Honey-Roasted Carrots

01Ingredients

Preheat oven to 200C. Toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking tray in a single layer.
Roast for 20 minutes, turning once, until starting to soften and colour.
Drizzle honey over the carrots and toss to coat evenly.
Return to the oven and roast for a further 10-15 minutes until tender and caramelised.
Scatter with thyme leaves and serve warm.

Adding honey too early — it burns over the full roasting time; add it partway through instead.
Cutting carrots unevenly — different sizes cook at different rates, leaving some mushy and others hard; aim for even batons.
Overcrowding the tray — carrots need space to roast rather than steam; use two trays if needed.

Fridge

Airtight container, up to 4 days.

Freezer

Not recommended - carrots lose their texture.

Reheating

Hot oven to re-crisp - microwaving makes them soft.

Carrots. Thinner, more uniform batons roast more evenly than thick, irregular chunks.

Honey. A runnier honey coats the carrots more evenly than a very thick, set honey.

Thyme. Fresh leaves scattered at the end give a brighter flavour than adding dried thyme throughout the cook.

Honey has burnt. Added too early or oven too hot - add it partway through and keep an eye on the last few minutes.
Carrots are unevenly cooked. Batons weren't cut to a similar size - aim for even thickness next time.
Carrots are soggy, not caramelised. Tray was overcrowded - spread them in a single layer with space between pieces.
Carrots are tough. Needs longer in the oven - roasting time varies with baton thickness.

Adding it partway through prevents the honey from burning over the full roasting time, since sugars caramelise and scorch quickly at high heat.

Yes - maple syrup works well as a substitute for honey.

Even sizing ensures they cook at the same rate, so some pieces don't turn mushy while others are still hard.

Best served fresh, but leftovers can be reheated in a hot oven to re-crisp the edges.