Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots are tender baby carrots cooked in a sweet brown sugar and honey glaze. They make the perfect side dish for dinner or holiday meals.
On busy nights or holidays I am always looking for ways to spend less time in the kitchen. I never turn down an opportunity to make cooking easier. This Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots recipe is so simple. It’s literally a dump and go recipe. I love to make this for Easter or even on a busy night as a side dish for dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions About Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots
Can I use whole carrots instead of baby carrots?
Absolutely you can use whole carrots. However in order to use them you will need to peel and slice them. You can make them in slices similar to the size of baby carrots if you want to save time on chopping. If you make them smaller than a normal baby carrot you will need to reduce your cook time by at least an hour because your carrots will soften in the slow cooker and you don’t want them to come mushy.
What size slow cooker do I need to make these Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots?
This recipe is pretty flexible on slow cooker size. You can use a slow cooker as small as a four quart. If you are using a larger size slow cooker for a single batch, keep your eye on the carrots to make sure they don’t over cook towards the end of the cook time. However, if you plan to double this recipe you will want to use a Crockpot that is at least 6 quarts, a 7 quart would be even better for a double batch.
Can I make these ahead?
Yes, you can cook these crockpot carrots ahead. Personally I prefer to make them fresh as I feel like they taste better. If you would like to make them ahead only make them up to 24 hours ahead. Then once your slow cooker glazed carrots cool place them in the fridge overnight in an airtight container.
Directions for reheating carrots
Slow Cooker: Place your made ahead carrots into your slow cooker on low and reheat your carrots for one to two hours until they are warm all the way through. Be sure to stir your carrots at least once to evenly distribute your glaze.
Instant Pot: Pour 1 – 2 cups of water into your Instant Pot liner. Place your made ahead carrots inside a metal baking pan or metal mixing bowl that will fit inside your Instant Pot. Cover the baking pan tightly with foil. Place your baking pan on the trivet in your pressure cooker. Close the lid to your Instant Pot and press manual high pressure and heat for 0 minutes. This will warm your carrots without burning them.
Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with foil or parchment paper. Heat in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until warm. Watch your carrots closely as the sweet glaze makes them more likely to burn in the oven.
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots
1/4 cup water
2 pounds baby carrots, rinsed
1/4 cup butter, cut into 6 pieces
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
How To Make
Pour the water into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add carrots.
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, honey, allspice, and salt. Top the carrots with the mixture.
Place butter pieces on top of all ingredients.
Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, stirring after 2 hours.
Open the slow cooker and check carrots for doneness. They should be soft. If so, they are ready to be served. If not, cook for an additional 15 minutes and check again. Repeat until desired doneness is achieved.
Cooking Tips
- Slow Cookers can cook differently. The time and temperature is based on my slow cooker. However it should cook well for all modern slow cookers.
- If you want a thicker sauce remove carrots from the slow cooker once they are done, and turn the slow cooker on high and allow the glaze to thicken.
- Want a more colorful side dish? Use rainbow baby carrots instead of orange carrots.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots
Equipment
- Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 2 pounds baby carrots rinsed
- ¼ cup butter cut into 6 pieces
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Steps 1-2: Pour the water into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add carrots.
- Steps 3-4: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, honey, allspice, and salt. Top the carrots with the mixture.
- Step 5: Place butter pieces on top of all ingredients.
- Step 6: Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, stirring after 2 hours.
- Step 7: Open the slow cooker and check carrots for doneness. They should be soft. If so, they are ready to be served. If not, cook for an additional 15 minutes and check again. Repeat until desired doneness is achieved.