Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar – Holiday Worthy Deliciousness!

In this post: Slow-Cooker Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar – A burst of sweet, buttery flavor and chewy texture. Easy to make for the holidays and SO delicious that no one will complain about eating their veggies!

The holiday season is right around the corner and these slow cooker glazed carrots are bound to be a crowd favorite! Give this flavorful side dish a try with step-by-step instructions.

Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots Ingredients

• Carrots: a nutrient-rich, crunchy root vegetable. Carrots are often orange, but can also be purple, black, red, yellow, and white!
• Butter: a versatile dairy product made from cream. Butter is often used in baking, cooking, and as a flavoring agent, spread, garnish, etc.
• Brown sugar: produced by adding molasses to white sugar. Brown sugar is often used in baking but is also a tasty addition to dishes such as these glazed carrots.
• Sea salt: made from the evaporation of ocean or seawater. It’s processed much less than table salt and retains trace minerals. 
• Garlic: a vegetable in the onion family, garlic is a popular flavoring ingredient in dishes worldwide.
• Thyme: a flowery-tasting herb that is often used as a garnish.

Variations

• Honey balsamic glaze: replace the brown sugar and garlic with 1/4 cup of honey and 1/4 of balsamic vinegar.
• Honey herb glaze: replace the brown sugar with 3 tbsps of honey, 2 tsp of finely chopped fresh rosemary, and 2 tsp of finely chopped fresh sage.

How to Make Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots

1. Scrub carrots clean and use a sharp knife to trim off the ends and slice the carrots into 2” chunks. Add chopped carrots to the slow cooker.

2. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Whisk in brown sugar, salt, and minced garlic. Pour over the top of the carrots and toss to coat.

3. Cook on high for 3 hours or until the carrots are tender.

4. Serve warm after spooning the juices over the carrots and garnishing with finely chopped fresh thyme.

What to Serve with Glazed Carrots

• Mashed Potatoes
• Gluten-Free Stuffing
• Homemade Gravy
• Roast Turkey

Tips

• Peeling the carrots makes them look more appealing, however, it is unnecessary. Carrots are the healthiest unpeeled because the skin of the carrots contains many nutrients.
• If you want to cook the carrots for longer, cook them on low (instead of high) for at least 4 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I prep ahead?

You can wash and cut the carrots ahead of time and store them in a covered bowl or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

Can I make glazed carrots ahead of time?

Yes! You can cook them 2-3 days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you want to eat them.

Should I peel the carrots?

You can peel the carrots if you want, but you don’t have to! Carrot peels carry more nutrients than the rest of the vegetable and they don’t affect the flavor of this dish.

How long does it take for carrots to soften in the crock pot?

The glazed carrots will soften in 3 hours with the crock pot on high or in 4-6 hours with the crock pot on low.

Can I make roasted carrots in the oven?

Absolutely! Spread the glazed carrots out on a baking dish and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F until the carrots are tender (about 15-20 minutes).

Best carrots to use?

I use whole carrots cut into 3-4 chunks, but you can also use baby carrots if you want to.

Can I use frozen carrots?

You can absolutely use frozen carrots! But you should thaw them first so the glaze thickens and sticks to the carrots.

How to store leftovers

You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezing these glazed carrots is inadvisable, as they will likely become mushy and watery when reheated.

Dietary Considerations

To make these slow cooker glazed carrots dairy-free, use a non-dairy or vegan butter substitute. Or you can also use olive oil instead of butter.

More Holiday Dishes

• Gluten-Free Stuffing
• Gluten-Free Banana Bread
• Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
• Gluten-Free Apple Pie

More Easy Side Dishes

• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Roasted Mushrooms
• Oven Roasted Veggies
• Bacon Wrapped Asparagus