This delicious honey roasted carrots and parsnips recipe is the perfect side dish for your next roast dinner.
These two root veggies, when roasted, have always been a winning combination. The natural sweetness of the carrots and parsnips is enhanced by the honey, while the roasting process brings out their natural flavours and creates a slightly crispy texture.
The honey also adds a subtle caramelised flavour that complements the earthy taste of the vegetables. We add a touch of mustard for depth, making for a well-rounded and enjoyable dish.
Not a year has gone by where this hasn't formed part of our Christmas dinner. It's always a hit!
For more delicious vegetable side dishes, try this recipe for stuffed courgettes or this carrot and swede mash.
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What's to love about this recipe
- A very quick and easy side dish to prepare.
- Swap out the herbs for your own favourites.
- The sweetness from the honey glaze brings a good balance to a savoury meal, like a Sunday roast or any and all regular roast dinners.
- Popular with kids.
- Both carrots and parsnips are good sources of vitamin C.
- The beauty of this recipe lies in its rustic charm. The more irregular and varied the shapes of the roasted vegetables, the better they look.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
*Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Carrots and parsnips
If you have a preference for either carrots or parsnips, you can modify the recipe accordingly.
Instead of using 400g each of carrots and parsnips, you can use 800g of just one vegetable, depending on your liking.
Whether you choose to make the recipe with only carrots or only parsnips, the method and cooking time will remain the same.
Olive oil
If you don't have olive oil on hand or prefer to use vegetable oil, you can definitely substitute it in this recipe.
Honey
The star of the show! No need to splurge on expensive, amazing honey like Manuka, the cheapest shop-bought version will work perfectly fine for this purpose.
You can also replace the honey with maple syrup.
Dijon mustard
Mustard adds depth to the dish without being overpowering. Although you might not taste it directly, it subtly enhances the flavours of the roasted carrots and parsnips.
Other flavourings
Salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh thyme sprigs, or fresh rosemary sprigs.
You can also scatter over some chopped, fresh parsley before serving.
Butter
Use either salted or unsalted butter.
Flour
We add a bit of flour to the dish. It helps the sauce stick to the vegetables while they bake, preventing it from running off and pooling at the bottom of the dish.
How to make this dish - Quick summary
- Clean and slice the vegetables.
- In a jug or small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the honey sauce.
- In a large bowl, pour the honey mixture over the cut vegetables and toss together thoroughly.
- Tip the coated carrots and parsnips onto a sheet pan or baking tray. Some sort of rimmed baking sheet works best here to keep the juices from spilling over the sides while cooking.
Spread them out evenly in a single layer. This helps the vegetables cook evenly and ensures they become nicely browned and crispy.
- Scatter over a little chopped fresh rosemary or thyme.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through and have some spots of caramelisation.
- Transfer the roast vegetables to a serving dish and cover with aluminium foil to keep them piping hot while you finish off the other dishes for your roast. Oven space is often the problem on Christmas day!
Top tips
Buying vegetables
This is a rustic-looking dish. Don't shy away from buying the 'wonky' vegetables that many supermarkets now seem to sell at a lower price.
Peeling the veg
Peeling the vegetables is not necessary, and it's actually encouraged to keep the skins on as they contain a lot of healthy nutrients.
Just make sure to give the vegetables a good scrub with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt or impurities. However, if you notice that the skins of older parsnips look less than ideal, or are tough, it may be necessary to peel them.
Cutting the veg
When cutting the vegetables, there's no need to be too precise or worry about getting them all the exact same size.
A roughly similar size is sufficient to ensure even cooking. People have different preferences. Some may enjoy the smaller pieces that have more cooking and caramelisation, while others may prefer the bigger, juicier pieces.
Adding flour
When you add flour to the sauce, it may initially appear grainy or bitty.
However, there's no need to worry as it will blend and melt together during the cooking process in the oven. The key is to whisk the flour well into the sauce before tossing it with the vegetables.
The cooking time
The cooking time recommended is 40-45 minutes. The vegetables will be cooked by 40 minutes, but if you want more caramelization, you can add an extra five minutes.
Remember, all ovens are different, so it's important to keep an eye on it.
Add some gloss
For an extra glossy look, lightly brush the carrots and parsnips with honey using a pastry brush just before serving.
The best way to do this is to first heat the honey in a small bowl in the microwave, especially if you have a very cold kitchen.
Be careful not to use too much honey, as you don't want the vegetables to become overly sweet.
What you can serve with honey-roasted parsnips and carrots
- This is a great side dish to roast chicken, turkey, beef or pork.
- Pair with grilled or roasted meats like steak, lamb chops or sausages.
- Include them in a vegetarian or vegan bowl with grains like quinoa or couscous, along with some leafy greens and a protein source like tofu or chickpeas.
- Add them to a salad with mixed greens, goat cheese and toasted nuts.
- Use as a filling for wraps or sandwiches, along with a creamy spread and fresh veggies.
- Incorporate them into a grain bowl with cooked grains, roasted vegetables and a dressing.
- Serve as a topping for pizzas or flatbreads, along with other toppings like caramelised onions, cheese and fresh herbs.
- It's the perfect addition to other roasted vegetables, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes or Brussels sprouts.
- Enjoy as a standalone snack or appetiser.
- Serve as a side dish for holiday meals and special occasions, such as Easter lunch, Thanksgiving dinner or a Christmas dinner.
- Use as a filling for savoury hand pies or turnovers.
- Incorporate into pasta dishes, such as tossing them with cooked pasta, olive oil, garlic and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Makes a delicious side dish alongside grilled fish or seafood.
- Include in a mezze or tapas spread with other small dishes like hummus, olives and pita bread.
- Serve with a dollop of creamy dip, such as tzatziki, Romesco sauce or Pistachio pesto.
- Top with roasted garlic butter.
- Serve butter rosettes alongside the warm veg.
Storage
Any leftover honey-roasted carrots and parsnips will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store in an airtight container.
Reheating
To reheat, microwave the vegetables until they are piping hot. Keep in mind that reheated vegetables may not be as firm as when freshly cooked.
Freezing
You can freeze the dish, but it may become slightly soft when reheated after freezing. For best results, enjoy it fresh.
If reheating from frozen, remove it from the freezer a few hours in advance and microwave until piping hot throughout.
FAQ
Not to worry, just top and tail the parsnips and perhaps half or quarter the carrots lengthways. The veg only needs to be roughly the same size for even cooking.
No, you don't. The vegetables are cut into batons which will be thin enough to cook entirely in the oven.
Potatoes for instance, are larger and rounder, hence why we tend to parboil them before roasting.
Both these root vegetables are very similar in consistency, so both would cook at the same amount of time, providing they're both cut into roughly similar-sized batons.
Recipes to compliment the honey roasted carrots and parsnips
More Christmas recipes
The Ultimate Roasted potatoes - Crispy insides, fluffy insides
The best pigs in blankets with a whisky and honey glaze
Easy Parmentier potatoes (mini roast potatoes)
Roasted tenderstem broccoli with parmesan and pine nuts
Recipe
The best honey roasted carrots and parsnips
Ingredients
- 400 grams carrots - sliced into thick batons
- 400 grams parsnips - sliced into thick batons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil and some extra for oiling the baking tray - or vegetable oil
- 2.5 tablespoons honey
- 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- few good grinds of black pepper
- 30 grams butter - melted
- 2 teaspoons plain flour
- few sprigs thyme or rosemary - to taste, we use about 7 sprigs
Instructions
Do the prep
- Preheat the oven to 190C/374F/gas mark 5 and lightly oil a large baking tray.
- Wash the carrots and parsnips. If you are not peeling the veg, make sure to give them a good scrub.
- Slice the carrots and parsnips into thick batons of roughly equal sizes so they cook evenly. Place them in a large bowl.
- In a jug, whisk together the olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, melted butter and plain flour.
Construct the dish
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the bowl. Using your hands, toss the veg in the sauce ensuring every baton is coated.
- Tip the vegetables onto the baking tray. Spread them out evenly in a single layer. This helps the vegetables cook evenly and ensures they become nicely browned and crispy.
- Distribute the sprigs of thyme or rosemary across the veg.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through and have some spots of caramelisation.Turn the batons over halfway through.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve piping hot.
- For the extra glossy look, use a pastry brush and stipple some honey onto the veg just before serving. Be sparing as you don't want the veg to become too sweet.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
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