Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Carrots
These Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Carrots are tender baby carrots cooked in a buttery maple and brown sugar glaze with a touch of cinnamon. They’re a sweet, comforting side dish that’s perfect for holidays, potlucks, or family dinners. Easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser, they free up oven space while delivering rich flavor.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby carrots
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/3 cup butter, cubed
Instructions
- Add the baby carrots to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle in the salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir well to combine.
- Pour in the maple syrup and toss well to distribute evenly.
- Spread the carrots evenly in the slow cooker and top with the cubes of butter.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 5–6 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking if possible.
- To thicken the glaze, remove the lid for the final 30 minutes of cooking on HIGH, or transfer the cooking liquid to a saucepan, simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened, and pour back over the carrots.
Notes
- Use real maple syrup for the best flavor, but honey, pancake syrup, or corn syrup can be substituted.
- If you don’t have baby carrots, peel and cut 2 pounds of whole carrots into sticks or coins.
- For a dairy-free version, use butter-flavored coconut oil or a dairy-free spread instead of butter.
- To make refined sugar-free, substitute the brown sugar with coconut sugar or increase the maple syrup to 3/4 cup.
- For extra depth, add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger to the glaze.