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★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
These orange candied carrots is one of my favorite side dishes. They're so easy to make using frozen crinkle cut carrots, a little butter and one of my favorite ingredients — orange marmalade.
“Candy Carrots”
These carrots are sweet, creamy and tangy in flavor and are melt-in-your-mouth soft.
My kids call these "candy carrots" and like any good mother, I do not correct them. 😉
An Easy Vegetable Side Dish
Candied carrots make an easy and tasty veggie side dish for weeknight dinners or for a holiday meal. The carrots really scream Easter to me but you could also enjoy them with a Thanksgiving, Christmas or any special meal.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
This recipe requires just three ingredients!
Here's everything you need:
- Butter. Use salted butter and no added salt needed.
- Orange Marmalade. This can be found with other jams and jellies.
- Carrots. Of course! You can use fresh peeled and slices carrots or you can use frozen crinkle cut carrots. I find the frozen carrots taste just as good when cooked and save a lot of time.
Why Orange Marmalade Works
Instead of using orange juice and added sugar, we use orange marmalade which adds the perfect amount of sweet and tart.
As a bonus, you get little burst of orange flavor from the rinds present in the marmalade.
Marmalade is also obviously thicker than juice and this just works really well to coat the carrots giving them a nice hearty texture.
★ How to Make Candied Carrots ★
The full recipe is listed below, but here's a quick overview of what's involved.
- Melt butter.
- Combine with orange marmalade.
- Add carrots.
- Stir and cook until soft.
The sweet marmalade melts together with the salty buttery to form a really delicious glaze.
The glaze caramelizes and sticks to the outside of the carrots and creates a slightly crispy, slightly chewy, 100% delicious flavor that perfectly compliments the carrots.
If you prefer a thinner less "candied" and more "glazed" finish, just add as much water as you'd like to thin out the sauce. A tablespoon or two at most is probably best so it doesn't become too watery and loose flavor.
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Did you guys notice the cute vintage pot in my photos? I picked that up in my thrifting adventures and thought the orange floral design perfectly complimented this recipe. If you're into the vintage vibe but maybe want something new with the old fashioned look, check out this set of retro ceramic cookware.
I'm a big believer in turning chores into something fun by investing in your cookware. Be practical but also have fun with your tool. Get some fun colors. Mix and match. When you love using your tools, cooking starts to feel less like work and something that's more of a creative outlet.
You can use crinkle cut carrots, baby carrots, or sliced fresh carrots. Crinkle cut or baby carrots are easiest and soak up the glaze well.
Orange juice plus brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup all work as tasty substitutes if you don’t have orange marmalade on hand.
They pair beautifully with holiday dinners like ham, turkey, or meatloaf. They also make a simple side dish for weeknight chicken or pork.
★ More Orange Recipes ★
Can you appreciate my love of orange marmalade?
Orange marmalade is so fun to cook with! It's a great shortcut ingredient to add a lot of flavor.
Check out my other recipes using this favorite ingredient of mine:
This recipe for orange candied carrots was featured on South Your Mouth!
Orange Candied Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups crinkle cut or baby carrots
- 3 tablespoon orange marmalade
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 2-4 tablespoon water optional
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Melt butter over medium heat in a pan; stir in marmalade then carrots. For a thin glaze, add water (optional).
- Cook uncovered for about 8-10 minutes; stirring occasionally. Carrots are ready when they start to caramelize and turn and light golden brown around the edges.
Video
Notes
- For extra caramel flavor, allow light browning, but be sure to stir to prevent going from brown to burnt.
- Add water as needed to prevent over-browning.
- To slow cook, set crockpot to low and cook for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add water if you're not able to stir.
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