The next time you need an easy side dish with wide curb appeal and minimal prep time, honey carrots made in a slow cooker will ride to your rescue. Naturally sweet carrots are a kid-friendly gateway vegetable, and the addition of fresh orange zest, a drizzle of honey, and a touch of butter makes this recipe interesting for adults too. Plus, the carrots can even be prepped in advance, so they’re the ideal side dish for a holiday, party, or busy weeknight. Delightfully sweet, unbelievably easy, tender, and delicious leftover, these crockpot carrots will be the ace up your sleeve any night of the week. This honey crockpot carrots recipe cooks in about six hours on LOW, but if you are pressed for time (or, um, forget to turn on the crock pot at the opportune moment), you can speed them along on HIGH and have them ready in as few as two hours. While you can overcook vegetables in a slow cooker, because carrots are firmer to begin with, they can stand up to the hours of cooking without becoming mushy. I like to leave my carrots pleasantly plump in size, but if you are truly in a rush, smaller cut carrots will cook even more quickly. (Really need your carrots in a flash? Check out my quick and easy Sautéed Carrots recipe instead.)
How to Make Crockpot Carrots
The next time you are hosting a holiday meal or just need an easy, healthy side dish recipe (tonight?), crockpot carrots are practically a freebie. The prep work is so breezy, and since you can put raw carrots in a slow cooker, it does all the cooking for you.
The Ingredients
Carrots. The carrots will soften in the slow cooker and become perfectly tender and flavorful. Plus, carrots are rich in vitamins, fiber, and potassium. Butter. Butter pairs wonderfully with the honey and bathes the carrots in an addictively rich and flavorful sauce.Honey. Naturally sweetens the carrots and gives them that beloved sticky, honey flavor.
Orange Zest. For a little brightness and acidity. It makes the carrots pop!
The Directions
Storage Tips
To Store. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. The butter will harden on the outside, but it will melt again and be delicious when the leftover carrots are reheated.To Reheat. Rewarm carrots in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F. To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
Slow Cooker. Perfect for making crockpot carrots and sweet potatoes alike. Vegetable Peeler. The easiest way to peel carrots. Saucepan. A kitchen tool you’ll use on repeat.
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