All summer long we feasted on sweet roasted carrots with dill. Even Mikey ate them, and he hates carrots right now. Sally asked me for a recipe in the comments of my roasted vegetables post but, no surprise here, it’s not much of a recipe. Having said that, these carrots sure are yummy. I wish I had a plate of them right now.
The secret ingredient is extra virgin coconut oil. You can use any oil you like, including olive oil, but coconut oil brings out a sweet flavor without being cloying. My favorite is Nutiva Coconut Oil. It’s not cheap, nor is any brand of coconut oil. I like it because it has the best, mildest flavor–the least coconutty–and is frequently on sale. I roast everything in coconut oil, so I buy a large container to last a couple of months. You can find it at most health food stores.
Sweet Roasted Carrots with Dill
adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2����� pounds carrots, washed and sliced uniformly in halves and quarters
2-3�� tablespoons of coconut oil
1-2�� teaspoons good quality salt (I use Real Salt)
1-2�� tablespoons of fresh or freeze-dried dill (dried works well, too, but you may need less)Preheat oven to 400�
Slice carrots so that they are all the same size, either in halves or quarters. They should be the size of thick cut steak fries. Keep them long–they’ll shrink as you cook them. Place them in a shallow roasting pan or sheet pan and toss to coat with coconut oil and salt. The carrots should sit in 1 layer.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until carrots are golden brown and tender. They will not get crispy.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with dill. Toss to coat. Serve.
Mmmmmm. Will have to give these a try. Sam only eats raw carrots. I spent hours making his baby food from scratch and he has turned into such a finicky eater. Drives me nuts.
All Nico wants is junk food–since conception! The week I found out I was pregnant I started craving McDonald’s.
Coconut oil also makes the most fantastic popcorn. It doesn’t even need butter (and I’m someone who usually thinks of popcorn as a conveyance for butter)!
Yes, I agree! I use coconut oil for everything except salad dressings.
This looks delicious, but I think I will use baby carrots. I have no time or patience to be cutting carrots. :)
Oh, these look and sound de-licious–thank you!
Thank you for posting this! They look delicious. Fingers crossed that I can find coconut oil here. I miss the diversity of products I used to be able to find in Whole foods. here in NZ we are limited in our choices. I have passed on your tips for roast vegetables to my friends. It’s amazing how little tricks in terms of timing make a difference. Thank you again. Guess what’s on the menu tonight?….well actually this may be the menu!
I’m so glad my tips worked for you!
They look delicious! I will definitely be making those for dinner this week.
coconut oil huh? I’ve never cooked with it, but sounds intriguing
That’s my favourite brand of coconut oil too!
This sounds like a delicious way to serve carrots; I might have to try it out tonight! ^_^
Yumm! I have a very limited repertoire with carrots. I definitely have to try this out!
I’m going to have to give these a try. I use coconut oil all the time, but never thought to use it with carrots. Sounds delicious.
These looked so tasty that I had to make them yesterday, and they were fantastic! Definitely my new favorite way to eat carrots. Thanks for the recipe!
finally did this to have with sandwiches for lunch. didn’t have coconut oil to use though :< wondering what i'm missing. also wondering why the strong preference for using it for all roasting? oh well. i'll try the real deal as soon as i get to a store to snag some.
The reason people use it for roasting is because coconut oil is a solid at room temperature. If you try it in a salad dressing without mixing it with another oil, you’ll have chunks of oil plus vinegar once it hits the cool vegetables. No good–I know this from experience.
why the total devotion to coconut oil for everything it can be used for though..?
Are you asking why I use it, or the population in general?
For me, I like the taste of it. Other use it because it is a medium chain triglyceride, and some studies show those fats metabolize faster. Supposedly it increases your metabolism, too. I think–I’m a little fuzzy on the details since I always take those sorts of claims with a grain of salt.
Juuuust in case you’re still checking comments, how exactly do you toss veggies with (solid) coconut oil? I too love coconut oil, and I’ve been relying on it heavily to help fatten up my skinny mini daughters, but I usually warm it up first or use it in a pan on the stove. How do you toss cold veggies in a solid, prior to cooking? I guess should just give it a try…
Great question, Anna. I made these in the summer, when the temperature was so warm that coconut oil was a liquid. In the winter it’s a solid, as you know, and I imagine I would put the cookie sheet in the preheating oven so that it warmed up enough to melt my coconut oil. Then I would add the vegetables and toss to coat.
I had to come back to sing the praises of these carrots again.
The first time I made them, I used the cheapo LouAna coconut oil I’d bought to oil my cutting board, and they were delicious.
But I just purchased some organic, virgin coconut oil from Tropical Traditions (for my foray into the Primal lifestyle), and they’re even better with that! The subtle coconut flavor really adds something special. Thanks again!
And to Anna above, I just melted my oil in the baking pan too (I set it over the burner where the oven heat escapes) and threw the carrots in.