Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots are so simple to make yet so complex in flavour. Baby carrots are drizzled in balsamic vinegar then roasted in the oven for the perfect side dish!
This one is a family favourite. My family loves this recipe. We’re such suckers for roasted vegetables.
I think it’s because we all have a sweet tooth, and roasting brings out the natural sweetness of vegetables.
This is something I make often when we have roast beef or roast chicken. It just goes perfectly with either of those dishes. It’s also really good with pork tenderloin.
MY LATEST VIDEOS
I am a carrot fanatic. It’s one of my favourite vegetable. It ranks in the top 3, along with corn and broccoli.
Cauliflower usually ranks pretty high too. And radishes. Okay so the top 5 are Carrots, Corn, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Radishes.
Likely in that order. Depending on my craving any particular day.
During corn season all bets are off though. Then all other vegetables become invisible to me. I wear corn blinders.
I can’t help it. We live in the corn Capital of Canada. Well, not exactly in it. But close to it. Okay so not close to it, about a 20 to 30 minute drive from it.
If you’re wondering where the best corn in Canada comes from I state with certainty that place is Leamington, Ontario. It has something to do with the soil at Point Pelee. True story.
Take a tour of Point Pelee and they will explain it all to you. Take 12,847 tours with the kids’ school functions and you can recite the tour speech verbatim.
The joys of being a serious “volunteer mama”. I know so many random things about so many places.
Places like Leamington, Ontario. Where they grow the best corn. The best carrots. The best tomatoes.
I just wish it was more tropical here so they grew them year round. That would be the downside to living here. The snow, always the snow.
Thank goodness I can still find baby carrots at Costco. Have I ever told you how much I love Costco?
Almost as much as corn. And baby carrots.
Don’t you just love carrots? Look at these beauties. I could eat them every day, all day long. And often do.
I hope you get a chance to try these out.
Adjust the cooking time depending on how much bite you like left in them once they are cooked. I like mine pretty soft so I tend to cook mine on the longer side.
I make these for holidays. They will show up on our Easter table and Thanksgiving table.
Family tradition, it’s a good thing.
Just like these Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots.
Main courses you’ll love as much as Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots:
- How to Cook a Spatchcocked Turkey
- Lamb Lollipops with Peach Salsa
- How to Cook a Sirloin Roast
- Grilled Flank Steak with Chipotle Butter
- Vegan Sloppy Black Eyed Peas
Side dishes you’ll love as much as Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots:
- Fried Smashed Potatoes with Meyer Lemon Dressing
- Garlic Fries
- Spicy Chipotle Skillet Corn with Bacon
- Onion Strings
- Aerosmith Potatoes
Places to stalk Cravings of a Lunatic!
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Kiss My Smoke
Balsamic Roasted Baby Carrots are so simple to make yet so complex in flavour. Baby carrots are drizzled in balsamic vinegar then roasted in the oven for the perfect side dish!
- 1.5 lbs baby carrots, tops removed, peeled if desired
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 pinch dried or fresh parsley
-
Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
-
Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper, if you don't have any just spray it liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
-
Rinse your carrots and pat dry.
-
In a medium sized glass bowl (or large if double batching) place the carrots inside.
-
In a small glass bowl add the balsamic vinegar, then slowly add the olive oil while whisking with gusto. Do not use aluminum bowls, it doesn't play well with acidic ingredients. Whisk with gusto until your arm falls off, or your ingredients combine perfectly.
-
Now pour the balsamic mix over top off the carrots. Toss the carrots until well coated. Pour them onto the cookie sheet.
-
Place in oven and roast them for about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how crisp or soft you like your carrots, and how thick they are. I did not cut this batch in half since they were not overly thick, but you can do that if you like. I often do. I flip mine halfway through, just so I get that nice caramelised goodness on both sides.
-
Remove from oven. Transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with coarse salt, pepper and parsley.
-
Serve with a big old Vitamin A loving smile!
You can add a sweetener if you like. For this particular recipe I don't because I find the natural sweetness of the carrot balances beautifully with the balsamic vinegar.
Nutritional information is a rough estimate. Results can vary depending on ingredients and products.
If you made this recipe considering giving it a star rating or leave a comment!
Thanks for visiting today!
Check out my recipe index for more amazing recipes. You can find more side dish recipes and tons of vegetable recipes.
While you’re here please take a minute to follow me on Pinterest. I’m always pinning great recipes and fun DIY projects.
You should also follow me on Instagram. It’s a great way to stay up to date on all the latest and greatest blog recipes.
Toodles! xx
Emily @ Life on Food says
March 11, 2014 at 7:15 AMI was thinking these would be PERFECT for Easter. Now if only spring weather would come. Maybe if we all eat enough carrots?
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 1:43 AMThey really are. I love them at Easter, and pretty much any other time I can make them.
Omg, seriously right. What is with this winter nonsense? Over it.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
March 11, 2014 at 9:17 AMI could have nothing but those balsamic roasted carrots and feel like I’d had a special meal. Yum.
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 1:52 AMHa, I’ve actually do that. They are so good it’s hard not to.
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
March 11, 2014 at 1:17 PMI already adore balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts so imagine my excitment upon seeing these!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 1:53 AMYou MUST try this Erin. Stat.
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
March 11, 2014 at 5:40 PMYou make me want to try balsamic carrots. I’ve never had them but I will now. Gorgeous photos too.
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 2:11 AMYou must try them Norma. They are SO good. Just the right amount of acid with sweet. And thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Shannon @ Bake. Frost. Repeat. says
March 11, 2014 at 5:47 PMOOOOh, I’m always looking for more side dish recipes and this totally looks awesome!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 2:12 AMThanks Shannon. There is nothing like a good side dish recipe.
John@Kitchen Riffs says
March 11, 2014 at 8:13 PMCarrots so often don’t get the love they deserve. They’re a favorite of ours, too. And I love to roast them! They pair so well with balsamic, don’t they? Good stuff — thanks.
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 2:41 AMI concur, I love them too. I’m not a huge vinegar fan but for roasting it’s just sheer perfection.
Anna (Hidden Ponies) says
March 12, 2014 at 7:43 AMAside from radishes, my top 5 would be exactly the same! Love these carrots, Kim.
Kim Beaulieu says
January 4, 2016 at 2:38 AMThanks Anna. Not sure how this got by me.
mellissa @ ibreatheimhungry says
March 12, 2014 at 8:05 AMIf I’m being honest, carrots are NOT in my top five veggies – but these babies are definitely making me reconsider! The photos alone are making me want to eat a big bowl of them and that’s saying something! I’m sure these would be a hit with Mr. Hungry and Hungry Jr. so I’m going to make them soon and let them know they have you to thank. There will be much rejoicing! XO
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:18 PMThanks Mellissa. I think carrots are pretty high sugar, I never know if they are allowed on low carb diets or not. I love them but then again I inhale sugar at mock speed. Try them for the Hungry dudes and let me know what they think. I can’t wait to see you. 8 weeks, squee.
Isabelle @ Crumb says
March 12, 2014 at 11:21 AMI make a very similar recipe, only I add honey because I like my roasted carrots on the sweet side… it’s such a simple side dish, but people are always super-impressed by how fancy and gourmet it looks. 🙂
Kim Beaulieu says
March 12, 2014 at 3:26 PMI have another one coming up with honey and nuts. I like brown sugar on them too sometimes. And maple syrup. Also love them cooked in broth. Then drizzled in butter. Oh my, can you tell I love carrots. My brother used to eat so many his skin turned orange. Ha.
We need to cook together. How have we never done that when I visit? It’s just silly I say, just silly.
Susan says
March 12, 2014 at 4:20 PMI was planning on roasting some carrots with dinner tonight. I just might have to make your version!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:21 PMYah, I would love that. Thanks Susan. xx
Rebecca {foodie with family} says
March 12, 2014 at 4:24 PMI love carrots madly, too! And these. Look. Fabulous! Love the glaze!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:22 PMThanks Rebecca. I am in sugary mode lately. I just want sweets constantly, even when eating veggies. So wrong, but feels so right. Ha.
Paula - bell'alimento says
March 12, 2014 at 5:25 PMWhat’s up doc! I love me some roasted carrots, but you probably already know that with all my carrot recipes lately LOL.
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:27 PMHa, love it. I am so in love with that pasta you did did with the rotini noodles, the ravioli too, but that creamy one just did me in. Dying to try it.
Lauren says
March 12, 2014 at 8:12 PMI don’t think I’ve ever seen such grab able looking carrots. Making these tomorrow!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:37 PMAwe, thanks Lauren. I love roasted veggies. They make me happy.
Angie says
March 13, 2014 at 9:16 AMThese carrots look perfect! Love your photos!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:38 PMThanks so much Angie.
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
March 13, 2014 at 11:00 AMThese are so gorgeous! I’ve never seen a better looking carrot, that’s for sure!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:39 PMThanks Courtney. I had so much fun photographing these.
Kristen says
March 13, 2014 at 11:29 AMThat is one of my favorite ways to eat carrots. I am a total carrot fiend, too. I keep waiting for my skin to turn orange because I eat too many. Until then, bring one that pan of roasted carrots!
Kim Beaulieu says
March 19, 2014 at 11:41 PMHa, Scott had orange skin on occasion. Always made me laugh. He loved those things, my mom used to buy massive bags of them. And sunflower seeds, man we ate copious amounts of those too.
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
March 13, 2014 at 4:09 PMHahaha I know a ton of random stuff too (as does my hubby LOL) – love these baby carrots, they’d be perfect for when hubby grills up some steaks!
Kim Beaulieu says
January 4, 2016 at 2:39 AMRandom stuff rules the world. So does grilling.
Ramona W says
March 15, 2014 at 8:13 AMIf carrots could look sexy… you got it right here Wow… they look amazing. 🙂
Tiffany @ Triple Crème Decadence says
March 15, 2014 at 9:58 PMThe balsamic vinegar puts these carrots over the top. Yum!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
March 15, 2014 at 11:38 PMThese look so yummy!! I love roasted carrots!
Anonymous says
March 17, 2014 at 5:36 PMWhat temp are you roasting the carrots ???????
Dionne Baldwin says
March 17, 2014 at 11:59 PMI am imagining the sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar with these carrots and I am drooling. Roasted carrots are sooooo good. Even by themselves. They are so beautiful!
MaryAnn says
April 7, 2014 at 10:15 PMYummo! I was a little adventurous and used some artisan balsamic vinegar I had purchased at a specialty store (1 T of vanilla & 1 T of Blackberry ginger) whisked with the olive oil and the carrots turned out great! I’m not a fan of parsley so I used fresh oregano. This is a keeper! More carrot recipes please!!!! 🙂
Kim Beaulieu says
April 8, 2014 at 12:36 AMI have a similar one coming this week you might love. Keep an eye out.
And thank you so much. I love that you used blackberry ginger, I must try this. I have a zillion fancy vinegars I need to start using. xx
Evan @ Getinmymouf says
April 16, 2014 at 12:11 PMNever in my wildest food dreams would I think that a CARROT dish would make me stop in my tracks. Don’t get me wrong, I like carrots, but these look absolutely stunning. Not a huge fresh parsley fan (yes, I know…I know), but tarragon goes well with carrots so I may go that route.
Gudie says
April 19, 2014 at 12:44 PMLove carrots, will be making these for Easter , roasted is especially good. Reading the article and your mentioning Leamington, wow—— brings back memories of summers spent their. You are right on about the corn… always stopped at road side corn stands to get it, fresh cooked w/lots of butter. Fond memories.
Kim Beaulieu says
April 19, 2014 at 9:10 PMI love our growing season, it may be short lived but it’s always spectacular. The corn is so out of this world.
Hope you love these. I’m making them tomorrow too.
Holly says
June 7, 2014 at 11:29 AMSaw this yummy recipe on Pinterest so I came on over. While the carrots look great, I had to comment on your location. I lived in Windsor for a number of years as a child, and have been to Point Pelee a bunch of times! Great memories! Small world, I guess, eh? (That’s my inner Canadian coming out.)
Kim Beaulieu says
June 8, 2014 at 11:10 PMThanks so much Holly. I love roasting vegetables, I think it’s because it brings out their natural sweetness.
We love Point Pelee. It’s family tradition to bring all visitors to PP. We always do family get-togethers there. Love it. Such a fun place to visit.
Ella Imison says
November 13, 2014 at 4:39 AMI love carrots! Will definitely make the balsamic roasted baby carrots today.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Willie says
December 20, 2014 at 8:58 AMThese carrots look so delicious and I would love to make them. However I don’t have glass bowls and you said aluminum wouldn’t work well. What about stainless steel bowls?
Kim Beaulieu says
December 20, 2014 at 4:19 PMPlastic works too.
Carol says
January 9, 2015 at 10:41 AMI came across this recipe again, and in the last few days I wrote how disappointed I was when I tried this recipe with store bought,baby carrots. I had them in for close to 2 hours, they were still hard, and although I like firm veggies, this was still too tough to enjoy. I see here you were using long, thin carrots, and I think I will give this another try and use that type. I don’t know where these carrots in the bags come from, I almost surely would guess somewhere in the States, and I know that the type can sure affect the outcome. I am in Newfoundland, and we grow some good carrots here, but what is in the stores now is too big to hope to roast so I will keep my eyes open for nice, thin carrots. Happy New Year!
Kim Beaulieu says
January 13, 2015 at 12:35 AMHey Carol, did you leave a comment here on the blog, or email me? I’ve actually been off work for a couple of weeks. Partly for the holidays and partly for health reasons. So I haven’t been posting, commenting or answering emails. I was just too sick. Today is my first day back to work so going through comments now. I’ll peek for anything other notes you left but this is the first I’ve seen thus far.
I bought fresh carrots. I visit a couple of different farmers markets that carry them off season. I live in Ontario and there are tons of greenhouses here, some are doing year round growing so occasionally I get odd veggies at odd times. You can also, on occasion, find them at Costco. But just give them a bit of a snap test to see how hard they are. Cut them in half if they are massive size or massively hard. Typically fresh ones should only take 20 to 40 minutes depending on size and thickness. No more than an hour. Those giant ones in stores I could see taking 2 hours, but not fresh picked carrots. Makes such a difference unfortunately. I’m a carrot lover too and I know when I buy those gigantic ones I hate how long they take. You can roast them for 2 or 3 hours before they soften up. It’s like they are made of stone.
Never hesitate to reach out. Typically I’m super responsive. Even if someone hates something (which makes me sad but I’m ocd so I’ll actually walk anyone through a recipe if need be) I’ll still respond. I’ve just been off work so things were piling up.
My brother is in Nova Scotia. My dad grew up in New Brunswick, so we love the East Coast. My dad is a Mahaney, lots of East Coast folks know the name. Not sure if that’s good or bad. Lol!
Carol says
January 13, 2015 at 12:51 PMHi Kim! I was so glad to hear from you. I did leave the original comment on this blog through Pinterest.
Sorry to hear that you were sick. Sure hope you have made a full recovery, now and have a great new year.
I must try the recipe again, but I will not use those baby carrots. I don’t know why they didn’t work for me, but I will be on the look-out for some fresh carrots that are a good size for this. I am really dependant on only 2 main stores here for my produce, so I find it a bit limited at times. Summer is definitely so much better for veggies.
I sure love life here on the east coast, having lived almost my full life on the prairies, it is a welcome, and peaceful change.I will have to ask my husband if he recognizes that name, cause he is a real Newfoundlander from birth.
Thanks for responding to my comment.<3
Kim Beaulieu says
January 14, 2015 at 10:55 PMHey Carol. Thanks so much. Sometimes the pinterest comments get by me. It depends on whether I pin it or someone else does. Sometimes Pinterest alerts me, which is always nice. But definitely never hesitate to email me. I take my “job” here pretty seriously so if a recipe isn’t working I’ll problem solve it with the person, or go as far as to remake it to see if I made an error when writing the recipe up. I try to be super careful about things, but you just never know, we’re all human. But you will always get a response if I see something. Nothing worse than a blog or website that doesn’t respond to readers in my opinion. People hate wasting money on ingredients, so I figure it’s my duty to do my best to test recipes at least 3 or 4 times before they hit the blog.
The east coast is amazing. Hoping to head that way in the summer. My daughter may do some training in the east this summer, so I’m looking forward to visiting my brother if that happens. I also love the west coast. My son is in Alberta and my sis is in BC. So I have family all over. The only places I don’t care for are the prairies, mostly because it’s so boring to drive through on trips.
Thanks again for letting me know. I hope you find fresh ones. I know this time of the year is impossible. I have to travel out of town to find good stuff so I totally feel your pain. I live in the boonies but just get lucky on occasion because of the greenhouses in Leamington. Or we travel for work and I’ll pick stuff up in London or Toronto. We’re like you, where we live has 2 stores, and neither is ideal. But the city is about 30 minutes away so we zip in there whenever possible.
Have a great week and thanks for your patience. And so sorry they weren’t working for you. I know I hate when recipes fail for me so I can completely relate when it happens to others.
Jim says
April 1, 2015 at 11:53 PMI made these tonight along with a smoked Jalapeno buttermilk meatloaf. They were excellent!!!!
Kim Beaulieu says
April 3, 2015 at 3:02 PMYeah, so happy to hear that. These are my favourite carrot recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Chloe says
July 7, 2015 at 4:30 PMI was looking for a way to use carrots over the winter, since they are always on sale. This was a great recipe and really easy to whip up! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I found the recipe on pinterest.
Kim Beaulieu says
July 7, 2015 at 7:47 PMThanks so much Chloe. I’m so glad you loved them.
Tammy says
November 22, 2015 at 4:09 PMI am hoping you get this post. I want to make these carrots for Thanksgiving and wondered if you can tell me the specific brand of balsamic vinegar you use.
Kim Beaulieu says
November 23, 2015 at 1:45 AMHi Tammy. You can use any brand of balsamic you like, but definitely go with a good one. I typically use a Canadian one I buy at a local grocery store, the brand is called Compliments. It’s reasonably priced but the taste is spot on. On occasion I use an aged vinegar called De Nigris, it’s SO good. It’s a bit pricier but the depth of flavour is fabulous. If I recall it’s the De Nigris I used for this one.
I also really love the Wildly Delicious brand of products. They do a lot of flavoured ones. I have a weakness for collecting vinegars I’ll likely never use. Ha.
I hope that helps. Just a quick tip, if you find the great quality baby carrots that you get from farmers markets this recipe time is bang on. If you buy the massive carrots from the grocery store either cut them or increase cooking time a bit. I know someone tried to make this with regular big thick carrots but didn’t adjust the time, so thought I’d mention that. Hope you love them. We make them every time Costco has baby carrots. So good. You can even grill them.
Amber says
November 26, 2015 at 3:08 PMSo excited to try this recipe! A it possible to make them a day ahead and then reheat? Trying to do all of the day before prepping I can before our thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.
Kim Beaulieu says
November 26, 2015 at 10:28 PMSorry, just saw this. Been a crazy week. These really are best the day off. I’ve reheated them on occasion but personally I think they taste best fresh. Sorry for not seeing this sooner. Usually I check every day but life has been a bit hectic.
Pam says
December 28, 2015 at 2:46 PMI made these Christmas morning but we didn’t eat until later afternoon. They did soften up a bit so I put them in the oven a little while and the did crisp back up some. Still good though.
Nicole says
December 23, 2015 at 8:57 PMI have a bunch of mini baby carrots in the bag that I need to use up would they work?
Kim Beaulieu says
December 24, 2015 at 1:34 AMThey should absolutely work. I use baby carrots all the time. It they are thick I’ll cut them in half. So tiny little mini ones would work. You will want to check them sooner though, they would cook in less time because they would not be as thick. Hope you love them.
Pam Daniel says
December 28, 2015 at 2:44 PMI made these for Christmas lunch and they were so good. I had never roasted carrots before so I wasn’t sure how they would turn out but oh my goodness they were really good. I had a big 5 lb bag of carrots and I roll-cut them into good sized bite size pieces which gave more surface area to get crisp and carmelize. Soooo easy!!
Val says
January 10, 2016 at 7:12 PMI just made these to go with my supper and am posting about them on my blog. They’re so good. Thank you for the idea. 🙂
Becki svare says
October 26, 2016 at 12:17 PMI love roasted carrots. But, I’ve never put balsamic vinegar on them. I’ll definitely have to try that! Sounds delicious
easypeasylifematters says
October 28, 2016 at 11:06 PMMy mouth won’t stop watering, these sound so amazing! 🙂
Debbie Wark says
October 6, 2018 at 1:57 PMThese carrots look delicious! Can they be made a day ahead?
Kim Beaulieu says
November 2, 2018 at 8:40 PMHi Debbie. Absolutely! I do that quite often. Just make sure you reheat them in the oven instead of the microwave. The texture will be better if you do that. Let me know if you make them.
Meagan says
December 25, 2018 at 10:20 PMI just made these for our Christmas dinner! It was delicious! I just realized that I forgot to add the salt and pepper after they were done roasting, but we didn’t even notice it! Thanks for such a simple and yummy recipe!
Kim Beaulieu says
January 15, 2019 at 8:51 PMHi Meagan. I am so happy you liked this recipe. It’s one of my personal favourites. We make it all the time. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s much appreciated.