Amazing Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Recipe
This Amazing Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrot recipe offers a sweet and buttery side dish that’s effortlessly tender and packed with warm flavors. Perfectly cooked in a slow cooker, these carrots are glazed with maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and a hint of cinnamon, making them an ideal complement to any hearty meal.
- 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
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
- Add Carrots: Place the baby carrots (or peeled and sliced whole carrots) into a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
- Mix Glaze Ingredients: In the slow cooker, sprinkle the brown sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and pepper over the carrots. Stir gently to combine and coat the carrots evenly with the dry ingredients.
- Pour Maple Syrup: Pour the maple syrup into the slow cooker and toss the mixture thoroughly to ensure all carrots are glazed uniformly.
- Add Butter: Cut the butter into cubes or pats and evenly distribute them over the top of the coated carrots to add richness during the slow cooking process.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 5-6 hours, until the carrots become fork-tender. If feasible, stir the carrots 1-2 times during cooking to redistribute the glaze and ensure even cooking.
- Thicken Glaze (Optional): To intensify the glaze’s thickness, either remove the slow cooker lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking and switch to high heat, allowing the liquid to reduce, or transfer the carrots to a serving bowl and keep warm. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat, whisking continuously for about 5 minutes, until thickened.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally, garnish the glazed carrots with fresh thyme before serving warm to add a touch of herbal freshness and visual appeal.
Notes
- Using baby carrots saves prep time, but peeled and sliced whole carrots work equally well.
- Adjust cooking time based on your slow cooker’s wattage and desired carrot tenderness.
- For a thicker glaze, removing the lid during the last cooking phase helps evaporate excess liquid.
- Fresh thyme garnish is optional but adds a nice complementary flavor.
- Butter can be substituted with a dairy-free alternative for a vegan-friendly version (note: the recipe as is is not vegan).
Keywords: slow cooker carrots, maple glazed carrots, brown sugar carrots, easy side dish, slow cooker recipe, glazed carrots
