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Roasted Rainbow Carrots are a classic dish that you’ll find at both fancy holiday events and on a simple weeknight dinner table! Having a go-to recipe in your back pocket makes whipping up a batch of perfectly roasted carrots whenever you’d like.

Overhead view of a blue patterned oval serving dish with rainbow carrots and drizzled with balsamic glaze

Colorful, beautiful, healthy food doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Just keep it easy and let nature do all the work. And this recipe is the perfect example...

Roasting carrots caramelizes them and brings out their natural sweetness. This makes Rainbow Carrots a perfect, colorful side dish for almost any main course! A bit of freshly chopped parsley adds both a finishing touch of flavor and a beautiful garnish. Use this recipe all season long and enjoy the incredible flavor and wonderful health benefits!

What Are Rainbow Carrots?

Our favorite thing about oven-roasted rainbow carrots is the color that they add to the table! The shades of orange, yellow, red, and purple are a feast for your eyes and your stomach. All carrots are high in fiber potassium, and vitamins C and K, but each colorful carrot brings their own nutrition to your diet.

Orange carrots are highest in vitamin A, which is great for eye health.
Yellow carrots contain lutein, which is another nutrient that aids in eye health.
Red carrots have lycopene, that same nutrient found in bright red tomatoes! These may be great for heart health.
Purple carrots have anti-inflammatory properties due to anthocyanins. These work to boost your immune system (especially helpful in the winter months!).

Rainbow carrots on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Tips For Roasting Carrots

Start by washing your carrots! As a root vegetable, carrots are prone to arriving in your kitchen with a bit of dirt still attached. Give them a good scrub! Use whole carrots--no baby carrots! We’ve found they just don’t taste great when cooked. As far as we are concerned baby carrots are meant to be eaten raw.
Look for carrots that are roughly the same size so they cook evenly. You can always cut bigger carrots into smaller portions so they look uniform.
Do you have to peel carrots before roasting? It’s up to your preference! As long as your rainbow carrots are washed thoroughly before cooking, you can leave the skins on. Peeling does give the carrots an overall sweeter flavor and a cleaner look.
Make sure you place the carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. The overlap will cause the carrots to steam and become mushier, which we definitely don’t want for this recipe!

Rainbow carrots roasted on a baking sheet

Finishing Your Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Once the carrots are perfectly roasted you can dress them up! Here re a couple of topping and seasoning options, we love for sprinkling, drizzling, or dipping your roasted Rainbow Carrots:

Avocado Cilantro Dressing
Tahini Sauce
Pesto Sauce
Spicy Patatas Bravas Sauce
Romesco
Dukkah
Roasted Hazelnuts
Balsamic Glaze
Seasonings: Sumac, Za’atar, curry, cumin, or Chili Lime seasoning
Herbs: Fresh parsley or cilantro

Side view of a blue serving dish with roasted rainbow carrots

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DID YOU LIKE OUR ROASTED RAINBOW CARROT RECIPE?

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