Sweet and spicy glazed carrots are a simple side dish that will work for just about any meal. They don’t take long to cook and they’re different enough from plain old carrots to make the meal seem a little bit fancy.

This recipe was adapted for the stove top from a slow cooker recipe. I found it written on a scrap piece of paper during a long-ago kitchen purge and scanned it “to the cloud” along with a bunch of other recipes. It reminds me of Amish cooking, but I don’t know where the recipe originally came from. I added the red pepper flakes for a little heat to counter the sweetness of the brown sugar and butter.

I’ve served these glazed carrots with roast chicken, but we’ve also had them with tofu. I added diced tofu to the carrots and onions and served the whole thing over rice. They also make a great dish to bring to a potluck.

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Carrots

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings:

Author: LydiaF

Ingredients

1 pound carrots peeled and sliced into coins 5 or 6 medium carrots Canned or frozen carrots may be substituted.
1 medium onion peeled and cut into half-moons or petals
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon butter or vegan spread
2 tablespoons brown sugar or to taste
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional

Instructions

pound carrots peeled and sliced into coins (5 or 6 medium carrots) Canned or frozen carrots may be substituted.
medium onion peeled and cut into half-moons or petals
tablespoon olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
tablespoon butter or vegan spread
tablespoons brown sugar or to taste
½ teaspoon vanilla
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Micro steam fresh or frozen carrots for four minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium high. Sauté the onions until they soften and begin to change color.
Add the carrots and butter, then stir to combine. Cover the skillet, lower the heat and cook for several minutes until the carrots are as tender as you like. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add a little water or more butter if necessary.
Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla, then season with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you might be using. Continue cooking until the brown sugar has formed a glaze over the carrots.