The Best Cracker Barrel Carrot Recipe

This simple recipe is the ultimate versatile side dish. It pairs great with your traditional meat and potatoes, but can also be included in Asian dishes that use carrots like Chinese or Thai recipes (if you have leftovers of course!).

One of my actual favorite ways to use this is as a thanksgiving dinner side because it pairs so well with a roasted turkey or ham!

You can even make it ahead of time, include it in your meal plan, and pack it as a delicious to-go lunch for work or school.

Since you are here and love copycat recipes of a great side dish, check out this Chili's Street Corn Recipe, this Outback Brussels Sprouts Recipe, or this PF Chang's Chicken Fried Rice Recipe.

Ingredients for this Cracker Barrel Carrot Recipe

Here are the ingredients you will need to make these copycat Cracker Barrel carrots. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements.

• Fresh Baby Carrots: It's better to use fresh rather than frozen for this recipe. Fresh carrots will still retain some sort of crunch and firmness while frozen might be too soft and mushy once cooked.
• Butter: Use unsalted so that we can add the salt in separately.
• Light Brown Sugar: sweetens the carrots and give them their restaurant-style taste.
• Salt: helps to balance out the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the carrots as well.

How to Make this Cracker Barrel Carrot Recipe

This is how you can make this Cracker Barrel baby carrots recipe. Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the cooking time and full step-by-step instructions.

1. Place the baby carrots in a large pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce the heat, cover carrots with a lid, and simmer until the carrots are tender.
4. Drain 3/4 of the water from the carrots. Add the butter, brown sugar, and salt to the pot with the carrots.
5. Cook over medium-low heat, with a lid on, until the butter and brown sugar melt and create a smooth glaze that coats the top of the carrots. Stir from time to time to make sure the sauce coats all of the carrots.
6. Once the tender carrots are well-coated and heated through, transfer them to a serving dish and enjoy!

Why You need to make this recipe!

• This carrot side dish recipe only requires a few simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.
• These delicious carrots are so easy to make that home cooks of all levels can make them.
• Great for dinners or healthy lunches.
• Can be easily customized to taste however you want them to!

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

Can I use regular carrots instead of baby carrots?

Yes, that shouldn't be a problem. Just be sure to try and cut your carrots into uniform pieces of equal size.

Can I make this Cracker Barrel Carrot recipe vegan?

Sure! All you would need to do is substitute the butter with a vegetable-based alternative, like vegan butter or olive oil.

How can I make the carrots more savory?

To make the carrots savory instead of sweet, reduce or completely get rid of the sugar and add seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, or black pepper for depth of flavor. The sauce won't thicken as much without the addition of the brown sugar though, so just keep that in mind.

Can I use this recipe for other vegetables?

Yes, you can! This recipe works well with other root vegetables like parsnips, sweet potatoes, or turnips. You'll only need to adjust the cooking time based on the vegetable's firmness.

The Best Cracker Barrel Carrot Recipe