Baby carrots in a sweet brown sugar and whiskey glaze are the BEST side dish. Super easy to make (grab my favorite cast iron pan!) and the bourbon adds a subtle lift to the traditional glazed carrots recipe. You’ll love it! Serve it alongside Jalapeno Pineapple Ham for a special dinner!
Is there any side dish more classic than glazed carrots? Not many. Growing up, I didn’t care for glazed carrots the way that I love them now.
This post may contain affiliate links which allow us to make a small commission from purchases made through the links at no cost to you. Read our full disclosure policy here.
My grandma would make them for many holiday dinners BUT she used the LONG carrots. —oh the horrors—
I use these cast iron pans almost exclusively. I LOVE them. I swear comfort food like glazed carrots just tastes a little extra special made in them.
Some of our favorite dishes for the holiday are probably similar toyours:
- Sweet & Spicy Baked Ham
- Stuffing (of course!)
- Mashed potatoes and ham gravy
- Homemade bread
- Green Bean Casserole (try this crockpot version)
- Chocolate Eclair bars (gosh do I need to get this recipe up soon!)
- Turkey Crescent Roll Bundles (the BEST way to use leftover turkey. SRSLY)
- Glazed Carrots (I lie. These were NOT my fave when I was a kid :))
Today I love glazed carrots and, thankfully, my family loves them too. Although, I use baby carrots to save myself a whole lot of time.
These carrots are loved up with a good dose of whiskey. Heck, a little whiskey for the carrots and a little for me. Isn’t it Julia Child that has a quote about wine and cooking?
I enjoy cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food.
Julia Childs
Julia Childs
Julia and I would be friends. Although, if you drink enough wine you can be friends with anyone…amiright?
But really–turning on good music, pouring a glass of wine, and cooking dinner with a quiet house is one of the best ways to spend an evening. Of course the quiet house part is pretty rare. 😊
Back to the carrots, I’ve been making baby carrots for a couple decades. Whoa, just saying that…couple decades…sounds so OLD. When the heck did we get so old, you guys? These are always family favorites and a surefire way to get my family to eat color.
Can you freeze glazed carrots?
Sadly, not really. Cooked carrots turn pretty mushy when they are frozen and reheated. But that’s okay, you can make them a few days in advance and simply reheat them!
How do you reheat glazed carrots?
So glad you asked :). My favorite ways of reheating whiskey glazed carrots are putting them back into the skilled, add a bit more whiskey and butter, and simmer them on med-low for about 20-30 minutes.
Or, I put them into a aluminum pan when I store them ahead of time and simply take it out, add a bit of whiskey and butter, and pop them into a 350 degree oven until they are hot and bubbly…about 30 minutes. Check them after 20!
Glazing the carrots with whiskey and brown sugar is a WHOLE lot of fun. Whiskey adds a beautiful sweetness to carrots without the need for added sugar.
And don’t worry, the alcohol burns off and leaves you with all the yummy goodness.
Can I prepare carrots ahead of time?
Absolutely!! Even up to a couple of days in advance you can prepare your carrots. Simply cook them up and put them into a well sealed container and store them in the fridge until you are ready to heat and serve. You can heat them on the stove or in the oven (cover them). They will take about 30 minutes, depending on the route you choose.
Whiskey Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 bags of baby carrots
- 1 stick butter
- 3/4 cup whiskey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the pecans. Saute until slightly brown, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pecans and add 4 tablespoons of the butter and then half of the carrots.
- Saute the carrots until slightly brown and soft, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining carrots and repeat. Remove and set aside.
- Add the whiskey to the pan and simmer on medium-high heat about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter, brown sugar, honey and thyme sprigs. Stir and simmer until reduced.
- Add carrots back to the pan, stir in the pecans, and stir to coat.
- Serve with additional fresh thyme.
Notes
Save this recipe for later…
These are pretty amazing! I was just a little short of the amount of whiskey, but had some Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, so I figured how bad could that be, and we have made it that way ever since. Thanks!😋