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Maple Bacon Carrots

Maple Bacon Carrots are oven-roasted until tender and caramelized, then finished with a glossy maple-Dijon glaze. Crispy bacon bits and flaky sea salt add savory crunch over sweet, roasted carrots.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Carrots
  • 2 lb baby carrots or whole carrots peeled and halved
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt for serving
Maple glaze
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 tsp fresh thyme
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Bacon
  • 6 strips bacon diced

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and crisp the bacon
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. In a skillet, cook the diced bacon until crispy, then remove and drain, keeping about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
Make the maple-Dijon glaze
  1. In the same skillet, whisk pure maple syrup, melted unsalted butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme, and black pepper until smooth.
Roast the carrots
  1. Toss the peeled, halved baby carrots in the maple mixture until evenly coated, then spread them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast for 25-30 minutes at 400F, tossing halfway, until caramelized and tender.
Finish and serve
  1. Scatter the cooked crispy bacon bits over the hot carrots. Finish with flaky sea salt to serve.

Notes

For best caramelization, spread the carrots in a single layer so they roast instead of steam. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat on a sheet pan at 375F until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended as the carrots can soften too much. For a lower-fat swap, use turkey bacon and add only a small splash of olive oil to replace the rendered fat.