A Tasty New Food Find

I have never had a parsnip until I started working on this recipe. Parsnips aren’t particularly attractive, and in my opinion, are terrible raw. Try parsnips raw for the experience or just trust me. What do these unremarkable little tubers taste like toasted? Parsnips turn into a soft cross between a potato and a squash, with a unique earthy flavor I can’t quite pin down.

Carrots are far more familiar and are delicious cooked. Top roasted parsnips and carrots with buttery honey glaze and discover a tasty new food find! Six simple ingredients and a few simple steps.

What You’ll Need to Make Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Parsnips – Look for firm parsnips. These odd little roots are kind of like a big branch. They look woody and should be beige in color.

Carrots – I have used whole rainbow carrots because they are pretty. But I like to use standard orange carrots for the equal diameter, or go for the easy path and use baby carrots. Already peeled and washed. Again, look for carrots that are firm. I like the large carrots because they will be the same diameter as the parsnips.

Honey – There are several varieties of honey available now in the grocery stores. I’m using a light honey, which will give the veggies a mild sweetness.

Butter – To make the honey less viscus and create a creamy, rich glaze, you’ll need butter.

Salt and Oil – I don’t usually call these cooking basics out in my ingredient list, but salt and oil are critical to making this dish, which has so few ingredients, a success. Generously salt your veggies. It will seem like too much. Trust me.

carrots sliced, whole and shavings on a wooden plate

How to Make Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

A few tips for roasting veggies. Do your best to cut the parsnips and carrots to the same thickness, more on that below. Cutting to the same thickness will ensure a more even cooking. Be sure to coat the carrots and parsnips well with oil, generously season, and space them out evenly on the sheet pan.

To prepare the carrots and parsnips, use a vegetable peeler to remove the rough, outside beige skin. Cut the ends and slice them into 1/2″ thick wheels. Do your best to match the thickness of your parsnip wheels to the carrot wheels.

salted and oiled slices of carrots and parsnips

Honey Butter Glaze

To make the glaze, melt butter in a saucepan. Then add the honey and mix until well combined. Honey is an amazing sweetener, but it is too thick to use alone. The butter will thin the honey and provide a fatty, creamy element.

honey and butter in bowls with teaspoons and whisk

Roasting Carrots and Parsnips

After cleaning and cutting the parsnips and carrots, coat them in olive oil. You don’t want the veggies dripping, but you want good even coverage. Olive oil will aid in cooking, add flavor, and allow the salt to stick.

Spread the oiled and salted veggies out on the baking sheet. Place the sheet on the middle rack of a 425 F oven and bake for 30 minutes. Flip the veggies at least once during cooking.

When there are 5 minutes left, spoon or brush the honey glaze over the carrots and parsnips. Finish the cooking time. Serve immediately.

cooked parsnips and carrots on baking sheet

parsnip and carrots rounds with honey butter glaze

Tips, Tricks, & FAQ

Tasty Toppers. Try dusting the cooked carrots and parsnips with cinnamon or nutmeg!
Can I save the leftover? Yes, for 1-2 days. I would recommend putting the leftover parsnips and carrots back in the oven or toaster oven to reheat.
Can I slice the carrots and parsnips lengthwise? Yes, you can, but the parsnips have such an angle that they don’t cut evenly lengthwise. I tried this dish with whole carrots, halved and sliced parsnips and I prefer the look of all wheels.