Maple Roasted Carrots and Apples will be the highlight of the holiday side dish table this year! This gorgeous platter delivers sweet caramelized apples, savory crispy bacon, feta cheese, dried cranberries and fresh sage, an incredibly delicious combination!
- A Holiday Side Dish! - We love it when the side dishes steal the show! This one is no exception, savory and sweet with hints of cinnamon, maple syrup, and those carrots and apples that get golden and caramelized. Your guests are going to love it!
- Seasonal Veggies! - The coming of the holidays marks the end of garden season, and this dish makes the fall produce shine! Apples, carrots, sage and cranberry make the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, work well for the Christmas and Easter season, and pair well with any main course!
- Need More Side Dish Ideas? Try my Sweet Potato Casserole, Broccoli Au Gratin, Cranberry Sauce with Honey, or Roasted Carrots and Cauliflower.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
These carrots are from my late fall garden, charmingly unique in shape and size! A few simple seasonings give these simple roasted carrots and apples amazing flavor.
- Carrots - This humble vegetable is full of natural sugars that get deeply intensified when roasted and caramelized!
- Apples - Perfect for the season, roasted apples get soft, juicy and compliment the carrots. Use any kind of apples you have, no need to peel. I didn't try it, but I think pears would be a nice variation!
- Bacon - A few slices of bacon take this dish over the top! Roasting the bacon on the same pan as the veggies allows the bacon fat to render and mingle with the maple syrup glazed veggies. Then that crisp salty bacon crumbled over the dish cuts through the sweetness and is so delicious!
- Olive Oil and Butter - A little of both is best, butter for delicious flavor and olive oil to make sure those veggies get nicely roasted with crispy browned edges.
- Maple Syrup - The star flavor here, roasted apples and carrots tossed in maple syrup gives them a flavorful glaze, amplifying their sweet elements. Honey could be substituted. If you love this flavor, try my Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Carrot Soup too!
- Seasonings and Spices - Salt and pepper are important to season all those veggies, while garlic powder and cinnamon contrast with sweet and savory components.
- Dried Cranberries - The perfect garnish for the holidays, those little pops of red bring a sweet and tart chewy texture. Golden raisins or dried cherries could be substituted.
- Fresh Sage - It's the holidays, so go for fresh herbs! Sage adds rustic earthy flavor and is a beautiful garnish.
- Feta Cheese - The salty creamy topper, a bit of crumbled feta keeps this dish in balance! Just a little bit, and you could substitute goat cheese or leave it out for dairy-free.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
A simple dish that takes basic vegetables to a whole new level! Roasting at a high heat gives vegetables the best flavor.
Step 1 - Wash your carrots well, scrubbing them under running water so there is no need to peel (you can if you like).
Trim the ends and slice them in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on thickness. Then slice in half at a diagonal to get about 3 inch sticks.
Slice the apple and mix the glaze together.
Step 2 - Lay the 3 strips of bacon on the ends of a large sheet pan.
Add the carrots and apples to the middle and toss them well with the glaze. Use your hands!
Spread them out into a single layer, right up to, but not over the bacon.
Step 3 - Bake at 425°F for about 10 minutes or more until the bacon is done.
Don't Burn the Bacon! Keep an eye on it and take the pan out when the bacon is just perfectly crisp.
Step 4 - Remove the bacon to a plate.
Give the veggies a little flip, coating them with the bacon fat and redistributing the glaze.
Continue to roast another 15 minutes.
Step 5 - When the apples are roasted, tender and caramelized, they're done.
Sprinkle the hot veggies with the chopped sage and dried cranberries to soften them.
Step 6 - Use a slotted spatular to transfer the carrots and apples to a platter, leaving some of the bacon fat behind on the pan.
Top with crumbled feta cheese, the chopped crispy bacon, and more fresh sage leaves.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Don't Burn the Bacon! - Really watch the bacon, the oven is really hot and it will cook up quick! The window to take it out before it burns is pretty small. Set a timer for 10 minutes, then check it every minute or 2 after that! You could cook the bacon separately, but that little bacon grease that mixes with the roasting veggies is pretty tasty.
- Ovens and Timing - This dish is roasted at a high heat, 425°F convection bake, which means the fan is blowing the hot air around making things cook even faster. This is essential for roasting the carrots and apples to those crispy edged, deliciously caramelized finish, but it also means things can burn quickly. All ovens vary, so set a timer and check things often.
- Warm the Craisins and Sage - This little tip makes a huge difference. The dried cranberries and sage don't need to be cooked, but just tossing them with the hot veggies on the pan, warms them slightly, making them aromatic, softened, and glistening with the maple glaze.
- Use a Slotted Spatula - That little bit of bacon fat mixed in with the veggies is delicious, but putting them on the platter with a slotted spatula will leave the excess behind on the pan.
- Make Ahead and Storage - This dish is best served fresh, and probably not the best to make ahead and reheat. However, you could get ahead for the busy holiday by washing and slicing the carrots a day in advance and keeping them in the fridge. You could also mix up the glaze ahead of time, it could be left in a jar on the counter or in the fridge. Then just microwave it if it solidifies. You could make this dish and transport it hot to the host's house to stay warm in their oven. You may want to wait to add the feta and sage garnish. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 2 or 3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the bacon can be left out and the veggies will still be delicious! To keep it vegan, omit the butter and sub with more olive oil, and leave out the feta.
Yes, feta is totally optional and can be left out. You could also substitute goat cheese.
Yes. If using peeled baby carrots, give them a rinse in a strainer first and shake out excess water. They may cook faster if they are smaller, so keep an eye on the oven and pull them out when they're done, taste one!
If you do burn the bacon, bummer, but you can just discard it and continue the dish without. The bacon fat is still there to flavor the veggies. If you really burn it badly, the veggies may be finished cooking, or you can transfer them to another pan if the burnt taste is there.
More Favorite Side Dishes!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Maple Roasted Carrots and Apples with Bacon
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1.5 pounds carrots
- 2 apples sliced
- 3 slices thick cut bacon
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 4 leaves fresh sage chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉ convection bake.
- Wash the carrots well, scrubbing them under running water so there is no need to peel (you can if you like). Trim the ends and slice them in half or quarters lengthwise, depending on thickness. Then slice them in half at a diagonal giving you about 3 inch sticks. Slice the apples.
- Whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt and pepper to make the glaze.
- On a large baking sheet, add the strips of bacon to the outside ends of the pan. Add the carrots and apples to the middle and toss well with the glaze. Spread into an even layer, coming right up to the edges of the bacon. Use 2 smaller pans if they don't fit.
- Roast about 10 minutes, then check on the bacon. Don't burn the bacon! You'll need to keep an eye on it to get the bacon perfectly crisp. Remove the bacon strips to a plate, give the veggies a toss in the bacon fat with a spatula and spread them back out. Continue roasting, another 15 minutes or until tender and caramelized.
- When the veggies are roasted and caramelized, sprinkle them with chopped sage and dried cranberries and toss lightly.
- Use a slotted spatula to transfer the veggies to a platter (this will let you get some flavor from the bacon fat while leaving most behind on the pan).
- Top with chopped bacon, feta cheese, and more sage leaves to garnish.
Notes
- Don't Burn the Bacon! - Carefully watch the bacon, it will cook up quick and can burn easily! I used thick cut bacon, regular cut bacon will cook even quicker. Set a timer for 10 minutes, then check it every minute or 2 after that!
- Ovens and Timing - This dish is roasted at a high heat, 425°F convection bake, which means the fan is blowing the hot air around making things cook even faster. This is essential for roasting to give the carrots and apples that crispy edged, deliciously caramelized finish, but it also means things can burn quickly. All ovens vary, so set a timer and check things often.
- Warm the Craisins and Sage - This little tip makes a huge difference. The dried cranberries and sage don't need to be cooked, but just tossing them with the hot veggies on the pan, warms them slightly, making them aromatic and glistening with the maple glaze.
- Use a Slotted Spatula - That little bit of bacon fat mixed with the veggies is delicious, but putting them on the platter with a slotted spatula will leave the excess behind on the pan.
- Optional Ingredients - If your holiday guest list includes some special diets, the bacon or feta could be left out of this dish, and the butter could be subbed with more olive oil.
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