Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips is such a classic British side dish with roast dinners or for Christmas. I've made a simple vegan swap and used Maple syrup and I truly think this easy but essential dish is now perfection! The natural sweetness of the carrots and parsnips is brought to life with the addition of a little slightly smokey sweet maple syrup.
Everyone knows that sides are the best part of Sunday Roasts and at Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially when they're wholesome and cozy. Perfect for pairing with all the other festive foods.
This vegan 'Honey' Maple Roasted Parsnips and Carrots recipe is the perfect side to go with my Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon Pie. Pair it up with other sides such as my favourite Marinated Brussel Sprouts, this Japanese green beans recipe, and of course, loads of Crispy Roast Potatoes and Vegan Gravy.
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🥕Ingredients
Simple is the best policy when making sides for a big veggie roast dinner!
- Parsnips: Sweet and earthy, parsnips are really underrated in my opinion! I love to cut them quite small so you get crispy end bits.
- Carrots: Choose beautiful coloured carrots for an extra beautiful roasted side. (Fun Fact to bring out at the Christmas Table, all carrots were once many colours, including white or purple, but the Dutch bred them to be orange in the 17th century)
- Maple Syrup: choose proper maple syrup, not the fax stuff. I love how it has a sweet yet smoky flavour that perfectly enhances the sweetness of the carrots and parsnips.
- Thyme: I used lots of fresh thyme in this recipe, but you can also use dried.
- Salt: A little bit of flakey sea salt enhances the overall flavours of the dish.
- Olive Oil: A little olive oil helps to caremelize the veggies.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
The lovely thing about this side, is that it requires little more preparation than some chopping.
1. Peel any larger parsnips or carrots. Young ones don't need it.
2. Chop the parsnips and any larger carrots into fairly even sized pieces, this helps them cook evenly.
3. Arrange the carrots and parsnips in an oven proof baking tray or casserole and add the maple syrup and oil.
4. Use a brush or your fingers to ensure the syrup and oil is evenly covering the veggies. Sprinkle with thyme and salt. Place into oven at 180C/350F and roast until tender and caramelised.
Hint: A very thin but even coverage of oil and maple syrup allows the carrots and parsnips to caramelise perfectly in the oven.
🌶 Substitutions & Variations
This super simple side dish can be customised to suit your tastes.
- Spicy- Add a little chilli powder.
- Other root veggies -Cut swedes or turnips into similar baton shapes and roast together.
- Oil Free- omit the oil, the veggies won't caramelise quite a nicely, but they will still taste nice.
- A little vegan butter- pop a dab of butter on right at the end of baking for a rich, buttery effect.
🔪Equipment
Choose a good heavy bottomed casserole or roasting dish for the best result. One day I'd like to be able to have a lovely new Le Crueset pan to use, but it the meantime I use a set we picked up at a garage sale!
🥫Storage
Once cooked, the roasted carrots and parsnips keep for up to a week in the fridge. Make them into some fritters or pop into a sandwich to use up the leftovers!
If you've ended up with too many parsnips and carrots in the fridge, why not make this Spiced Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Red Lentils to use them all up! You could even use any leftover cooked ones too.
❗Top tip
If your oven is crowded with festive food, put this on the bottom shelf to slow cook, then give it a last blast after you have taken out the other main dishes to caramelise the edges.
❓FAQ
Absolutely, use whatever is your favourite.
This dish is generally served as part of a larger dinner, with many other dishes. I allow for 2-3 small carrots and half a parsnip per person. Scale up or down as needed.
📖 Recipe
'Honey' Maple Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 250 g (0.55 lb) carrots
- 250 g (0.55 lb) parsnips
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch flakey sea salt
- 10 g (1½ tablespoon) thyme (fresh or dried )
Instructions
- Peel any of the larger carrots or parsnips250 g carrots, 250 g parsnips
- Cut into evenly (ish) sized batons
- Put into the oven dish you wish to bake them in and drizzle with oil and maple syrup.1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Mix the carrots and parsnips to cover with the oil and syrup
- Sprinkle over the salt & thymepinch flakey sea salt, 10 g thyme
- Put in the oven for 25-35 minutes or until caramelised and softened. The time needed will depend on your oven, how full it is and where in the oven is placed. If needed, finish the dish off with a hot blast just before serving.
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