Air Fryer Baby Carrots make a wonderful healthy and simple snack or a kid-approved side dish. These delicious carrots are tossed in a sweet and savory glaze and roasted to perfection in an air fryer. They make a perfect weeknight side dish but are also fancy enough for your holiday table.
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This recipe was originally published in September of 2021. It was updated in February of 2022 to include new photos and slight tweaks to make this recipe even more delish!
There are so many different ways to prepare this humble root vegetable, but roasting is hands down my favorite way. Roasting carrots brings out the sweetness while preserving all those wonderful flavors in the sweet and savory glaze!
Even the picky eaters in your life will love this delicious recipe.
If you haven’t tried roasting veggies in your air fryer, what are you waiting for? It’s a great way to prepare an easy vegetable side dish in half the time.
The Air Fryer Roasted Root Veggies and Air Fryer Broccoli (with a touch of lemon and Parmesan cheese) are great air fryer recipes to start with. And these Air Fryer Chinese Style Green Beans are a sweet and sticky perfection that you’ll be coming back for seconds.
And now we can add these air fryer carrots to our list of quick and easy roasted veggies.This new family fave is the perfect side dish that pairs well with your favorite main dishes like Blackened Chicken and Pan-Seared Sea Bass.
The best part is that the whole family loves these perfectly seasoned carrots. And I love making them because they have very simple ingredients and require very minimal prep time.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Quick and easy recipe – this simple side dish comes together quickly thanks to ready-to-go baby carrots.
- The sweet glaze on the carrots makes this appealing to both adults and kiddos!
- It’s a delicious side dish that’s perfect for weeknights, but also special enough for your holiday table.
- There’s always an option to use whole carrots, too if you don’t have baby carrots.
- Roasting carrots in the air fryer takes less time that in the oven, making this a perfect quick side dish when you’re in need of healthy ideas.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious air fryer baby carrots recipe:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Baby Carrots: Baby carrots are a great option in this recipe because they require no peeling or chopping. However, regular carrots can also be used, but cooking time may vary depending on their size. This recipe calls for one 16 ounce bag of baby carrots, which makes 4 servings.
Rosemary: I love fresh rosemary because it has a wonderful aroma and gives me all the holiday vibes but dried rosemary will work too. Additionally, you can use your favorite spices and herbs like fresh or dried thyme. Check out 15 Best Substitutes for Rosemary to learn other ways to add great flavor to this easy side dish.
HOW TO MAKE BABY CARROTS IN THE AIR FRYER: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, toss fresh baby carrots with a little olive oil or avocado oil and salt. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, just give it a few minutes to come to temperature.
Step 2: Roast baby carrots in the air fryer in an even layer for 15-20 minutes and roast until fork tender. It’s okay if the carrots overlap a little bit, just make sure they are evenly spread out in the air fryer basket. For best results, give the air fryer basket or tray a good shake at the halfway mark.
Step 3: While carrots are air frying, make the glaze. In a small pan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, garlic powder, and freshly chopped rosemary leaves. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the butter is melted and everything is well mixed.
Step 4: Remove air-fried carrots from the air fryer and toss them with the melted butter and sugar mixture. If desired, top with hazelnuts, walnuts, or pistachios, and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Serve immediately.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The ideal cooking temperature for carrots in the air fryer is 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204 degrees Celsius.
For best flavor, I do not recommend freezing this healthy side dish. Carrots have a high water content and therefore will get super mushy when frozen, especially with the glaze. As such, frozen carrots will loose the proper texture and flavor after thawing.
Leftover air fried carrots can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The butter will solidify a bit, but will soften up with no problem once you reheat them! To reheat, just pop them in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. Alternatively, air fry them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
These sweet and savory air fryer baby carrots pair perfectly with any main course like my Air Fryer Cornish Game Hens, Air Fryer Roasted Turkey Breast , or this Flakey Baked Cod.
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- Start with dry carrots. Drain off any excess water from the carrots and pat dry with paper towels. This will ensure they roast and not steam.
- Make them fancy. Topping this air fryer vegetable with some chopped nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts and pistachios adds the perfect crunch. And dressing it up with a light garnish of fresh parsley makes this simple recipe fancy.
- Cook to taste. People have a wide range of preference for how they like their carrots cooked. My husband is on Team Mushy and I am on Team Crunchy! This recipe is written with a range on cook time. I recommend to start taste testing carrots at 12-15 minutes and give it a few additional minutes if desired. I highly recommend not overcooking them and err on the side of “al dente”, as that seems to work best with the glaze.
- Cook the glaze just a few minutes before the carrots are done. You don’t want the butter to cool as the glaze becomes less pourable. If it does chill and solidify, just gently reheat to pourable consistency.
OTHER AIR FRYER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- AIR FRYER CORNISH GAME HENS
- AIR FRYER ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES
- AIR FRYER BAKED APPLES WITH CINNAMON GLAZE
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Perfect Air Fryer Baby Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb, baby carrots one 16 oz. bag
- 2 tbsp olive oil avocado oil works great too!
- 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
- fresh chopped parsley and nuts for topping optional
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting, just turn it to 400 and give it about 3-5 minutes to come to temperature.
- In a medium bowl, toss baby carrots, olive oil and salt. Note: when taking baby carrots out of the bag, make sure to drain off any excess water that might have been in the bag. You want your carrots to be dry before tossing them in oil and air frying them.
- Add baby carrots to your air fryer basket or tray in an even layer. If you are using a basket, it's OK if the carrots overlap, just don't stack the carrots too high. Then air fry for 15-20 minutes until fork tender (or cooked to your desired texture, See Note 1). Shake the basket at the halfway point so the carrots cook evenly. If you are using larger baby carrots, you may need to add 2-5 minutes to the cooking time.
- A few minutes before the carrots are done, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, heat butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, garlic powder and rosemary for 1-2 minutes until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. Stir a few times while cooking so butter doesn't burn.
- Remove carrots from air fryer and toss with the glaze. Top with chopped nuts and parsley if you like!
Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
This might be the perfect veggie side dish! I love how the air fryer makes it SO EASY!
Tracy says
LOVE carrots with maple syrup and these are so easy! Such a great side for any meal. Plus anytime my kids are eating carrots, I’m here for it!
Anjali says
I had no idea it was so easy to cook carrots in the air fryer! My carrots turned out perfectly and the sweet glaze took them to a whole other level!
Beth says
These are the perfect side dish to get my kiddos to eat some veggies! Quick, easy and soo tasty!
Rachel says
Love the glaze on this! Will definitely be making often!