Description
This Maple Dijon Roasted Apples and Carrots recipe combines tender roasted carrots and caramelized apples with a sweet-tangy maple-Dijon glaze. Perfect for fall dinners, holiday meals, or meal prep, this easy sheet-pan side dish is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and can be made oil-free. The high-heat roasting creates beautiful caramelization while fresh thyme adds an herbal note. Ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients!
Ingredients
For the Vegetables:
- 4 large carrots (~1 lb)
- 3 large apples (~1 lb)
- 1 medium onion
- 5 cloves garlic (or ~1 teaspoon garlic powder)
For the Maple-Dijon Glaze:
- ¼ cup olive oil (or substitute aquafaba for oil-free option)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons stone-ground Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
Instructions
Oven to 425°F. High temp = caramelized edges. That’s the whole point.
Line the pan with parchment if you want. I don’t always bother.
Let the oven actually get to temp before anything goes in.
Core apples, cut into ½-inch chunks. Keep the peel—softens when it roasts.
Slice carrots on an angle, ¼-inch thick. Looks better, more surface for browning. Thick carrots? Cut them lengthwise first.
Dice onion, ½-inch pieces. Match the apple size roughly.
Mince garlic or use garlic powder.
Similar sizes = everything cooks at the same rate = nobody complaining about raw carrots.
Olive oil (or aquafaba), maple syrup, Dijon, salt, pepper, thyme—all in the bowl. Whisk hard till it’s smooth and glossy.
Smells ridiculous. You’ll want to taste it straight. Go ahead, I won’t tell.
Carrots, apples, onion, garlic—dump it all in. Get your hands in there. Toss till every piece is coated.
Really work it. Better coating now = better caramelization later.
Onto the pan, spread it into one layer. Space between pieces. Piled up = steamed = bad.
Too crowded? Use two pans. This matters.
Into the oven. 15 minutes.
Pull it out when edges touching the pan are browning. Flip everything around with the spatula so all sides get browned.
Back in for 10-15 more minutes. Watching for fork-tender carrots, bubbling caramelized glaze, soft apples that still hold shape.
Poke a carrot. Fork goes in easy but carrot’s not mush? You’re done.
Notes
- Choose the right apples: Honeycrisp apples are my absolute favorite for this recipe because they stay slightly crisp even when roasted. Granny Smith adds a nice tart contrast to the sweet glaze, while Braeburn offers a balanced sweet-tart flavor.
- Slice carrots evenly: Uniform slices mean everything cooks at the same rate. If you have carrots of varying thickness, cut the thicker ones in half lengthwise first.
- Test your oven hot spots: Every oven has them! If you know your oven runs hot in the back, rotate your pan halfway through cooking for the most even results.
- Make it extra crispy: Want even MORE caramelization? After flipping, spread things out even more on the pan. The more space, the crispier the edges.
- Fresh vs. dried thyme: If using dried thyme instead of fresh, use half the amount (½ teaspoon). Dried herbs are more concentrated!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American