Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrot Recipe
This Amazing Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrot recipe delivers tender, sweet carrots coated in a luscious buttery glaze infused with warm cinnamon and maple syrup. Perfect as a comforting side dish for any meal, the slow cooker does all the work, resulting in richly flavored carrots with minimal effort. Garnished with fresh thyme, this dish balances sweet and savory notes beautifully, making it a showstopper for holidays or everyday dinners.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes (high) or 6 hours 10 minutes (low)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- 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 pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Prepare the carrots: Add the baby carrots, or peeled and sliced whole carrots, into a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker.
- Mix dry seasonings: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and black pepper. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the carrots and gently stir to coat.
- Add maple syrup: Pour the maple syrup over the carrots and toss well to ensure all are evenly coated with the sweet glaze.
- Add butter: Cut the butter into small cubes or pats and distribute them over the top of the glazed carrots.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, until the carrots are fork-tender. For best results, stir the carrots once or twice during cooking to redistribute the glaze.
- Thicken the glaze: To achieve a thicker glaze, either remove the lid during the final 30 minutes of cooking and set the heat to high, allowing excess liquid to evaporate, or transfer the cooked carrots to a bowl (cover to keep warm), pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan, and simmer it over medium-high heat while whisking until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Serve: Gently toss the carrots in the thickened glaze, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs if desired, and serve warm alongside your favorite main dishes.
Notes
- You can use either baby carrots or peeled, sliced whole carrots depending on availability and preference.
- To enhance the flavor, stir the carrots occasionally during cooking to ensure even coating and prevent scorching.
- For a richer dish, use unsalted butter and adjust the salt level as needed.
- Fresh thyme adds a lovely herbal note, but you can substitute or omit based on taste.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger gatherings; adjust slow cooker size accordingly.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and gently reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (approx. 150g)
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
Keywords: slow cooker carrots, maple glazed carrots, brown sugar carrots, glazed carrots recipe, easy side dish, slow cooker side, sweet carrots
