Roasted Carrots
October 6, 2026
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Carrots have a bit of an image problem, even I wasn’t a fan of boiled carrots as a child although I love them raw with a simple aïoli sauce. They’re the vegetable most people pushes to the side until you do something special with them. Roasted carrots with honey and herbs are that special thing you can do with them, and than they’re the first thing to disappear!
Carottes rôties au miel is a common side dish in France. But it’s true that we like making this as a festive and sweet side for the holidays too. You can serve these honey glazed carrots with a grilled fish, a slice of quiche or with a plate of lentils if you’re keeping it vegetarian. They reheat well too, which is always a bonus!
Table of Contents
Where honey glazed roasted carrots come from
There’s no grand origin story here. Honey roasted carrots aren’t a regional classic with centuries of history. They’re what French home cooks make on a weeknight because they’re cheap, quick and everyone likes them. You’ll find them in family kitchens as well as school canteens.
The herbes de Provence have a more interesting story. People in Provence have been picking wild thyme, rosemary and savory on the hillsides forever, but the blend in a jar is surprisingly recent. It’ was first sold as a ready-made mix in the 1960s and 70s, with the spice company Ducros among the first.’s very useful in winter when you don’t have the fresh herbs in your garden!
Ingredients
- Carrots — medium carrots, peeled and cut into even pieces. Young carrots can go in whole, just scrubbed.
- Olive oil — coats the carrots so they roast and colour instead of drying out.
- Honey — a liquid honey is easiest to mix, and it’s what gives the glaze. A thyme or lavender honey works brilliantly here.
- Garlic — pressed and mixed with the honey, so it goes in halfway through cooking. Pressed garlic burns quickly at high heat, and burnt garlic tastes bitter.
- Herbes de Provence — the classic French mix of thyme, rosemary, savory and oregano. A little goes a long way.
- Salt and pepper — to season, before the carrots go in the oven.
How to make roasted carrots
1. Cut the carrots evenly
Cut the carrots so the pieces are roughly the same size. Halve them lengthways, or quarter the thick ends. Otherwise you end up with some carrots burnt and others still crunchy.
2. Coat them, but hold back the honey
Toss the carrots in a big bowl with the oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Use your hands, it’s messy but it’s the best way to coat every piece. Mix the honey and pressed garlic in a small bowl and keep them aside for now.
3. Give them space
Spread the carrots out on the tray in a single layer. Piled up, they steam instead of roasting, and you lose the caramelised edges, which are the whole point.
4. Roast, then glaze
Roast at 200°C for about 15 minutes, then drizzle over the honey and garlic and give everything a good stir. Back in they go until a knife slides in easily and the edges are golden and sticky. Adding the glaze halfway means the honey and garlic caramelise without burning.
Tools for this recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials and cookware!
- Use a large baking tray so the carrots can spread out in a single layer and roast instead of steam.
- Use baking paper on the tray, because honey caramelises and sticks, and nobody wants to scrub that.
- Use a garlic press to crush the garlic finely, so it melts into the honey glaze.
- Use a good vegetable peeler to make quick work of a kilo of carrots.
Tips for success
- Cut evenly: pieces of the same size cook at the same speed, so nothing burns while the rest catches up.
- Don’t crowd the tray: use two trays if you need to. Crowded carrots steam and go soft without colouring.
- Add the honey and garlic halfway: both burn at 200°C if they go in at the start. Halfway through, they have just enough time to caramelise.
- Watch the colour: if the carrots brown too fast, turn the oven down to 180°C.
- Season before roasting: salt brings out the carrots’ natural sweetness, so add it at the start.
How to store it
- In the fridge: they keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Reheating: warm them in the oven at 180°C for 5 to 10 minutes, or in a frying pan. The microwave works, but they lose their roasted edges.
- Cold: leftovers are good cold too, chopped into a salad or a lunchbox.
More recipes to try
Variations
- With fresh herbs: swap the herbes de Provence for fresh thyme or rosemary, or scatter chopped parsley over the top when they come out of the oven.
- With butter: replace half the oil with butter for a richer, rounder glaze.
- With a splash of vinegar: a little cider vinegar or balsamic at the end balances the sweetness of the honey.
- With maple syrup: swap the honey for maple syrup to make them vegan.
- With other roots: parsnips, sweet potatoes or red onion wedges roast in the same time and look lovely mixed in.
- With goat’s cheese: crumble some fresh goat’s cheese over the hot carrots just before serving, and they become a starter.
FAQ
How long do you bake carrots in the oven?
About 30 to 35 minutes at 200°C for medium carrots cut into halves or quarters. Thinner or young carrots can be ready in 20 to 25 minutes. They’re done when a knife slides in easily.
What temperature is best for oven roasted carrots?
200°C. Hot enough to caramelise the honey and colour the edges, but not so hot that the glaze burns before the carrots are tender.
When do you add honey to roasted carrots?
Halfway through cooking. Added at the start, honey can burn before the carrots are soft. Added halfway, it turns into a sticky glaze.
Should I peel carrots before roasting?
Big carrots, yes, as the skin can taste a bit bitter. Young, thin carrots just need a good scrub.
What’s in herbes de Provence?
The Label Rouge blend is rosemary, savory, oregano and thyme. Some commercial mixes add basil, marjoram or lavender, but the French Label Rouge recipe doesn’t.
Can I make honey glazed carrots ahead?
Yes. Roast them a few hours or a day ahead and reheat them in the oven at 180°C for 5 to 10 minutes. They’re also good at room temperature.
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 35 minutes 
Total Time 45 minutes 
Servings 4Description
Ingredients
- 1 kg carrots peeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 pinch black pepper freshly ground
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic
Equipment
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven
- Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Cut the carrots
- Cut the carrots into even pieces: halve them lengthways, and quarter any thick ends.
3. Season the carrots
- In a large bowl, toss the carrots with the olive oil, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix the honey and pressed garlic.
4. Roast
- Spread the carrots on the tray in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes.
5. Glaze and finish
- Drizzle the honey and garlic over the carrots, stir well and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until tender and caramelised. Serve hot.
Notes
- Cut the carrots evenly so they cook at the same speed.
- Use two trays if needed. Crowded carrots steam instead of roasting.
- Add the honey and garlic halfway so they don’t burn. If they colour too fast, lower the oven to 180°C.
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 5 to 10 minutes.
Share your feedback and spread the love!
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a ★★★★★ rating and your thoughts in the comments, it helps fellow French foodies discover this recipe too. Snap a photo and tag @obviously.french on Instagram. Come talk about it in our Facebook group. And don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you’ll always have it handy for your next French-inspired meal!
