With 5 minutes of prep work and a couple of simple ingredients, these spicy honey garlic roasted carrots are an easy gluten-free fall side dish that is both full of flavor and healthy.  

With the combination of chili powder, garlic, and honey, plus an easy balsamic glaze drizzle, you have both a sweet and spicy, tender yet crunchy vegetable for your table spread.

Best Cooked Carrots Recipe:

I do not like cooked carrots.  Yep, I just said that in a post about cooked carrots.  

What the helly?  

I don't like cooked carrots because many of these bad boys are cooked too long for my liking and become mushy {like baby food kind of mushy.... okay, that sounds really gross!}.  

On top of that, they are drenched in some kind of sweet sauce, making them 'orange sweet-and-mushy baby food sticks'.  Hell no!  I am NOT eating that!

Then I found these beautiful fresh carrots {that were way too pretty to feed to my horse! Don't tell Scuba that I said that #HorsesHaveFeelingsToo} and wanted to turn them into a legit fall side dish on one of our lastest cooler fall evenings.  

So I put together a honey/balsamic/olive oil reduction drizzle, sprinkled with minced garlic, coarse pepper, and chili pepper, and roasted these rainbow fingers until just tender enough and just crisp enough... not mushy at all.  

Oh my...  did I mention that I LOVE cooked carrots?  Now I love cooked carrots.

Spicy Roasted Carrot Ingredients:

• 10-12 carrots of varying sizes
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• honey
• minced garlic
• chili powder
• cracked black pepper to taste
• fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Pro Tip: 

These carrots are paleo-friendly.  Just watch your balsamic vinegar and your chili powder.  Make sure that these are paleo if you are going that route!

How to make spicy honey roasted carrots:

1. Preheat your oven to 375*F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Line your carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil, honey, and vinegar. Sprinkle with garlic, chili powder, pepper, and parsley to your liking, most times just a pinch will do.
3. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked to the desired tenderness. Enjoy!

What to pair with these honey garlic carrots:

I would suggest partnering these deliciously tender carrots right next to a juicy BBQ Thyme Roast, a juicy Instant Pot Ham, or perhaps a Crock Pot London Broil!

How to store leftover roasted carrots:

You can store your leftover cooked and cooled-to-room-temperature carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to reheat leftover refrigerated honey roasted carrots:

To reheat your refrigerated roasted carrots, simply place your carrots in a microwave-safe dish with a loose cover on the top to allow venting of hot air.  

Cook the carrots in the microwave on high for 30-90 seconds, depending on how hot you like your leftovers.