Carrots With Bacon and Maple Syrup

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Why This Recipe is Worth Making

• You’ll love the way the salty, savory bacon enhances the sweet, earthy taste of the carrots. A drizzle of maple syrup adds the perfect flavor note.
• The recipe is super simple, takes less than an hour to prepare, and only has 6 ingredients.
• You can make this side dish ahead of time, refrigerate and reheat it, making it the perfect party dish.
• Even people who aren’t usually big vegetable fans will devour these maple bacon carrots!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Bacon – You can use regular or thick sliced bacon for this recipe. Hickory or Applewood smoked bacon will add an especially nice flavor that pairs well with the carrots.

Carrots – As you can see in the photo above, I used big carrots for this recipe. Because the larger carrots spend more time in the ground, they develop a sweeter flavor. Feel free to use whatever size carrots you like.

Maple syrup – I used bourbon barrel aged maple syrup for this batch. Feel free to use your favorite real maple syrup.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper – I used Maldon salt flakes, which I also sprinkled lightly on top of the finished dish as a garnish. Feel free to use Kosher salt or regular table salt, and you can always adjust the amount of salt to suit your taste.

Fresh oregano – This herb adds a nice little punch of extra flavor and color at the end of cooking. If you don’t have access to fresh oregano, you can use a pinch of dried oregano, chopped fresh thyme, chives, or just skip it.

Equipment Needed

• Vegetable peeler
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Large skillet
• Cooking spoon or spatula
• Slotted spoon
• Casserole dish

Step by Step Instructions

Here’s how to prepare this tasty side dish.

Step 1 – Peel and cut the carrots into sticks. I like to vary the length of the carrot sticks from about 1.5 to 3 inches, so they have a nice homemade look.

2. Cut the bacon strips into squares. These bigger bacon pieces are a nice contrast to the carrot sticks.

3. Cook the bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are nicely browned and almost fully cooked.

4. Remove the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate using a slotted spoon. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease. (We think bacon grease is liquid gold! Here’s a post with full directions for how to save bacon grease, and here are 25 ways to use bacon fat.)

Add the carrots to the pan drippings and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the maple syrup, stir to coat the carrots, and continue cooking until carrots are tender. Add the reserved bacon.

Stir to distribute, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for another minute or two until the mixture is nice and hot.

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the oregano and a pinch of salt flakes.

Recipe Variations

Baby Carrots Recipe – To save time you can substitute peeled baby carrots for the peeled, cut carrots in the recipe. If the carrots are very small, you may need to reduce your cooking time a bit so they don’t overcook. If they are larger and thicker than carrot sticks, you may need to increase the cooking time a bit so they’re tender.

Bacon Carrots Keto Friendly Recipe – To reduce the carbs in this recipe, simply eliminate the maple syrup. The bacon and carrots combination will still be SO tasty. If you like, you can substitute sugar free keto maple syrup.

Carrots with Bacon and Brown Sugar – Replace the maple syrup with 2 packed tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar. Add and stir until the sugar dissolves.

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover maple carrots with bacon can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium high until heated through.

FAQs

Are carrots good for you?

The carrot is sometimes claimed to be “the perfect health food,” according to Healthline. Carrots are chock full of antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamin K1, potassium, and fiber.

Is it true you can make bacon out of carrots?

Vegans who miss the flavor of tasty bacon have been know to create faux bacon from strips of peeled carrots enhanced with flavorings like soy sauce, liquid smoke and tahini. Nico at Yumsome claims to have created the original carrot bacon recipe, which later became popular on TikTok.

Are carrots fruit?

No. Although they have a delicious flavor and can sometimes taste sweet, carrots are a root vegetable.

Are carrots alkaline?

Yes, carrots are considered an alkaline food according to AlkaScore.

Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this Carrots with Bacon recipe, I’d be thrilled if you clicked the little stars above and gave the recipe a 5-star rating.

You might also enjoy the carrots bacon web story for this recipe.

If you post your creations on social media, tag so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza

Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.

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