These delicious Roasted Rainbow Carrots are roasted to perfection with simple lemon thyme butter. A gorgeous, easy side dish!

Have you ever seen rainbow carrots at the store? I saw these beautiful rainbow carrots in the organic produce section and immediately snatched them up and put them in the cart! I could not get over how beautiful the purple carrots, yellow carrots and white carrots were! your average orange carrot is a beautiful veggie, but when you put all of the colors together, it was simply stunning! I had no immediate plan to use these fresh rainbow carrots, but I thought a roasted rainbow carrots recipe was in my future! 

I did a bit of research and found that the herb thyme is a classic pairing for carrots. Most recipes called for just thyme, salt and pepper, and olive oil. I thought to myself, “well, that’s boring.” Carrots certainly taste good by themselves, but I knew I could add a little more zest to this carrot recipe! 

a close up photo of roasted rainbow carrots

I decided to use butter to roast the carrots. For the sauce, I added a splash of lemon juice to add some acidity and balance the earthiness of the thyme. To balance the acidity of the lemon juice, I added just a bit of brown sugar. And of course, I added salt, pepper and garlic to round out the flavors. 

When prepping your carrots, consider not peeling them!  To clean these colorful carrots, I used a rough cloth or dish scrubber and water to scrub the carrots free of dirt. You will be amazed at how clean a carrot can get without peeling. Of course, if you prefer to peel your carrots, please do so! 

This colorful side dish is as delicious as it is beautiful. I think it’d be equally wonderful for an easy weeknight meal as it would be for a holiday dinner! 

a photo of roasted rainbow carrots on a white platter surrounded by herbs

I decided to use butter to roast the carrots and the pan. A splash of lemon juice to add some acidity and balance the earthiness of the thyme. And a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste. 

a photo of roasted rainbow carrots on a white plate with slices of ham

I try not to peel carrots as much as possible, since it strips away many of the nutrients. Instead, I use a rough cloth or dish scrubber to scrub the carrots free of dirt. You will be amazed at how clean they can get without peeling!

This dish is as delicious as it is beautiful. Four simple ingredients and twenty minutes in the oven, and you have beautiful roasted rainbow carrots that are easy enough for busy weeknights, but beautiful enough for company!

a close up photo of roasted rainbow carrots on a sheet pan

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve these roasted carrots alongside Mustard and Beer Braised Pork Ribs, Perfectly Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce or Maple Dijon Chicken Breast!

It also makes a beautiful side dish for Thanksgiving or holiday dinners!

a photo of roasted rainbow carrots on a white platter
a close up photo of roasted rainbow carrots on a sheet pan

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Lemon-Thyme Butter

Yield: Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

This wonderful recipe roasts whole rainbow carrots in the oven with a sauce made with lemon, thyme, butter and brown sugar! Delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds whole rainbow carrots

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (roughly one lemon's juice)
  • ½ tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

FOR GARNISH:

  • fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme sprigs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Scrub carrots with a wet dishcloth. Do not peel.
  3. Lightly grease a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.
  4. Add cleaned carrots to the pan in a single layer. Place in preheated oven and roasted for 15 minutes.
  5. While the carrots roast, make the sauce. In a small bowl, add the melted butter. To the butter, add lemon juice, brown sugar, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the melted butter. Whisk vigorously to combine.
  6. After 15 minutes of roasting, carefully remove the carrots from the oven. Pour the sauce over the carrots and flip them.
  7. Return the carrots to the oven and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork.
  8. Serve warm, garnishing with fresh herbs.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 8
Amount Per Serving Calories 82Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 11mgSodium 141mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 1g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app and may be incorrect.

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