These oven roasted carrots make the perfect veggie side dish. Fresh carrots are tossed with olive oil and seasonings then roasted over high heat until tender and caramelized. It’s an easy side dish for a weeknight meal or can be fancy enough to serve at holidays.
Thanksgiving is less than a week away! While the holiday season will certainly look different this year, my hope is that everyone is still able to spend time with family and loved ones (whether that be physically or virtually present).
Even if your gatherings are small this year, still make the traditional family dishes you enjoy year-in and year-out. Holiday food traditions are tied to years of warm memories being surrounded by family. Make and enjoy the dishes that bring with them the smells and tastes of your grandparents’ or parents’ homes. You’ll feel like you’re with them even if you’re miles apart.
This roasted carrot recipe is a great side dish for the holidays or a quick weeknight dinner. Add it to your Thanksgiving menu for a delicious vegetable side!
Vegetables taste better roasted
If you ask me, the best way to eat vegetables is when they’re roasted. Doing so intensifies the flavor and brings out their natural sugars through caramelization. These oven roasted carrots are my favorite way to eat them!
Which carrots to buy
I like to buy bunches of fresh carrots with the tops on (when available). They tend to be fresher, and taste better than ones sold in bags. Also, I utilize the entire vegetable and make carrot-top pesto with the leaves!
Carrots come in a variety of colors
While carrots are often associated with the color orange, they also come in a variety of hues including white, yellow, red, and purple. Orange carrots dominate grocery aisles, but some stores have been introducing ‘rainbow’ carrots- white, yellow, purple, and orange carrots all sold together. When available, I prefer these rainbow carrots because the color of the dish is even more vivid. Nonetheless, straightforward orange ones work just as nicely.
Remember, a rainbow of pigments means diverse nutrients. I always suggest eating a variety of colors because they each provide a unique health benefit.
Nutrition
Although naturally sweet, carrots are low in calories and provide dietary fiber. They also are a great source of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which is critical for healthy eyes among other things. Carrots also provide vitamins and minerals including potassium, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium and more.
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Carrots and blood sugar
Some patients I see with diabetes believe they have to avoid carrots because they fear it will raise their blood sugar. However, I’m here to tell you that this is not the case. According to the American Diabetes Association, carrots are a non-starchy vegetable, and people with diabetes can eat them freely. Unlike added sugars in sweets, the sugar in carrots is natural and doesn’t have a large impact on blood sugar. Carrots also provide fiber which helps keep blood sugar levels steady.
Further evidence- the glycemic index
The glycemic index is a tool that measures how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise. The measure ranks food on a scale of zero to 100. Any food with a score above 55 is considered high and are quickly digested and absorbed, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar. On the other hand, foods with a glycemic index below 55 are considered low and are digested and absorbed at a slower rate. Instead of an unhealthy ‘spike’, digestion of these foods results in a slow, steady rise in blood sugar.
Cooked carrots have a GI score around 33. Raw carrots are even lower. So even though carrots contain sugar and carbohydrates, they are digested and absorbed slowly and won’t spike blood sugar.
Keep in mind how the carrots are prepared!
Depending upon how the carrots are cooked will also have an impact on blood sugar. For instance, honey roasted carrots will spike your blood sugar more because of the additional sugar.
Great side dish to eat more vegetables
The best part is carrots are affordable and available year round. You can make this delicious roasted carrot side dish any time of the year!
These oven roasted carrots are effortless to make and a great way to get your family to eat more vegetables. They can be served as an elegant side dish at a dinner party, or as an easy weeknight side to your main dish.
You might also like:
- Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
- Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries
- Apple Streusel Muffins
- Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
- Healthier Fried Rice
Oven Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots rainbow or orange carrots, peeled with ends trimmed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Ground black pepper to your liking
- Salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil, & lightly grease).
- Place the carrots in a single layer on the baking pan. Drizzle the olive oil and toss to evenly coat the carrots.
- Evenly sprinkle the garlic powder and black pepper over the carrots and lightly stir. Sprinkle salt to your liking.
- Place the carrots in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Carrots are done when they are tender and browned. Roasting time may vary depending on the size of the carrots. *
Nutrition Facts
103 Calories, 3 gram fat, 2 gram protein, 17 gram total carbohydrate, 5 grams of fiber, 9 gram sugar, 121 mg sodium Notes:
If your carrots are all different thickness, I suggest cutting the carrots into uniform diagonal slices. Cooking time will be closer to 25-35 minutes if you cut the carrots, so just keep an eye on them. Orange carrots are perfect to use in this recipe. Rainbow carrots aren’t always available in all grocery stores but if you see some I recommend buying them. They add so much color to the dinner plate Add your favorite seasonings: basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, dill, thyme, and more. You can't go wrong!
What’s your favorite thanksgiving side dish? Share in the comments below! Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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