Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots

Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots – talk about yummy. You can make these sweet-tasting baby carrots at home. This simple, homestyle side brings out the best of each ingredient by pairing earthy, bite-sized carrots with sweet brown sugar and a touch of salt and spices. Veggies have never tasted so good.

Copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots in a white bowl.


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Cracker Barrel Glazed Baby Carrots

Cracker Barrel is one of those restaurants that likely brings back a ton of memories for diners. Whether you remember it as a welcome break on long road trips or as a family favorite for casual breakfasts, lunches, and dinners out, the homestyle food and friendly service are a reliable feature all across the country, particularly the South.

Alongside comfort food main courses like biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, and country-fried steak, Cracker Barrel’s sides also shine as a bright spot on the chain’s menu. One fan favorite is Cracker Barrel baby carrots. 

What Makes Cracker Barrel Carrots So Good

One bite of these carrots, and you’ll be instantly whisked back to time spent in the chain’s “porch front” rocking chairs or shopping in the old country store. The simple flavors are classic comfort food and provide some nutritious veggies for the sometimes less-than-healthy down-home meals. 

Why You’ll Love These Brown Sugar Glazed Baby Carrots

Cracker Barrel baby carrots are an ideal low-stress side on busy weeknights or as part of bigger family dinners. The vast majority of the 35-50 minute cooking time occurs as the carrots gently simmer, allowing you to prep the rest of your meal or take a well-deserved break. In addition, baby carrots are affordable and always in season, making them a reliable choice year-round. 

Parents will also likely love these carrots. After all, what better way to get kids to eat their veggies than making them sweet, delicious, and bite-sized?

Recipe Ingredients

Just a few common ingredients are needed to make copycat Cracker Barrel carrots:

  • Fresh baby carrots
  • Margarine
  • Brown sugar
  • Salt

In addition, you can optionally add a pinch of nutmeg for a woodsier, more complex flavor.

Copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots ingredients on a marble surface.

Ingredient Substitutions and Variations

Some may be surprised to find margarine used here instead of butter. While this is the most authentic choice for those looking for the classic Cracker Barrel baby carrots experience, you can easily use the same amount of butter instead. 

It’s also simple to replace baby-cut carrots with normal-sized carrots that you peel and cut to the appropriate size yourself. 

How to Make Cracker Barrel Carrots

It’s easier than you think to whip up this copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots recipe with just a few minutes of active prep and cooking time.

  1. Rinse and drain carrots, and place in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover.
  2. Place lid on the pan and bring the water to a boil. 
  3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the carrots are fork tender, 30-45 minutes. 
  4. When the carrots are tender, pour half of the water out of the pan, leaving the carrots and remaining water in the saucepan.
  5. Add the margarine, sugar, and salt on top of carrots and recover the pan.
  6. Cook until the carrots are completely tender but not mushy.
Collage of making copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots.

Finish the dish with a pinch of nutmeg, chopped parsley, or thyme on top of the carrots for garnish.

Copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots in a bowl.

What to Serve With Carrots

It might be a shorter list of what doesn’t go well with these deliciously tender carrots. Naturally, they’ll pair well with nearly anything from the Cracker Barrel lunch and dinner menu. In particular, try serving them with:

The carrots will generally work well with any savory or meaty dish, with their contrasting sweetness balancing the main course’s flavor. 

How to Store Cooked Baby Carrots

Refrigerate the cooked baby carrots within two hours of cooking. Cool them to room temperature 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

You can warm up the carrots by placing them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaving them for one to three minutes. Larger batches require longer cooking times, but keep an eye on them so they don’t turn mushy from overcooking.

Copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots on a plate with chopped steak, green beans, and mashed potatoes.

Love Cracker Barrel? Try these Copycat Recipes

More Carrot Recipes

Be sure to check out more of the best vegetable side dish recipes and copycat Cracker Barrel recipes.

Overhead view of copycat Cracker Barrel baby carrots and a small bowl of ground nutmeg.

Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots

Love those buttery sweet glazed carrots at the Cracker Barrel? Make them at home with this easy copycat recipe. 
4.93 from 42 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cracker Barrel Carrots, Cracker Barrel Recipes, Glazed Baby Carrots
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 71kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh baby carrots
  • 2 tablespoons margarine
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg optional

Instructions

  • Rinse the carrots and place them in a 2-quart saucepan with just enough water to cover the carrots. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the carrots are fork tender.
  • Pour off half the water from the pan and add the margarine, sugar, and salt. Cover the pan and continue cooking until the carrots are completely tender but not mushy.
  • Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or a pinch of ground nutmeg if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 15765IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Blitzo

    5 stars
    Fantastic! We loved these they were outstanding! Surprised for the family. Thanks so much for posting this very helpful recipe.

      • Danny

        You’re an idiot John for thinking that this point was necessary or important. The origin of the carrot was not in question. This is a recipe for making carrots, regardless of their size, shape, or molecular structure, taste like those you buy from Cracker Barrel. That’s all.

        Save your rants for the football and political pages. I’m sure you’ll fit right in on those.

  2. Carasith

    3 stars
    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

      5 stars
      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!

    • Alice A Carey

      5 stars
      Thank you. I was questioning this recipe as well. After the initial cooking, pouring off about half of water and cooking until tender using fresh carrots, the flavors of the seasonings are not absorbing into the carrots very well. I’ve been cooking these for 45 minutes to try to get the flavors into them. I eat carrots every time I go to Cracker Carrel and this recipe don’t really taste like the Cracker Barrel ones. I’m with you some of these copycat recipes are over prepared with too many steps. However, this recipe is good, just don’t taste Cracker Barrel’s.

      I saved your reply, will definitely use frozen carrots and cook them the way you say. Thank you.

      • Alice

        5 stars
        Fix my sweet carrots today using frozen carrots though they were sliced and they tasted like the ones I get at Cracker Barrel.

  3. Rose

    5 stars
    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 👍🏼💕

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. 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!

4.93 from 42 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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