When I was a little kid, carrots really only showed up on my dinner plate via a frozen bag from the freezer aisle accompanied by mushy peas. The other way they showed up was in my birthday cake (which I absolutely loved!) But, the mushy, frozen variety was never for me — or anyone for that matter (sorry, mom & dad I know you tried your best!).
The amazing thing about carrots is that they can show up pretty much in any meal of the day. Yes, they can be added to just about any salad and taste so delicious when raw while drenched in hummus. But they can go so much further than that. In smoothies, soups, sauces, your favorite pasta dish, and dessert.

This recipe was inspired by my favorite smoothie that I drink pretty much everyday which has orange carrot and ginger. I wanted to bring the ingredients of the smoothie into a savory carrot side dish since all those flavors work so well together. But, don’t worry this dish is savory and rich with a hint of sweetness.
Since my smoothie also has mint in it, I wanted to add a punch of that flavor which is why I made the mint dipping sauce. If you don’t have the mint, the carrots will taste perfectly fine without it.

What you need to make perfect roasted carrots
You can easily make this on a sheet pan covered with aluminum foil and it’s ideal for easy cleanup. However, if you don’t have a sheet pan, you can use your cast iron pan. There’s a reason this pan is one of my favorite kitchen must haves. Because it gets so hot, it can really add a nice sear around the carrots to give them that char we all love so much.

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Roasted Carrots with Ginger and Honey
Roasted carrots with ginger, honey, and a pinch of cayenne. Easy and delicious side dish for any day of the week.
Ingredients
- 5 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp of orange juice
- 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
Make the mint dip
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1 large jalapeno
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 tsp of honey
- 1 tbsp of fresh lime juice
- 1 small garlic clove
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Cover your sheet pan with aluminum foil and grease with cooking spray
- Place your carrots on the foil and spread them out
- In a small mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together and whisk until combined
- Pour on carrots and toss to make sure all the carrots are covered in mixture
- Place in oven for 35-45 minutes or until fork tender
Notes
If you don't have a sheet pan, you can also use a cast iron pan. place carrots directly onto the cast iron pan, pour over mixture and place directly in the oven.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 71mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g