Maple Roasted Carrots
on Nov 20, 2022
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Maple Roasted Carrots will have everyone coming back for more this holiday season! Oven roasted carrots with dates, pecans and a Spicy Maple Dressing served with creamy whipped feta.
I love holiday meals…..mainly for the side dishes! They’re the best part in my opinion and I love when I can load up my Thanksgiving plate with a little bit of everything like this Savory Sweet Potato Casserole, Creamed Kale with Parmesan Breadcrumbs and lots of Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage Cashew Cream!
Today’s recipe is another one of my favorites and it truly checks all of the flavor boxes. It starts with one of winter’s best friends: the humble carrot. This hearty root gets a bad name sometimes but when seasoned and roasted like this, carrots can be absolutely irresistible.
I season fresh carrots with salt and pepper and then roast on high heat for the perfect texture. Then comes chewy dates, crunchy pecans and a lemon maple dressing that adds a powerful punch of flavor with fresh acidity and peppery spice. The secret ingredient is cinnamon, which compliments both the sweet and savory notes in this dish.
Ingredients to Make Maple Roasted Carrots
Carrots: You’ll need 2.5 lbs of carrots for this recipe.
Olive Oil: some for roasting the carrots and some for the sweet and spicy dressing!
Lemon Juice: a touch of acidity to brighten and enhance the sweet and savory flavors in this dish.
Maple Syrup: adds balance to the dressing and brings out the natural sweetness in the carrots.
Cinnamon and Red Pepper Flakes: seasons the carrots with a hint of spice and heat.
Dates + Pecans: sweet and chewy Medjool dates and crunchy, toasted pecans add lots of flavor and a great mix of textures to the dish!
Whipped Vegan Feta: adds tangy cheesiness and creamy texture to this roasted veggie dish.
Parsley: more than garnish in my opinion! A sprinkle of fresh parsley adds fresh flavor that makes this veggie dish sing!
How to Make Roasted Carrots
The complete recipe with the exact measurements is listed below on a printable recipe card for your convenience but here’s a quick step-by-step overview to give you an idea!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then peel and slice the carrots into large 2in pieces. Place on a baking tray like this one and drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper and roast until fork tender. About 25-30 minutes.
While the carrots are roasting, chop the dates, pecans and parsley and set aside. Then mix together the dressing in a bowl and set that aside too.
Next make the whipped feta in a food processor and blend until smooth. The key is using room temperature feta so it will blend nicely!
Spoon the whipped feta onto a serving plate and use the back of a spoon to create a pretty swooshing pattern. Cover and chill until the carrots are done roasting.
When the carrots are fork tender and nicely caramelized on the tray-down side, remove from the oven and add the dates, pecans and a handful of parsley. Pour the dressing on top and toss well. I use salad tongs or two wooden spoons to easily dress the hot veggies.
Then spoon the carrots, dates and pecans on top of the whipped feta, making sure to include all of the dressing. Add an extra sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
- Savory Pumpkin Tart
- Warm Kale Salad with Walnuts, Vegan Feta and Miso White Wine Sauce
- “Bacon” Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
- Healthy Twice Baked Potatoes
- Vegan Apple Pie
Maple Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs carrots
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt, I use Morton's
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 8 large medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
Vegan Whipped Feta
- 8 oz vegan feta, room temperature
- ¼ block medium or firm tofu, about 3.5oz
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp kosher salt, See notes*
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp white rice vinegar, optional
Instructions
Roast the Carrots
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then peel and slice the carrots into large 2in pieces. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper and mix well.
- Spread the carrots into an even layer and bake for 25-30 minutes or until just fork tender and nicely caramelized on the side that's tray-down.
Make the Dressing
- While the carrots are roasting, chop the dates, pecans and parsley and set aside. Then whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and salt in a small bowl and set that aside too.
Make the Whipped Feta
- Combine all of the whipped feta ingredients listed above in a food processor and blend until smooth. The key is using room temperature feta so it will blend nicely!
- Spoon the whipped feta onto a serving plate and use the back of a spoon to create a pretty swooshing pattern. Cover and chill until the carrots are done roasting.
Assemble
- When the carrots are fork tender and nicely caramelized on the tray-down side, remove from the oven and add the dates, pecans and parsley. Pour the dressing on top and toss well. I use salad tongs or two wooden spoons to easily dress the hot veggies.
- Then spoon the carrots, dates and pecans on top of the whipped feta, making sure to include all of the dressing. Add an extra sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.
Just made this and loved it!!! The cinnamon was just a perfect touch. I made my vegan feta in my Vitamix and was able to get it even smoother. I have never made a recipe off Nikki’s site that hasn’t been great. Thank you for all your hard work, I will continue to be a fan for years to come.
My family enjoyed this! Made only half the recipe (only 6 adults at thanksgiving) and served at room temp as a starter alongside a vegan cheese board. When I make this again I’ll cut the carrots into bite sized pieces, reheat the carrot mixture in the microwave and serve on the chilled feta base. Only had 2 dates, so I subbed craisins in for the rest but it was still yummy, and the 5 leftover bites were yummy too!
Made exactly as written, 5 stars, 10 out of 10, great recipe!
These were such a great side to make with my hoard of carrots that were too big to make presentable to be roasted whole. (I used pumpkin seeds instead of pecans and raisins instead of dates). I paired them with vegan stroganoff as part of meal prep