These slow cooker brown sugar glazed carrots are one of our favorite side dishes! Coated with butter, brown sugar and parsley they are tender, sweet and full of flavor.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
These slow cooker brown sugar glazed carrots make a great Thanksgiving side dish alongside a baked ham or roasted turkey. You could always make glazed carrots on the stove, but I love the simplicity of this crockpot version!
They are effortless, use only a few simple ingredients and are so flavorful. Crockpot glazed carrots are great for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner or on any busy weeknight!
Cooking carrots in a crockpot results in the natural sugars to be released. The added brown sugar glaze elevates the sweetness but it never overpowers the flavor. A vegetable side dish that everyone will love, even the kids!
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots: Your choice of whole or baby carrots. You can’t go wrong either way, but I personally love to peel and chop mine.
- Butter: Grab the salted butter to use for this dish. It adds a richness to the glaze.
- Brown sugar: This gives the glaze the perfect sweetness. Honey also works too.
How to Make Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots
- Prep. Peel and slice the carrots into 4 to 5 pieces. Cutting them on a slight angle gives them a bit of a rustic feel. Otherwise, cut them how you like! Place them into the slow cooker.
- Melt the butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. You can brown it if you’d like, which will give the carrots a bit more of an earthy flavor. Follow this by adding in the sugar and salt and cook to combine.
- Coat the carrots. Pour the butter sugar mixture over the carrots sitting in the crockpot. Stir well to combine, making sure all carrots are coated evenly. Cover with the lid and cook until tender.
- Keep warm. If you aren’t ready to serve them immediately, turn the crockpot onto the warm setting until ready. Salt and pepper to taste and add optional fresh parsley for garnish.
Cooking Tips
- Thicker glaze. For an optional thicker glaze using all the remaining juices in the cooker, continue cooking uncovered until glaze has thickened up.
- Make ahead. Make these ahead of time and heat through before serving.
- Caramelization. For an added outer crispy exterior and nice caramelization, finish them off in the oven. Be careful not to burn them as the sugars will do that quickly!
- Added flavor. Sprinkle some cinnamon for an added layer of flavor.
- Variety. For even more added convenience, use baby carrots so that there’s no chopping involved. Or for a pop of color, use rainbow carrots.
Storage
- Store: Glazed crockpot carrots will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Do not freeze.
- Reheat: Place leftover carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook until heated through. You may want to make and add some extra glaze.
Our family loves carrot recipes! Other favorites include balsamic roasted carrots, Parmesan roasted carrots and roasted potatoes and carrots.
More Easy Slow Cooker Side Dishes
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Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds whole carrots (can also use baby carrots)
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar (or honey)
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper , to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and slice 2 pounds carrots into 4 to 5 pieces. Place into the slow cooker.
- In a small saucepan, melt 3 Tablespoons butter over medium heat. You can brown the butter for a nuttier flavor, if desired. Stir in 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook an additional minute.
- Pour glaze over the carrots and stir until well coated. Add an extra Tablespoon of brown sugar if desired. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on high for 3 hours, or until tender.
- Turn the slow cooker to warm until ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with parsley to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Christmas, Crockpot, Crockpot, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegetables
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Why does it say cook time 25 min. when, in fact, it’s hours? Please correct.
Woops, thanks for catching our mistake! We’ve updated the recipe.
I love this recipe! Perfect way to cook carrots :)
I’m so glad to hear you love it!
The glaze on these carrots was delish!