Roasted Tricolor Carrots with Coconut Orange Glaze

These roasted tricolor carrots with a coconut orange glaze are a wonderful side dish for fall and the holidays. They might just emerge as one of your favorite vegetable recipes. 

Roasting carrots really brings out the flavor and sweetness in this vegetable, and using multicolored heirloom carrots adds so much to the appeal of this dish. Plus, the variety of carrots adds a more complex depth of flavor that is beyond what you expect, from earthy, to savory, to sweet. You can even roast the carrots, let them cool, and combine them in a pasta salad with kale. 

Plus, these carrots are absolutely gorgeous as part of your Thanksgiving dinner. Don't be surprised if everyone goes for seconds. 

These carrots are roasted in a mixture coconut oil and fresh thyme and then tossed in a glaze of butter, coconut nectar, and orange juice and then further roasted until sweet, shiny, and fork tender. 

They're sooooo good! 

Ingredients in These Roasted Carrots:

Heirloom Carrots: I used multicolored heirloom carrots. You can sometimes find them in bunches with the tops still attached, in bags of whole carrots without the tops, or in packages of "baby" carrots, the ones that are pre-cut and peeled. I prefer the whole carrots with the tops but they aren't always readily available. 

You can also easily substitute standard carrots, preferably organic with the tops still attached. They're smaller, seem to have a sweeter flavor and seem to stay fresh longer than loose carrots. 

Coconut Oil: It usually comes in a jar in solid form but melts easily. You could substitute olive oil if you prefer. 

Thyme: Use fresh thyme leaves that you finely chop to release more flavor. 

Salt and Pepper: I used coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Butter: For the glaze. 

Coconut Nectar: Coconut nectar is obtained by tapping a coconut tree, similar to how you would extract maple syrup from a maple tree. The flavor is sweet but not strongly of coconut, so if you cannot find it, you can easily substitute honey or agave syrup. Maple syrup might be a little too strongly flavored. 

Orange Juice and Orange Zest: Use any orange variety. I used Mandarin oranges, also sometimes called Pixie Tangerines. 

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. 

Parsley: For finishing. 

To Prepare These Carrots:

First, either scrub or peel the carrots and cut them into pieces. Toss them in melted coconut oil, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. 

Next, spread the carrots out onto a baking sheet and roast them for about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their thickness. In the meantime, prepare the glaze by cooking the butter, the coconut nectar, and orange juice together along with the crushed red pepper flakes until it is reduced by 25 percent and slightly thickened. Add the zest and pour the glaze over the carrots. Continue to roast the carrots for another ten minutes or so. 

Finally, when the carrots are fork tender, transfer them to a serving bowl and sprinkle them with fresh parsley. 

This recipe serves four but can easily be doubled for a larger group. 

Sunday Funday - Fresh Vegetables:

This week, we are sharing recipes incorporating fresh vegetables! 

• Air Fryer Honey Roasted Parsnips from Palatable Pastime 
• Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms from Food Lust People Love 
• Insalata di Pomodori from Culinary Cam
• Roasted Tricolor Carrots with Coconut Orange Glaze from Karen’s Kitchen Stories  
• Smoked Kielbasa and Vegetables Skewers from A Day in the Life on the Farm 
• Tomato & Zucchini Galette from Amy’s Cooking Adventures  

Roasted Tricolor Carrots with Coconut Orange Glaze

Yield: 4 Servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

These roasted tricolor carrots with a coconut orange glaze are a wonderful side dish for fall and the holidays. They might just emerge as one of your favorite vegetable recipes. 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds mixed heirloom carrots, scrubbed or peeled
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 2 teaspoons flake sea salt or kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup coconut or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Heat you oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Slice the carrots on an angle into 1 1/2 inch lengths and place them into a large bowl. Toss them with the coconut oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread the carrrots over a quarter or half sheet pan in a single layer.
3. Roast the carrots for 20 to 30 minutes.
4. While the carrots are roasting, prepare the glaze by combining the butter, coconut nectar, orange juice, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the mixture has reduced by a quarter and slightly thickened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the zest.
5. Remove the carrots from the oven and pour the glaze over them in the pan. Toss the carrots in the glaze and return the pan to the oven. Roast the carrots an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are browned around the edges and fork tender.
6. Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the parsley.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

347

Fat (grams)

20 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

15 g

Carbs (grams)

44 g

Fiber (grams)

4 g

Net carbs

40 g

Sugar (grams)

35 g

Protein (grams)

3 g

Cholesterol (grams)

15 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2025/09/roasted-tricolor-carrots-with-coconut.html

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Recipe adapted from Cooking with Coconut by Ramin Ganeshram. I received a review copy.