For a perfect roast beef side, try these honey roasted carrots and parsnips. Infused with thyme, they're easy to make and packed with natural sweetness.
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With their crispy caramelised edges and soft, tender middle, these honey glazed carrots and parsnips are the perfect addition to any roast dinner or Christmas lunch.
They always feature as part of our Christmas meal, and we love serving them up as a regular side dish throughout the year too.
👩🍳 Love roast vegetables? Try my easy roasted baby potatoes, roast courgettes, and roasted Tenderstem broccoli!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- They're the perfect accompaniment to roast dinners and Christmas lunch.
- Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of these vegetables, while adding a delicious caramelised edge that you just can't get with boiling.
- They're ready in under 45 minutes.
- You can cook them at the same time as your roast potatoes. Simply pop them in the oven alongside your potatoes and let them roast to perfection together.
🥘 Ingredients
Carrots - 6 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthways. It's best to choose carrots of a similar size so that they cook evenly.
Parsnips - 4 medium-sized parsnips, peeled and quartered. Make sure to remove any woody cores.
Honey - 3 tablespoons of clear runny honey. You could substitute this for maple syrup if you are serving this dish to vegans.
Thyme - 1 teaspoon of dried thyme. If you have fresh thyme available, feel free to use that instead.
Olive Oil - for roasting.
Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
🔪 How to make honey roasted carrots and parsnips
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Peel and halve the carrots lengthways, and peel and cut the parsnips into quarters (removing any woody cores).
Two: Lay the carrots and parsnips onto a baking tray.
Three: Whisk together the oil and honey and brush over the carrots and parsnips.
Four: Sprinkle over the dried thyme, salt and pepper and turn each carrot and parsnip over in the baking tin to make sure they are fully coated in the honey and oil mix.
Five: Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes until tender, turning the vegetables halfway through cooking to ensure they cook evenly (I use a large metal spoon to do this).
Top Tips
- Use a baking tin large enough so that your veggies aren't overcrowded. This will help them crisp up and cook evenly.
- Make sure the oven has been preheated for 10 minutes prior to placing the roasting tray in the oven.
- Cut your carrots and parsnips into similar sizes so that they cook evenly.
- Don't be afraid to add a little extra honey if you want your veggies to be extra sweet. Just make sure they are still coated evenly so they don't burn.
- If you want to add a little extra flavour, try adding a sprinkle of paprika or cumin to your veggies before roasting.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve the honey roast carrots and parsnips as part of a roast dinner, Sunday lunch, or Christmas lunch with polenta roast potatoes, slow cooker red cabbage, sausage meat stuffing, devils on horseback, carrot and swede mash, creamed cabbage, bread sauce, and roast chicken, roast beef, or turkey.
They are also great served with winter stews and casseroles, such as this easy sausage casserole or beef goulash.
📖 Variations
- For a bit of heat, add 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard to the honey and oil mixture before roasting.
- If you want an even sweeter, more caramelised flavour, swap the honey for maple syrup.
- Experiment with different herbs. Try using rosemary instead of thyme, or why not use both herbs together? Fresh or dried herbs are both fine to use.
- For a real flavour boost, sprinkle half a teaspoon of smoked paprika over the dish just before roasting.
- Swap the olive oil for melted butter for a richer, more indulgent taste.
- If you're serving this recipe as part of Christmas lunch, finish the dish with a sprinkling of freshly toasted pecan nuts.
- For a speedier recipe, try making them in an air fryer. Follow the directions for my air fryer parsnips recipe!
🥡 Storage
The honey-roasted root vegetables are best eaten fresh, straight from the oven. However, if you have leftovers, don't worry - they can still be enjoyed!
Make Ahead - Peel the carrot and parsnips the night before and leave them in a sealed container in the fridge. This will save you time on the day of cooking and ensure that your veggies are fresh and ready to go.
Store - In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This will help keep them fresh and prevent them from drying out.
Reheat - When reheating, it's best to use the oven. Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6 and place the veggies in an oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with foil to prevent them from burning, and reheat for 15-20 minutes, or until they are heated through.
Freeze - You can freeze honey roasted carrots and parsnips. However, it's important to note that the texture may change slightly after freezing and reheating.
❓ FAQs
You can peel and chop the carrots and parsnips up to 48 hours before, and place them in a sealed container in the fridge until needed.
Personally, I do tend to peel the carrots and parsnips before roasting, but feel free to leave the skins on if you prefer. Wash and scrub the carrots and parsnips, then thoroughly dry them before roasting.
There is no need to parboil parsnips before roasting. Make sure you cut out any tough woody bits from the inner core.
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More tasty side dishes from the Effortless Foodie kitchen!
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Recipe
Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Vegetable Peeler
Ingredients
- 6 Carrots
- 4 Parsnips
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °fan/ Gas 7).
- Peel and halve the carrots lengthways, and peel and cut the parsnips into quarters (removing any woody cores). Lay the carrots and parsnips onto a baking tray, making sure they have plenty of space and are in one layer.6 Carrots, 4 Parsnips
- Whisk together the oil and honey and brush over the carrots and parsnips.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 2 tablespoon Honey
- Sprinkle over the dried thyme, salt, and pepper, and turn each carrot and parsnip over in the baking tin to make sure they are fully coated in the honey and oil mix.½ teaspoon Dried Thyme, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes until tender, turning the vegetables half way through cooking to ensure they cook evenly (I use a large metal spoon for this).
Notes
-
- Use a baking tin large enough so that your veggies aren't overcrowded. This will help them crisp up and cook evenly.
-
- Make sure the oven has been preheated for 10 minutes prior to placing the roasting tray in the oven. This will help ensure the root veggies cook evenly and crisp up nicely.
-
- Cut your carrots and parsnips into similar sizes so that they cook evenly. This will also ensure that they look more visually appealing on the plate.
-
- Don't be afraid to add a little extra honey if you want your veggies to be extra sweet. Just make sure they are still coated evenly so they don't burn.
-
- If you want to add a little extra flavour, try adding a sprinkle of paprika or cumin to your veggies before roasting. This will give them a little kick and make them even more delicious.
-
-
- For a bit of heat, add 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard to the honey and oil mixture before roasting. This will give the root vegetables a spicy kick.
- If you want an even sweeter, more caramelised flavour, swap the honey for maple syrup. This will give your veggies a deliciously rich and sweet taste.
- Experiment with different herbs. Try using rosemary instead of thyme, or why not use both herbs together? Fresh or dried herbs are both fine to use.
- For a real flavour boost, sprinkle half a teaspoon of smoked paprika over the dish just before roasting. This will give your veggies a smoky and slightly spicy flavour.
- Swap the olive oil for melted butter for a richer, more indulgent taste.
- If you're serving this recipe as part of Christmas lunch, finish the dish with a sprinkling of freshly toasted pecan nuts. This will add a lovely crunch and nutty flavour to your veggies.
-
Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with what's cooking in the Effortless Foodie kitchen! You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram too!
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
One of my favourite side dishes for a roast dinner - you just can't beat honey roasted carrots and parsnips. These sound so delicious!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Oh yes please Beth! I usually do parsnips this way but will try carrots too next time.
Biana
What a perfect side dish for fall! Will be great with a nice roast and mashed potatoes.
Gina
So simple but the best way to enjoy both these vegetables in my opinion. Usually enjoy these with a roasted chicken as our meal on the weekend!
Kristen
This was such a great easy side. Will make it again!