Your go-to oven baked carrots recipe just got a serious glow-up! We’re talking rainbow carrots layered with bright citrus, fresh thyme, and a roasted edge that makes everything taste just a little fancier. These roasted carrots can also be made into skewers for an easy side dish that delivers maximum flavor and looks like a total showstopper while doing it!
Why You’ll Love These Roasted Carrot Skewers
Let’s be real: carrots are often the unsung heroes of the veggie drawer. But when you slice them into coins, drizzle them with a buttery orange-thyme situation, and roast them to caramelized perfection? They become the main event. These carrot skewers are:
- Perfectly tender with crispy edges
- Naturally sweet and citrusy
- Quick to prep and even faster to disappear off your plate
- A stunning addition to weeknight dinners or holiday spreads
These skewers also double as a fun, unexpected way to serve roasted vegetables. Just add a bowl of your favorite hummus for dipping and you've got a snack or side dish that's as fun to eat as it is pretty to look at.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Kosher salt – Just enough to balance and enhance the natural sweetness.
- Carrots – Go for multi-colored if you can! Purple, yellow, light and deep orange carrots give you that eye-catching ombré effect.
- Butter or olive oil – Melted and ready to coat every slice in deliciousness. Use Earth Balance if you're keeping things dairy-free.
- Fresh thyme – Adds an earthy, herby balance to all that citrus and sweetness.
- Orange juice + zest – Fresh is best! A splash of juice and a bit of zest make the flavor pop.
More Ways to Enjoy California-Grown Carrots
California is a carrot powerhouse, and this recipe is one of our favorite ways to showcase just how versatile and gorgeous they can be. Want more? Check these out:
Tips for the Best Roasted Carrots
- Don’t skip the zest! Orange zest adds more flavor than juice alone and gives your dish a bright, fresh aroma.
- Go for firm, fresh carrots. If they’re floppy or dry, they won’t roast well.
- Use a mandoline for even slices. Uneven thickness leads to uneven cooking—this is one time precision pays off.
These ombré roasted carrots are the kind of side dish that feels a little extra—but takes minimal effort. Serve them at your next gathering, or just make a batch for yourself and snack on them all week. Either way, this is one of those recipes that proves simple ingredients can do big things.
PrintOmbré Citrus Roasted Carrot Skewers (Gluten Free and Vegan Option)
Thinly sliced carrots are roasted with butter, orange zest, and thyme for a vibrant, citrusy side dish that's ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4-6 large colorful carrots, I used 2 large dark orange, 2 large light orange, and 1 large yellow carrot.
- 3 tablespoons melted butter, melted Earth Balance, or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest from 1 orange
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- kosher salt to taste.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F with an oven rack in the center position. Lightly brush the bottom of a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter or olive oil and set aside.
- Wash and peel the carrots then slice thinly with a mandoline so that all of your carrot rounds are similar in size. Mine were about ¼-inch thick to begin with, remember they shrink in the oven so if you slice them paper thin you will not have anything left to work with.Line the sliced carrots in the baking dish however you would like for the pattern to be. (My pattern was dark orange, light orange, yellow, light orange, dark orange.) There is no wrong or right make the pattern however you would like.
- Mix the orange juice with the remaining butter and drizzle over the top of the arranged carrots. Sprinkle coarse salt to taste over the top of the dish along with the orange zest and thyme leaves. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes depending on the thickness of your carrot slices.
- Serve in the baking dish at the table or thread onto skewers once they have cooled slightly along side a dish of hummus for dipping at a party. Serve warm.
Notes
It's hard to put a serving amount on this particular recipe due to varying sizes in carrots you could use and how thick or thin you slice them before roasting. A large baking dish (13 x 9) should feed 4-6 people as a side dish or make 15-20 skewers.
Sharon Axelrod says
This recipe sounds really good. Do you know if it can be frozen?
Thank you,
Sharon
Meg says
Thanks Sharon! I have never frozen the recipe, so I am unsure if it will work that way. If you try it let me know how it turns out.
Barbara says
These are so beautiful! Just wondering, how do you eat them? Take them off the skewer and use a fork to dip into the hummus?
Meg says
Barbara, Thank you! When we served them at our party we used cocktail picks, so they weren't very long. Guests dished hummus onto their own plates and swiped the picks through. Others pulled them off of the picks and ate them with forks. I have also just served the carrots in a casserole dish as a side instead of threading them onto the picks.
Cat says
Looking forward to seeing more quick things to prepare! Love those beautiful carrots!
Meg says
Thanks so much Cat!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
These are so pretty and easy too, I love it!
Meg says
Thanks Sylvie!