Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots combine rainbow carrots, sweet potatoes, and dried fruit in a lightly sweet orange-honey sauce. Everything cooks together until tender for an easy, colorful side dish.
Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots Recipe
Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots combine colorful carrots, sweet potatoes, and dried fruit in a glossy orange-honey glaze. The slow cooker keeps the vegetables tender while giving the flavors time to blend.
Use your favorite combination of dried fruit, or add cinnamon or ginger for a warmer flavor.
- Easy Slow Cooker Side: Everything cooks together while the slow cooker handles the timing.
- Colorful and Flavorful: Rainbow carrots, sweet potatoes, and dried fruit create a bright, appealing dish.
- Sweet Orange-Honey Glaze: Orange juice and honey coat the vegetables with a lightly sweet, glossy finish.
Ingredients Overview
Rainbow carrots and sweet potatoes form the base of this colorful slow cooker side, while onion, dried fruit, orange juice, and honey create a sweet, savory glaze. Cinnamon, mace or nutmeg, salt, and black pepper add warm flavor throughout.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Slow Cooker Glazed Carrots
Layer the carrots, sweet potatoes, onion, and dried fruit in the slow cooker, then add the orange-honey mixture and seasonings. Cook until the vegetables are tender and glazed, using the step-by-step visual guide below to see how to assemble the dish.
- Add the chopped onion to the 4 quart slow cooker. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the salt, pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground mace over the onions.
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes on top of the chopped onions.
Add The Carrots and Dried Fruits
- Spread the carrot coins over the cubed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the dried cranberries, and chopped dried apricots over the carrots. Space the dried prunes evenly on the top.
- Pour the honey over the top of the vegetables.
Add The Orange Juice
- Pour the orange juice in over everything and cover the slow cooker.
- Set the temperature to High and slow cook for 2 to 4 hours, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add more juice if the slow cooker cooks it off to quickly. The sauce will thicken slightly and should be about half the depth of the vegetables.
Transfer To A Serving Dish
- When the carrots are tender, transfer the tzimmes stew to a serving dish. You can add more orange juice and continue to simmer excess sauce in the slow cooker to have extra on the side for serving as well.
Serving Suggestions
Serve slow cooker glazed carrots with roasted chicken, baked salmon, pork tenderloin medallions, or oven roasted tri tip. A sprinkle of chopped parsley or mint adds fresh color just before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Use these simple swaps to adjust the sweetness, fruit, or texture.
- Change the Dried Fruit: Use raisins, dried cherries, chopped dates, apricots, or a combination.
- Make It Vegan: Replace the honey with maple syrup or another vegan sweetener.
- Add Some Crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the carrots just before serving.
Tips for Success
Use these tips to keep the vegetables evenly cooked and the glaze balanced.
- Cut Evenly: Chop the carrots, sweet potatoes, and dried fruit into similar-sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Watch the Cooking Time: Stop cooking once the vegetables are tender to prevent them from becoming mushy.
- Adjust the Sweetness: Taste near the end of cooking and add more honey only if needed.
- Change the Flavor: Use different dried fruits or add cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to suit your preference.
Related Recipes
Storage Options
Store leftover slow cooker glazed carrots properly so they keep their flavor and texture as well as possible.
- Refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze the carrots, but the vegetables may soften after thawing.
- Reheat: Warm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! While rainbow carrots add a vibrant presentation, regular orange carrots work perfectly in this recipe.
No, tzimmes is often just carrots, or carrots and sweet potatoes, or carrits and butternut squash. You can mix and match with what you love, but I just happen to love the jeweled tones. I'd have use a purple sweet potato is I had one!
No problem! Feel free to substitute or omit any dried fruits you don't have on hand. Experiment with other options like cherries, raisins, chopped dates, or even dried figs.
Yes, you can! Simply combine all the ingredients in a Dutch oven pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for several hours, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded. This method will require more monitoring than the slow cooker approach.
Side Dish Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Crockpot Rainbow Carrot Tzimmes
Equipment
- Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 large Onion chopped
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground ground
- ¼ teaspoon Mace, ground (or Nutmeg)
- 1 lb Sweet Potatoes any color or variety
- 1 lb Rainbow carrots scrubbed, peeled, and cut in ½" coins.
- ¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
- 6 dried apricots cut into quarters
- 8 Prunes
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 cup Orange juice or if needed, or making more sauce
Instructions
- Add the chopped onion to the 4 quart slow cooker. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the salt, pepper, ground cinnamon, and ground mace over the onions.1 large Onion, 2 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black pepper, ½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground , ¼ teaspoon Mace, ground
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes on top of the chopped onions.1 lb Sweet Potatoes
- Spread the carrot coins over the cubed sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the dried cranberries, and chopped dried apricots over the carrots. Space the dried prunes evenly on the top.1 lb Rainbow carrots, ¼ cup dried cranberries, 6 dried apricots, 8 Prunes
- Pour the honey over the top of the vegetables.¼ cup Honey
- Pour the orange juice in over everything and cover the slow cooker.1 cup Orange juice
- Set the temperature to High and slow cook for 2 to 4 hours, or until the carrots are tender.
- Add more juice if the slow cooker cooks it off to quickly. The sauce will thicken slightly and should be about half the depth of the vegetables.
- When the carrots are tender, transfer the tzimmes stew to a serving dish. You can add more orange juice and continue to simmer excess sauce in the slow cooker to have extra on the side for serving as well.
Notes
- Experiment with various dried fruits and spices to personalize your tzimmes.
- Chop the vegetables and fruits into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Be mindful of the cooking time. Overcooked vegetables will become mushy.
- Taste the tzimmes towards the end of cooking and adjust the amount of honey to your preference.
Kelly Bloom says
You don't have to be Jewish to love this sweet and fruity carrot side dish!