These Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips make the perfect side dish for a Sunday roast or special occasions such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. They are flavored with garlic, thyme, and mustard. It is extremely easy to prepare this healthy, and delicious roast veggies, and they pair perfectly with many dishes such as Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, Individual Salmon en Croute, Oven Roasted Turkey with Gravy, and Braised Beef Cheeks.
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Roasting parsnips and carrots intensifies their naturally sweet flavor and transform them into a crispy, tender, and delicious side dish. You can make these delicious roasted vegetables with only carrots or parsnips as well as a combination of both.
These honey-glazed carrots and parsnips go great with many entrées. Also, they look fancy enough to be a part of your Thanksgiving or Christmas table. This recipe always features as part of our Christmas dinner, as well as regular Sunday roast dinners along with extra crispy Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Baked Cheesy Cauliflower, Homemade Mini Pigs in a Blanket, and Swede and Carrot Mash.
Parsnips Health Benefits
Parsnips are similar to carrots but less appreciated root vegetables with a sweet and nutty taste. They are widely available during autumn but can also be found throughout the winter months.
Parsnips are high in fiber which may help maintain regularity and reduce blood cholesterol levels. They are also an excellent source of potassium, iron, calcium, copper, manganese, and phosphorus as well as vitamin C, K1, and B6/Folate.
Why This Recipe Works?
- These Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips are the perfect accompaniment to your Sunday roast or Thanksgiving dinner.
- They are extremely easy to prepare, and you only need a few ingredients you might already have in your fridge.
- These delicious roasted root vegetables are also very healthy. They are gluten-free, and dairy-free and can easily be made vegan friendly by substituting honey with maple syrup.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Carrots - Pick medium-sized carrots, similar in size to parsnips. Peel and cut them into chunky wedges. Make sure they all are cut in similar sizes for even cooking.
- Parsnips - These sweet and earthy root vegetables are very similar to carrots. Buy medium-sized parsnips as they are best for roasting. Peel and cut them into similar sizes and shapes as the carrots.
- Honey - Use clear honey that is runny enough to cover the vegetables. Substitute it with maple syrup if you want to make this side dish vegan.
- Mustard - I use wholegrain mustard to enhance the flavor and add a mild spiciness to sweet honey-covered roasted vegetables. Dijon mustard works great too if you want something a bit stronger.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring, and adds sweetness and nuttiness to roasted carrots and parsnips. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Honey-glazed parsnips and carrots are extremely easy to make and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Prepare the Honey Glaze
Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F). Finely chop the thyme leaves, turn the garlic into a paste, and set them aside.
Whisk together honey, olive oil, garlic, wholegrain mustard, finely chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and allspice in a large bowl. Set it aside.
Coat The Vegetables and Roast
Peel and cut the vegetables into similar size and shaped chunks, and add them into the bowl with honey glaze.
Stir well until all the carrots and parsnips are covered with the honey glaze.
Nicely arrange the vegetables in a baking tray on a single layer.
Place them in preheated oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until they are nicely caramelized and tender.
Garnish with chopped herbs and serve warm along with your favorite roast dishes.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Serving Suggestions
These honey-glazed root vegetables are a great accompaniment to many dishes such as Slow Roasted Turkey Leg (With Gravy), Turkey Shepherd's Pie, Baked Sea Bass in Foil - Firinda Levrek, Boneless Leg of Lamb, Air Fryer Sausage, Dutch Oven Whole Roast Chicken, and Mushroom and Leek Pie.
Top Tips From the Chef
- Cut the carrots and parsnips into similar size and shaped chunks. This will give you evenly cooked vegetables.
- Use a tray large enough to fit the vegetables in one layer without overcrowding it to ensure nicely caramelized and evenly cooked vegetables.
- Replace the honey with maple syrup if you want to make this side dish vegan-friendly.
Recipe FAQs
No, you don't need to parboil the parsnips before roasting them. They will cook at the same time as the carrots. Make sure to pick medium-sized parsnips when purchasing them.
You can peel and cut the vegetables a day before and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container. Also, you can prepare the honey glazing up to 2 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in a jar or a container.
The leftover honey-roasted parsnips and carrots would keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
The leftovers are also great for making soup. I simply add ½ cup of lentils, roasted garlic, and onions from roasting the Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder, and stock to a pan along with the leftover veggies.
Related Recipes
For more delicious side dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these incredibly delicious, colorful, and healthy Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Honey Glaze
- 1 ½ tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (pasted)
- 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 4 sprigs thyme (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
For the Vegetables
- 500 g carrots (cut into chunks)
- 500 g parsnip (cut into chunks)
Instructions
Preparing the Honey Glaze
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
- Finely chop the thyme leaves, turn the garlic into a paste, and set them aside.
- Whisk together honey, olive oil, garlic, wholegrain mustard, finely chopped thyme, salt, pepper, and allspice in a large bowl. Set it aside.
Roasting the Vegetables
- Peel and cut the vegetables into similar size and shaped chunks, and add them into the bowl with honey glaze.
- Stir well until all the carrots and parsnips are covered with the honey glaze.
- Nicely arrange the vegetables in a baking tray on a single layer.
- Place them in preheated oven and bake for 40 - 45 minutes, until they are nicely caramelized and tender.
- Garnish with chopped herbs and serve warm along with your favorite roast dishes.
Notes
- Cut the carrots and parsnips into similar size and shaped chunks. This will give you evenly cooked vegetables.
- Use a tray large enough to fit the vegetables in one layer without overcrowding it to ensure nicely caramelized and evenly cooked vegetables.
- Replace the honey with maple syrup if you want to make this side dish vegan-friendly.
- The leftover honey-roasted parsnips and carrots would keep for up to five days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
- You can peel and cut the vegetables a day before and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Also, you can prepare the honey glazing up to 2 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in a jar or a container.
Nutrition
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Anna
These were a delicious side dish to our roast lamb dinner. Everyone loved them, including my kids!