Air Fryer Baby Carrots

These sweet air-fried carrots come out tender with just the right caramelization, thanks to a simple blend of honey, brown sugar, and a touch of butter that makes them taste like a candied veggie side everyone loves. They roast beautifully in the air fryer, turning basic baby carrots into a quick, easy dish that works for weeknights or any holiday table. You'll get simple steps that show exactly how to cook carrots in the air fryer, so they come out consistently delicious for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, Easter, or anytime you need a no-fuss veggie. Pin this recipe now so you always have a fast, family-friendly side ready when you need it.

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Why is this the best air fryer baby carrots recipe

This air fryer carrot recipe is versatile. It's perfect for any family gathering, but easy enough to make for any day or night of the week!

This air fryer baby carrot recipe is absolutely delicious! The combination of the honey glaze and the air-fried, crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside carrots is absolutely divine!

This recipe makes the best side dish, anytime! These brown-sugar-glazed carrots delight both kids and adults. No one will want to stop at one serving of these babies!

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This is a quick and easy perfect side dish recipe for potlucks, holiday parties, or weeknights after work. Make the honey glaze, pour it over the baby carrots, toss to coat, and air fry. That's all there is to it!

The ingredients for the dish are common and easy to find. You likely already have most of the simple ingredients for this air fryer carrot recipe in your pantry. If you need an ingredient or two, you can easily find them in most local grocery stores or on Amazon!

This air fryer carrot side dish recipe tastes amazing! If you've never tried honey glazed carrots, you are in for a real treat. They make any old weeknight taste like Christmas dinner.

What you'll need to make air fryer honey-glazed carrots

Equipment

• Air fryer - There are a lot of air fryers available today, ranging from stand-alone models to toaster ovens that offer an air fryer function. Air fryers roast food using less oil than traditional roasting or frying and in less time, thanks to a high speed convection fan and a perforated air fryer basket. 
• Parchment paper liner for your air fryer - Add parchment paper underneath your basket to catch drippings and make cleaning a breeze

Ingredients  

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See printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• baby carrots - If you would rather use big carrots, that's fine. Peel them and slice into 1½-inch sticks. You can really cut them any way you want, but my cooking times and the amounts of the glaze ingredients were created with baby carrots in mind, so you will need to adjust both if you are cutting the carrots into a different size.
• Melted butter - It doesn't matter whether you use salted or unsalted butter.
• olive oil - This helps the glaze to stay liquid rather than just being sweet butter.
• honey - This makes the glaze sweet and also adds liquid.
• brown sugar - This also makes your glaze sweet. If you don't want to use sugar, you could use all honey and be okay.
• fresh parsley - This is optional, for garnish.

How to make air fryer carrots

1. Melt the butter in the microwave. Add olive oil, honey, and brown sugar to the melted butter and whisk together until combined.
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2. Place carrots in a medium-sized bowl. Pour brown sugar glaze over the raw carrots and stir to coat all sides.
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3. Preheat the air fryer for 2 minutes at 370ºF.
4. Add the coated carrots to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Carrots shrink as they cook, so it is okay to have slight overlaps in the basket.
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5. Air fry for 8 minutes. Remove the basket and shake to rearrange the carrots. Drizzle any remaining glaze over the carrots and continue to air fry for 4 more minutes.
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6. Test the tenderness of the thickest carrot with a fork. If needed, add 2 minutes to achieve desired tenderness.
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7. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot
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Substitutions & variations

Feel free to substitute honey with another sweetener like maple syrup or medium caramel agave nectar.

You can add orange zest and a splash of orange juice to the glaze.

You can use other types of carrots for this air fryer recipe, such as carrot coins. The key is ensuring that the carrot pieces are all the same size so they're all done at the same time, and adjusting the cooking time. Smaller pieces will cook more quickly.

Toss the carrots with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to tone down their sweetness.

Top with fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, thyme, or dill (not all at the same time).

Parmesan cheese on top during the last 3 minutes of cooking time would be divine. Feta or crumbled goat cheese would also be good (again, not all at the same time).

Will this recipe work with frozen carrots?

No. Frozen carrots cannot absorb the flavors and moisture from the glaze. You'll need to thaw your frozen carrots fully before glazing and air frying.

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Storing leftovers

To Store: Fully cool the leftovers to room temperature before storing. Transfer and store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To Reheat: Place the carrots back in the air fryer at 370ºF for 4-5 minutes or microwave on high in 30-second intervals until heated all the way through.

To Freeze: Place the air fried carrots in a plastic freezer bag or an airtight container designed for the freezer and store for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

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Check out more delicious air fryer recipes.

• Air Fryer Donuts
• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Air Fryer Ribeye Steak
• Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
• Air Fryer Cherry Almond Danish
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