Honey Roasted Carrots with Goat Cheese

Last updated on January 26th, 2024 at 09:50 pm

Say goodbye to boring roasted carrots and hello to big flavor with these honey roasted carrots with goat cheese, pistachios and pomegranate arils.

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This honey roasted carrots with goat cheese recipe is a stunning and delicious twist on a classic Thanksgiving side dish.

I promise no one will miss the mushy, overcooked traditional carrots you’re used to. You’ll blow everyone at the dinner table away with the vibrant colors of this dish alone, let alone all the flavor.

Perfectly roasted carrots with just a hint of sweetness from the honey is an unlikely pair with creamy goat cheese. Pistachios add a nutty crunch and pomegranate arils add a bright burst of tartness.

Despite the show stopping appearance of this dish, this recipe is very simple to make and requires just a handful of ingredients.

Key Ingredients

Large carrots: multi-colored carrots are optional, but offer a beautiful presentation! I found mine at Trader Joe’s.
Honey: honey adds just a little sweetness to the carrots as they are roasting. You can also drizzle the final dish with some honey for that extra touch.
Goat cheese: the creamy crumbled goat cheese is surprisingly delicious paired with honey roasted carrots. You can use a little or a lot (spoiler: I like a lot).
Pomegranate arils: these are the edible seeds of a pomegranate. You can purchase a cup of arils or a whole pomegranate and remove the seeds yourself. They are available seasonally between October and January.
Pistachios: toasted pistachios add a nutty flavor and crunch to this dish.
Parsley: parsley adds freshness and a pop of color.

Equipment

Baking sheet
Cutting board and knife
Measuring cups and spoons
Small frying pan
Serving plate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel carrots and place them on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Drizzle carrots with olive oil and honey and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Give them a good toss so the carrots are coated in the oil and honey.

Roast carrots for 20-30 minutes, until fork tender. The cooking time will vary based on thickness of the carrots.

While carrots are roasting, toast pistachios in a small dry frying pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until toasted and aromatic. Toss pistachios every few minutes to prevent burning.

When carrots are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Place carrots on serving dish and top with crumbled goat cheese, toasted pistachios, pomegranate arils and parsley.

You can season the final dish with salt, pepper and a drizzle of honey, if desired.

Quick Tips

• If you are using the multi-color carrots, you may want to place the purple carrots on a separate baking sheet as the color can bleed onto the other carrots while roasting.
• How to tell when the carrots are done? Fork tender means that the carrots are cooked enough for a fork to easily pierce through the carrots but it doesn’t mush or break down.
• Due to differences in thickness, you may need to remove some thinner carrots from the oven before some of the thicker ones to prevent them from getting too mushy.
• You want to plate the carrots when they are still warm but so hot that they will melt the cheese.

More Holiday Recipes

• The Best Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Goat Cheese, Bacon and Fig Crostini
• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Caramelized onion and Everything Bagel Biscuits
• Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese