Description
This Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots recipe offers a sweet and tender side dish perfect for holiday meals or everyday dinners. Baby carrots are glazed with a luscious mixture of pure maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, and warming cinnamon, then slow-cooked to perfection for a flavorful and effortless dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Carrots
- 2 pounds baby carrots
Glaze
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Place the baby carrots evenly in the slow cooker bowl to ensure even cooking.
- Make the Glaze: In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, unsalted butter cubes, ground cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Mix well until the ingredients are blended.
- Coat Carrots: Pour the glaze mixture over the baby carrots in the slow cooker. Toss gently to coat all the carrots evenly with the glaze.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 4 to 5 hours or on high heat for 2 to 3 hours. Carrots should become tender and nicely glazed by the end. If possible, stir the carrots once halfway through cooking to redistribute the glaze.
- Final Stir and Garnish: Before serving, stir the carrots gently to ensure they are fully coated with the glaze. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, for a pop of color and freshness.
Notes
- For extra flavor, add a pinch of nutmeg or a splash of fresh orange juice to the glaze mixture.
- This recipe can be doubled for holiday meals; just increase the cooking time slightly to account for the larger quantity.
- If you prefer a thicker, stickier glaze, remove the slow cooker lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking to allow some liquid to evaporate.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (low) or 2 hours (high)
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
