Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips are a delicious, easy side dish that works great with any meal. You can serve these roasted root veggies with a roast dinner, a weeknight meal, or a holiday feast like Christmas dinner.
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Parsnips and carrots are root vegetables that are related to each other. They have the same shape and a similar sweetness. Both vegetables are delicious when roasted.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- These honey glazed carrots and parsnips are a delicious side dish that goes with almost everything.
- You can serve honey roasted carrots and parsnips with a weeknight meal or a holiday dinner.
- Roasting carrots and parsnips is a healthier option because they retain more of their nutrients than with boiling.
- The honey glaze helps to give the vegetables a delicious caramelization.
- This simple side dish takes just 30 minutes in the oven.
- Honey helps to intensify the natural sweetness of parsnips and carrots.
- A tasty side dish that the whole family will love!
Ingredient Notes
- Parsnips. Fresh, firm, young parsnips are ideal. Look for the smallest ones you can find.
- Carrots Look for firm, bright orange carrots with no cracks.
- Thyme Fresh thyme is best, but if you don't have it, use one teaspoon of dried thyme.
- Honey You can use maple syrup instead.
- Butter Melt the butter in the microwave. I use salted butter but unsalted butter works too.
- Olive Oil Avocado oil, or any vegetable oil is also great for roasted carrots and parsnips.
- Salt & Pepper
How to Make It
These instructions are intended as a visual guide. Complete detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- With a sharp knife, slice carrots and parsnips in half.
- Slice the halves lengthwise in half (or thirds for thicker ends, so that all the pieces are of similar size.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, butter, and olive oil.
- Put the parsnips and carrots on a parchment paper lined baking tray and pour the honey mixture over the vegetables. Toss with your hands to coat and spread them in a single layer.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
- Roast until the carrots and parsnips are tender and caramelized.
Helpful Tips
- Try to cut the vegetables into equal sized pieces to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Make sure the vegetables are spread in a single layer on the baking pan. This will allow the pieces to cook evenly, and also let's them brown instead of steam.
- You can easily double or even triple this recipe. Just toggle the number of servings at the top of the recipe card. You will need two or more sheet pans. (See point above).
- You can use just carrots for honey roasted carrots, or parsnips for honey roasted parsnips.
- For a vegan version of these glazed parsnips and carrots, substitute maple syrup for the honey and replace the butter with more oil.
- If you like a little bit of spice to balance the sweetness, try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the honey mixture before coating the veggies.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Common Questions
There's no need to peel carrots, they just need a good scrub. Smaller, fresh parsnips can usually be treated the same. However, larger, older parsnips will usually need to be peeled or they'll have a woody texture. It's also a matter of personal preference.
It isn't necessary to parboil the parsnips. But if you do choose to parboil, it will shorten the cooking time. Especially if your parsnips are very large.
Yes, you can peel (if desired) and slice the vegetables the day before you plan to roast them. Just keep them covered in cold water in the fridge until you want to use them.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious roasted vegetables go great with just about any main dish. They're a great side dish for chicken like roast chicken or Cornish hens. And a perfect addition to a meatless meal like Stuffed Acorn Squash. This tasty side dish goes equally well with seafood like salmon and with steak or ribs, too.
More Delicious Side Dishes
I have all kinds of delicious veggie side dishes for you to try! Check out some of these:
- Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
- Braised Red Cabbage with Apples
- Mashed Potato Squash
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Brown Sugar Roasted Carrots
- Sautéed Green Beans With Garlic & Lemon
- Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
- Sautéed Beet Greens Recipe
- Roasted Rutabaga
- Miso Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots
- 4 medium parsnips
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Scrub the carrots and parsnips well, and slice off the root and stem ends.
- Cut the vegetables in half, then cut each half lengthwise in half, or into thirds for the thicker ends.
- Spread the carrots and parsnips in a single layer of a parchment lined baking sheet and pour the honey mixture over them. Toss with your hands to coat well.
- Sprinkle with thyme, salt, & pepper
- Roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway through, or until the vegetables are fork tender and beginning to brown.
- Serve hot, garnished with more fresh thyme sprigs or parsley if desired.
Notes
- Try to cut the vegetables into equal sized pieces to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Make sure the vegetables are spread in a single layer on the baking pan. This will allow the pieces to cook evenly, and also let's them brown instead of steam.
- You can easily double or even triple this recipe. Just toggle the number of servings at the top of the recipe card. You will need two or more sheet pans. (See point above).
- You can use just carrots for honey roasted carrots, or parsnips for honey roasted parsnips.
- For a vegan version of these glazed parsnips and carrots, substitute maple syrup for the honey and replace the butter with more oil.
- If you like a little bit of spice to balance the sweetness, try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes to the honey mixture before coating the veggies.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
Cathleen
I love honey roasted carrots, so adding parsnips to my usual roasted vegetables made it so much better 🙂
Colleen
I'm happy to hear this Cathleen! Thanks for commenting!
Jacqueline Debono
Growing up in the UK roasted parsnips were a staple with out Sunday roast. Now I live in Italy, parsnips are hard to find but I do come across them occasionally. Next time, I'll give this recipe a try. I love the idea of roasting parsnips and carrots together.
Colleen
Hi Jacqueline, that's interesting about parsnips in the UK. Thanks for sharing and hopefully you will find some parsnips soon.
Amanda Mason
Who would have thought parsnips and carrots would taste so good together! Loved the flavor in this recipe. It's a great side dish with chicken!
Colleen
Hi Amanda, I'm so happy that you loved this recipe Amanda. And chicken is a perfect pairing for these veggies.
Maddy
Parsnips are one of those things I never make because I never know what to do with them, so I'm really glad I found this recipe. It was simple, yet incredibly flavored.
Colleen
Hi Maddy, I'm glad you found this recipe, too! Thanks for your feedback.
Kristina
The vegan version of this recipe was wonderful! I used extra virgin olive oil instead of butter and maple syrup. I also used more carrots and decreased the parsnips because I wasn't sure if my family would eat parsnips but they enjoyed them.
Colleen
Hi Kristina, I'm glad your family enjoyed the vegan version of this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Helene
This honey glaze is a game changer; it brings this caramelized taste and enhances the sweetness of the carrots. So simple and such a good side dish, everyone loved this recipe.
Colleen
Helene, I love hearing that this recipe was a hit. Thanks for letting me know!
Jessica
I hadn't thought about adding parsnips to this kind of side - delish! The honey and roasting directions make everything so juicy.
Colleen
Hi Jessica, I'm so happy to hear that you loved this delicious side dish! Thanks for commenting.
Justine
Colleen, I love this approachable but elevated side. We have SO many garden carrots to use up this year and I'm excited to give your recipe a go. Thank you!
Colleen
Hi Justine. These honey roasted carrots and parsnips are a great way to use some of them. Enjoy!
Marie B
Thinking of lovely side dishes to go with my thyme roasted chicken, this sounds like the right sidekick! Gonna try it out soon! Thanks for sharing.
Colleen
Sounds like a perfect pairing, Marie. Enjoy!
Lily
Wow, roasting it this way is so incredibly good! Really brings out the flavours of the root vegetables.
Colleen
Hi Lily, I'm so happy you loved the recipe. Thanks for your feedback.
Bernice
I am the odd person out in my family because I LOVE parsnips. I just can't understand why anyone would hate them. Anyway, I made a pan of this and kept all the delicious parsnips for myself. Everyone was happy.
Colleen
Great to hear that everyone was happy, Bernice! Thanks for commenting.
Ana F.
My roasted veggies turned out so delicious! My family is so happy and it'll be on rotation from now on. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Colleen
Ana, I love hearing this! I'm so glad your family loved the carrots and parsnips!
nancy
omgosh i never liked parsnips until now. they go really well with the honey glaze!
Colleen
Nancy, I'm glad this recipe turned you into a parsnip fan! Thanks for commenting.
Sara Welch
Served this with dinner last night and they turned out perfectly tender, juicy and flavorful; even my picky eaters gobbled them up!
Colleen
Hi Sara! This is great to hear! The honey glaze on the veggies usually sways the picky eaters! Thanks for sharing!
Beth
I'm making a beef roast tomorrow, and these are going to be served right along side it. They sound so good!
Colleen
Enjoy, Beth! Honey roasted carrots and parsnips are perfect for a roast!