Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots – talk about yummy. You can make these sweet-tasting baby carrots at home. They are a favorite of many and the perfect side dish for any meal.
Brown Sugar Glazed Baby Carrots
Two of the qualities I love the most about carrots are that they are always in season and they are inexpensive. They are plentiful in grocery stores and markets all throughout the year.
Baby carrots are sweet and perfect for boiling or roasting (and snacking too!). Brown sugar glazed baby carrots are simply heavenly. Brown sugar elevates the flavor of carrots and makes this dish pair perfectly with meat, especially ham.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick list of what you need:
- Fresh baby carrots
- Margarine
- Brown sugar
- Salt
- Ground nutmeg (optional)
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
If you don’t have baby-cut carrots, you can use regular carrots. Simply cut them into 1-inch lengths.
While Cracker Barrel does not use butter in this carrot recipe, you can substitute butter for margarine.
How to Make Cracker Barrel Carrots
It’s easier than you think to make glazed baby carrots taste just like the Cracker Barrel. Here are the recipe steps:
- Rinse carrots and place them in a saucepan.
- Pour in enough water to cover the top of the carrots.
- Cover the pan with a lid
- Bring the carrots to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the carrots for 30 to 45 minutes, until the carrots are fork-tender.
- Pour off half of the water.
- Add margarine, sugar, and salt and place the lid back on the pan.
- Cook until the carrots are completely tender but not mushy.
- For a little flair, add a pinch of ground nutmeg.
How to Store Cooked Baby Carrots
Refrigerate the cooked baby carrots within two hours of cooking. Cool them to room temperate then place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
You can freeze cooked carrots in a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. Thaw the carrots in the refrigerator overnight before reheating them.
How long do cooked carrots last?
Properly stored, cooked carrots will last from 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator or 10 to 12 months in the freezer.
How to Reheat Glazed Baby Carrots
Place the carrots in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until warm, about 1 to 3 minutes depending on how many carrots you are reheating.
Love Cracker Barrel? Try these Copycat Recipes
- Loaded Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
- Cracker Barrel Potatoes
- Country Fried Apples
- Eggs in a Basket Recipe
- Cracker Barrel Roast Beef
- Cracker Barrel Homestyle Chicken
More Carrot Recipes
- How to Cook Carrots
- How to Cook Frozen Peas and Carrots
- Roasted Honey Glazed Carrot
- Shredded Carrot and Raisin Salad
- Easy Carrot Souffle Recipe
- Carrot Pudding
- Carrot Sheet Cake
Be sure to check out more of the best vegetable side dish recipes and copycat Cracker Barrel recipes.
Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh baby carrots
- 2 tablespoons margarine
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Rinse carrots and place in a 2-quart saucepan. Pour in enough water to just cover the top of the carrots. Cover the pan with a lid, place on medium heat, and bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the carrots are tender when pricked with a fork. When carrots are tender, pour off half of the water.
- Add the margarine, sugar, and salt and place the lid back on the pan.
- Cook until completely tender but not mushy. More salt may be added if needed. For a little flair, add a pinch of ground nutmeg.
Blitzo
Fantastic! We loved these they were outstanding! Surprised for the family. Thanks so much for posting this very helpful recipe.
Carasith
I HAVE BEEN AN ACTUAL CRACKER BARREL COOK FOR 9 YEARS! I have made our carrots countless times, and it is so much simpler than you all seem to think. These copycat recipes always crack us up. LOL We use frozen baby carrots, brown sugar, liquid margarine, and water. That’s it. Add the margarine and brown sugar to the water and bring it to a boil. Add the frozen carrots and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft. There is no corn syrup, salt, bacon grease, parsley, etc in our recipe.
Kathleen Maples
Carasith can you share Cracker Barrel’s B9NE IN SOUTHERN fried chicken? NOT the boneless SUNDAY fried chicken? I have watched Cracker Barrel’s FB ad for this chicken and still cannot figure out ALL thesecret ingredients!
Patricia Humphrey
When simmering the carrots is the lid on or off
Stephanie
I normally do this with the lid off.
Rosie
I didn’t know fresh vegetables could taste so good!
Rose
Absolutely LOVED these they were outstanding! Surprised family with these ( they are a favorite side when we go out to Cracker Barrel) they asked for seconds !!! Thanks so much for posting this 👍🏼💕
Marlene Wells
I have made this recipe and it is every bit as good or better then what I had at Cracker Barrel…Yummy…
grannybena
I don’t think they have bacon grease in them, their carrots are not greasy and if any grease is used the food will taste like it no matter how slight
Heidi
I have seen several recipes for these carrots and all of them have the bacon grease listed.
Ginger Shaffer
Would like to have the recipe of Hurricane Cake. Duff smorgansboard that was in Muncie Indiana and Gatlinburg, TN but closed down 20 years ago but it still operates somewhere, It was a great cake with a lemon sauce. Maybe your able to find the recipe I would greatly appreciate it. Ginger hungry for that hurricane cake.
Brenda
Google it
LaRita M.
I love the mac and cheese at Cracker Barrel, anyone got that recipe?
Stephanie
I haven’t tried their macaroni and cheese.
Brenda
Google it ther is alot of cracker barrel recipes tried 2 so far make all the time.
Hazel
I’m so glad I found this site . Thank you so much!!!!
Rod
How do they make their grilled cheese sandwiches? Great!
Kristy Weaver Dickens
Thank You! My daughter LOVES Cracker Barrel Carrots. I made these for dinner tonight and they are just perfect. She happily chowed down and asked for seconds.
stephaniemanley
It’s a great feeling when you family loves your meals.
Sharon
I just love these carrots, could make a meal of them
May4june
Heyyy CAN YOU USE NORMAL SUGAR???? WILl IT TASTE THE SAME?
Stephanie
It will not taste the same with regular sugar, it will taste sweet, but the flavor will miss the molasses flavor of the brown sugar.
Cindy
I do sugar and water then boil till tender. The kids absolutely love them. I came in her just looking for new ideas
Nanasplace
Why didn’t you have printed the rest of the chocolate cobbler recipe? I got half of it and then it said to text for more. I have no one to text so how can I get the rest of this recipe. Shirley y Indiana
Jlzack
Printed this for my mom, she tried them, excited about them. they were not a hit. tasted like carrots, that’s it. nothing special to them at all. thumbs down, won’t make again
Stephanie
They are going to taste like carrots, some minor seasoning won’t cover up the flavor of carrots.
Janie
Cracker barrel uses corn syrup added to the water the carrots are cooked in. Plus a little salt. Just add butter and salt to taste when serving.
Andrea
“tasted like carrots” 😂
Hcbartley
w?hy does the printer have to print out 5 pages of garbage before it actually prints the recipe
Stephanie
I am sorry this is currently happening, we are in the middle of updating the website, and we didn’t have this featured ironed out completely before the site was made live.
ashleezona
Click and highlight the recipe, then click file, print, and when the print dialog box opens, there’s a button labeled ‘selection’, check that, and click print. It’s not glamorous, or beautifully formatted, but you only print the area that you have highlighted.
Anonymous
Have you tried using the print button.
Lindsey
I worked for cracker barrel, the recipe is accurate above. There is no bacon fat in it or honey. Just a bunch of butter/margarine, brown sugar, little bit of salt and some water. Thats it.
Reginamcr
How do they make the roast beef.? I’m new at cooking it and didn’t do good whe I did.. What cut of eat is it? That would be such a help! Thanks
Andrea
I want to know too 🙂 i love their roast beef
Rodney
Lindsey, How did C. B. make their grilled cheese sandwiches? They are very good.
Bonnie
How many does this recipe serve?
Stephanie
This makes 4 to 6 servings.
connie fortune
The “original recipe” I have uses 2# baby carrots,1tsp. salt,1tsp. bacon drippings,1/4c. br. sugar,packed,1/4c. melted butter, and 1/4c. HONEY. melt bacon drippings in pot. Add carrots and enough water to cover carrots THEN PROCEED with the rest of the recipe on this site!