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Easy Honey Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower Recipe
This honey roasted carrots and cauliflower recipe transforms simple vegetables into a French cafe-style side dish with caramelized edges, sweet-tangy glaze, and optional walnut panko crumble. Perfect for dinner sides, grain bowls, or on its own as a vegan light meal.
Equipment
- 1 small bowl
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Roasting sheet if roasting in the oven
Ingredients
For the veggies:
- 1 lb Carrots (500 grams) cut into bite-size pieces (or baby carrots work great too!)
- 1 large head of cauliflower cut into cauliflower florets
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 large shallot 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
For the honey balsamic glaze:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the simple panko crumble (Optional)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup walnuts (Optional) or hazelnuts. Use an additional 1/2 cup of panko crumbs if not using.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Getting Started
- Heat oven to 425°F (220 Celsius) (that hot oven is key for getting everything golden brown!).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Cut your large carrots into uniform bite-size pieces. If using baby carrots, just halve them lengthwise.
- Cut your head of cauliflower into similar-sized cauliflower florets.
Make the Honey Balsamic Glaze
- In a large bowl, whisk together honey, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the Panko Crumble
- In a small bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs, finely chopped walnuts (or lightly food processed) with olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh parsley until evenly coated.
How to roast carrots and cauliflower in the oven
- On your large baking sheet, toss carrots with the olive oil, shallots (or garlic), parsley, salt, and black pepper.
- Spread in a single layer (this is really important for proper roasting!).
- Roast for 10 minutes in your preheated oven.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss cauliflower florets with remaining olive oil, shallots, parsley, salt, and pepper (ie, the stuff that got left in the bowl after you scooped out the carrots).
- After 10 minutes, add the seasoned cauliflower to the sheet pan with the carrots, keeping everything in a single layer.
- Roast together for 8 minutes more.
- Remove from oven and drizzle that gorgeous honey balsamic glaze evenly over the vegetables, tossing gently to coat. Or remove the veggies and toss in the large bowl with the honey balsamic glaze and then put back on to the pan.
- Then, put the carrots and cauliflower back into the oven for 8-10 minutes until the glaze is beautifully caramelized. Your veggies should be almost done, but not quite.
- Finally, sprinkle the panko crumble evenly over the vegetables and roast for 3-5 more minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
How to roast carrots and cauliflower in the air fryer
- Preheat your air fryer for 3-5 minutes at 400°F (200 Celsius)
- Then, coat the carrots in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Place the carrots in a single layer in the air fryer, as best you can and cook the carrots first at 400°F (200 Celsius) for 10-12 minutes. Shake every few minutes and start testing for doneness at 10 minutes. Carrots should be almost, but not quite done, as we will be putting them back in the with the cauliflower at the end.
- Remove the carrots.
- Coat the cauliflower in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and roast in the air fryer for 8-10 minutes until almost, but not quite done.
- Remove the cauliflower and place in bowl with the carrots.
- Add the honey balsamic glaze, coat all the veggies and roast 3-4 minutes more in the air fryer until they are done. Remove from the air fryer.
- Sprinkle the panko crumble in the air fryer and roast for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Yes, the crumbs may fall into the bottom and mix with some of the honey balsamic marinade, but that's fine. Check the panko crumble after a minute or two. You just want it to get a bit crispy and it does not take long.
- Sprinkle the panko crumble over the veggies. Done!
Notes
- Don't crowd the veggies on the baking sheet or in the air fryer. You want them to roast and not steam.
- If roasting in the air fryer, shake often, every 3 minutes or so to prevent burning and uneven roasting.
- You want to make sure your carrots and cauliflower are almost done before you put the panko crumbs on, as panko crumbs do not take long to toast.
- Serve as quickly as possible while the glaze is glossy and texture is crispy.
- Both vegetables should have some beautiful caramelized edges
- The honey balsamic glaze should look glossy and slightly sticky (not watery)
- Taste test - they should be tender, like biting into a piece of melon and not crispy. If in doubt, add 3-5 minutes to the roasting time in the oven (1-2 minutes in the air fryer) and check again. Better to go a little longer for that perfect caramelization than undercook!
- Refrigerator storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days
- Reheating for best results: Pop back on a sheet pan in a 400°F oven for 5-8 minutes to crisp up the panko topping again. Or pop in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes. You can heat up in the microwave, but the veggies will get a bit soggy.
- Make-ahead prep: Cut vegetables and make the honey balsamic glaze up to a day ahead, store separately in the fridge, then toss and roast when ready to cook
Nutrition
Serving: 1personCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 7gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gSodium: 763mgPotassium: 927mgFiber: 8gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 19200IUVitamin C: 81mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 2mg
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