Last week, I shared my secret weapon to making festive dinner preparation easier and less stressful—the slow cooker. Preparing dishes in advance reduces the number of things to pull together at the last minute. Today, I’ve got another recipe to simplify your meal preparation. These slow cooker glazed carrots are the perfect accompaniment to any festive meal.

This post was originally published in December 2020 and updated in November 2023.

My minimalist readers might cringe, but I actually have four slow cookers of different sizes. Marie Kondo might not approve of the duplication, but I use them all and they definitely bring me joy.

Jump to the recipe

When I make a turkey dinner, I usually have at least two slow cookers simmering away on the countertop. I use the largest one for my Easy and delicious slow cooker stuffing. In one of the smaller ones, I make my slow cooker glazed carrots.

Carrots – a plain and ordinary vegetable

I like carrots but I can see how some people might think they’re kind of boring. Trust me. Adding a sweet, sugary glaze gives a whole new personality to that boring old carrot.

I’ve been making this easy glazed carrot recipe in my slow cooker for many years. It’s so simple to make and turns out great every time. I hope you’ll give it a try.

This recipe also travels well if you’re visiting friends or relatives. Just wrap the slow cooker in an insulated bag, and then plug it in to reheat when you arrive at your destination.

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Sweet and simple slow cooker glazed carrots

The recipe makes 5 cups of carrots or enough to feed about 10 people.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (900 g) peeled carrots. If you use baby carrots, I suggest parboiling them first because they take a long time to cook.
• ¼ cup (60 ml) water
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) cornstarch
• ½ cup (125 ml) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter

Tip: You can use peeled, baby carrots but they take a lot longer to cook. If you want to go that route, I suggest pre-boiling the carrots for 10 to 15 minutes first.

Directions

• Thinly slice carrots (about ¼ inch or ½ cm thick) and put them in a small slow cooker.
• Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop.
• Mix butter, water, cornstarch and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Stir until blended.
• Pour mixture over carrots in slow cooker.
• Cover.
• Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or until tender.

These are best cooked on high to retain the flavour of the carrots. If they’re ready before the rest of the meal, turn down the slow cooker to low or warm.

Enjoy!

Do you use a slow cooker to simplify your holiday meal preparation? Tell us how below.