Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrot Recipe
This Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrot recipe delivers tender, sweet carrots infused with warm cinnamon and maple syrup, perfect as a comforting side dish for any meal. Easy to prepare and slow-cooked to perfection, it’s an ideal way to elevate simple carrots with a luscious glaze and a touch of fresh thyme for garnish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours (high) or 5-6 hours (low)
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes (high) or 6 hours 10 minutes (low)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Carrots
- 2 pounds baby carrots (or 1 1/2 pounds whole carrots, peeled and sliced)
Glaze
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Garnish (Optional)
- Fresh thyme
Instructions
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Add the baby carrots or peeled, sliced whole carrots to the 5 or 6-quart slow cooker, spreading them evenly.
- Mix the Glaze Ingredients: In a bowl or directly in the slow cooker, combine brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and pepper. Stir well to ensure the spices are evenly distributed over the carrots.
- Add Maple Syrup and Coat Carrots: Pour the maple syrup over the carrots and stir or toss carefully to coat all the carrots with the glaze mixture.
- Add Butter: Cut the butter into small cubes or pats and arrange them evenly over the coated carrots.
- Cook the Carrots: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 3 hours or on low heat for 5 to 6 hours until the carrots become fork-tender. If possible, stir 1 to 2 times during the cooking process to help coat the carrots evenly.
- Thicken the Glaze: To intensify the glaze, either remove the lid during the final 30 minutes of cooking and turn the slow cooker to high or transfer the carrots to a bowl to keep warm. Then pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat, whisking until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally sprinkle fresh thyme leaves over the glazed carrots before serving warm to add a fresh, aromatic finish.
Notes
- You can substitute whole carrots if baby carrots are unavailable; just peel and slice them evenly for uniform cooking.
- Stirring once or twice during cooking helps evenly distribute the glaze and prevents sticking.
- For a thicker glaze, simmering the cooking liquid separately intensifies the sweetness and texture.
- Fresh thyme garnish adds a subtle herbal note, but you can omit if preferred.
- This recipe works well as a make-ahead side dish; just reheat gently before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (approximately 150g)
- Calories: 130 kcal
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 270mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: slow cooker carrots, maple glazed carrots, brown sugar carrots, glazed carrots recipe, easy side dish, slow cooker side
