipe to serve your carrots beside.

And you’ve got to try this easy Roast Turkey recipe if you’re serving maple roasted carrots as an affordable Thanksgiving side dish.

PIN TO SAVE FOR LATER

Don’t lose this recipe! Pin the image below to save this post. Then you can leave a photo in the comments of the pin once you’ve made Maple Roasted Carrots yourself. 

We love seeing your creations! So feel free to leave any changes you make in the comments below.

Printable Maple Roasted Carrots Recipe