Instant Pot Glazed Carrots (No Oil)

Name: Instant Pot Glazed Carrots (No Oil)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pound baby carrots; 3 tablespoons maple syrup; 3 tablespoons water; 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instant Pot Glazed Carrots are a quick and easy side dish that’s perfect for brightening your holiday table. They’re made with just a few simple ingredients and are bursting with flavor!

White bowl of multicolored glazed carrots with parsley in the background.

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These oil free instant pot glazed carrots are perfect for a holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, but fuss free enough to make on a busy weeknight.

Easy side dish recipes are important for the busy holidays, and making these in the Instant Pot frees up an extra burner or oven rack when you’re making a holiday feast. And since they are ready in less than 20 minutes, they’re an easy last minute side dish when you’re running out of time.

Many recipes for glazed carrots call for brown sugar and butter. I wanted to make this recipe a little healthier, so I’ve opted to use maple syrup. These instant pot carrots are oil free, refined sugar free, dairy free, and gluten free!

Kids will love these vegan maple roasted carrots! The sweet maple syrup glaze makes them almost like candy! But these sweet instant pot carrots are so much healthier than candy!

Why should you eat more carrots?

Carrots are a nutrient packed vegetable that almost everyone loves! They are loaded with fiber, Vitamin A, potassium, and antioxidants. They have several health benefits, including improving eyesight, and helping to prevent certain forms of cancer.

Carrots are also inexpensive and keep for a long time in the refrigerator, making them a great budget friendly food.

Ingredients for Maple Glazed Carrots

Ingredients for Instant Pot glazed carrots.

Carrots – either baby carrots or whole carrots cut into one inch coins. I thought these multi-colored baby carrots were so pretty, I just had to use them!
Maple syrup – to sweeten the glaze.
Soy sauce – if you are gluten free, use gluten free tamari or liquid aminos.
Onion powder and Garlic powder – for a bit of savory seasoning.
Corn starch or arrowroot powder – to thicken the glaze.

How to make glazed carrots in the Instant Pot

Place all the ingredients in the inner pot of the Instant Pot pressure cooker.

Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the knob is turned to the “seal” position.

Cook the carrots on “manual” or “high pressure” for 2 to 3 minutes depending on how soft you want your carrots to be. It will take up to 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, but the actual cooking time is 2 to 3 minutes.

When the 3 minutes are up, release the pressure by carefully turning the knob on the top of the lid.

Remove 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the pot and mix with the cornstarch. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the pot. Set the Instant Pot on “saute” and cook the carrots, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens.

Fork holding a glazed baby carrot over white bowl of carrots with parsley and green napkin in the background.

How to serve these maple glazed carrots

Since these carrots are sweet, I would suggest serving them with a savory main dish like a lentil loaf or vegan turkey roast with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Can you bake these glazed carrots in the oven?

These carrots can definitely be baked in the oven. Toss them in the maple syrup mixture, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer, and roast them at 400° F for 10 minutes. Turn them over and roast for another 10 minutes.

How long does it take to pressure cook carrots?

While the cook time for pressure cooking baby carrots is only 3 minutes, it takes the Instant Pot several minutes to heat up enough to come to pressure. The total time to cook the carrots from the time you turn on the Instant Pot is closer to 10 or 15 minutes.

The cooking time will also depend on the size of your carrots. If you use whole carrots and slice them thinner than about an inch, you may only need to set the cooking time for 2 minutes. If the carrots are not tender enough after 2 minutes, you can continue to cook them on the “saute” setting until they are cooked to your liking.

How long can maple glazed carrots be stored?

These carrots can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4 days or in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Reheat the carrots by warming them in the microwave at 30 second intervals, or in a pot on the stove with a little bit of water added. Be careful not to cook them too long when reheating, or they will be mushy. Allow frozen carrots to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

White bowl of glazed carrots next to a green napkin.

More delicious vegan side dishes:

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