Carrots are roasted to caramelized perfection, then tossed in thyme-infused honey for an irresistible side dish. Serve on a bed of arugula for an impressive presentation.
Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 15-45 minutes until the carrots are fork-tender. Start checking for doneness after 15 minutes, but the carrots could take as long as 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the honey and thyme sprigs to a small saucepan. Warm over low heat to infuse the honey with the fresh thyme flavor. Remove the thyme before using. When the carrots are fork-tender, toss them with the honey. Serve on a bed of arugula, if desired.
¼ cup honey, 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
Notes
Cut the carrots into uniformly sized pieces. This is important to ensure all of the carrots roast evenly. For larger, fatter carrots, first cut the carrots in half crosswise. Then, cut the fatter half in half lengthwise. Then, cut into smaller chunks. For this recipe, I used large carrots that I halved and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces. They took 45 minutes to roast. Smaller pieces will roast faster.
The key to roasting carrots is using high heat. 425°F is an optimal temperature for roasting carrots and other vegetables. The amount of roasting time greatly depends on the size of the carrots and whether they are roasted whole or cut into smaller pieces.
Toss the carrots in the thyme honey AFTER roasting. First, this prevents the honey from burning. Secondly, this creates more of a glaze on the carrots and allows the thyme honey to shine (no pun intended).
Peeling the carrots is optional. Carrot skins are completely edible. They contain nutrients, so peeling the carrots removes some of these nutrients. If you choose not to peel the carrots, scrub them to remove any dirt, trim the ends, and proceed with the recipe.