Air Fryer Carrots (Maple Glazed)

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Air Fryer Carrots are covered in maple butter glaze and roast up sweet and tender in the air fryer. You need just 20 minutes from start to finish to get this easy side dish on the table!

We’re all about preparing our side dishes in the air fryer these days. It saves space in the oven, and the results never disappoint. Other favorites of ours lately include these air fryer baked potatoes, air fryer sweet potatoes, and these air fryer potstickers.

Plus, when you're in the heat of the summer, turning on your oven is the last thing you want to do. The air fryer is perfect because it emits just a little heat so you can still stay cool inside while cooking up amazing dishes!

*You can also make these sous vide carrots or Instant Pot carrots if you want to escape the heat.

Instead of making your biscuits in the oven, why not make air fryer biscuits?

Or what about cheesecake? Instead of the hour it takes in the oven, this air fryer cheesecake cooks in 12 minutes.

Check out the air fryer glazed carrots story!

Why This Recipe Works

1. The carrots cook in just 15 minutes, which is about half the time they would take in the oven. You also don’t have to heat up your oven for a small batch of carrots!
2. It’s a quick and easy recipe with just 5 minutes prep time, including time to make the glaze. This makes them the perfect side dish for busy weeknights.
3. The maple glaze adds to the natural sweetness of the carrots, so you can be sure they turn out sweet and tender every time!

What is an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.

It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).

Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.

I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!

Ingredients

Baby carrots - You'll need a one pound bag of baby carrots. This recipe saves time because all you need to do is wash the carrots. There's no chopping or peeling involved!

Maple syrup - For maximum flavor, you’ll want to use real maple syrup (as opposed to pancake syrup). This natural sweetener will keep these carrots refined sugar free. That's right, there’s no brown sugar in this recipe!

Unsalted Butter - You’ll want to melt your butter so it whisks together nicely with the maple syrup and seasonings. To keep this recipe vegan, you can use vegan butter.

Apple cider vinegar - You can use another type of vinegar, but in my opinion, apple cider vinegar adds the best flavor.

Fresh thyme - If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can use dried thyme. Just reduce the amount by one-third as dried herbs are usually more potent than fresh.

Salt and pepper - I use a teaspoon each for added flavor, but feel free to use more or less to suit your taste.

Step by Step Instructions

Make the glaze by adding all of the ingredients, except the carrots, to a medium bowl. Whisk together until combined.

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Add the carrots to the bowl and mix together until the carrots are coated with the maple glaze.

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Place the carrots in the air fryer basket and discard any remaining liquid in the bowl.

Air fry on 400F degrees for 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Check them halfway through and shake the basket if necessary.

**If your air fryer only goes to 390F, that should also work. Check them for doneness at the end, and if they're not fork tender, cook another 1-2 minutes.

You may also want to try cooking this air fryer broccoli once you find out how easy air fryer vegetables are!

Expert Tips

1. I used a 3-quart air fryer for this recipe and it was plenty big. I could have fit more, if needed.
2. With that said, be careful not to overfill your air fryer basket. Overcrowding the basket will affect how quickly and evenly the carrots cook.
3. If your air fryer only goes up to 390F degrees, you can cook the carrots at that temperature and they should still come out delicious.
4. You can swap out the maple syrup for honey, if preferred. However, I like the taste of syrup better and it makes it more vegan-friendly.
5. Be sure to use vegan butter for this recipe if you would like to keep it totally vegan-friendly.
6. There’s no need to coat your air fryer in anything for this recipe. Just toss the carrots right in.
7. Each air fryer is a little different so you may need to adjust the temperature or cook time slightly. You’ll know the carrots are done when they’re fork tender.
8. If you want your carrots browned a bit and a little caramelized, you can air fry them for a few extra minutes. Be careful not to air fry them too much longer as they may end up too soft.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Pair these glazed baby carrots with one of these dishes for a satisfying dinner:

• Honey Baked Ham
• Sous Vide Fillet Mignon
• Buttery Roasted Turkey Thighs
• Pork Chops with Mushroom Gravy

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!