Simple Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Honey & Ricotta

This simple recipe combines carrots with the unique flavors of cumin, honey and ricotta for a slightly sweet, amazing tasting side dish!

Want to up your side dish game? These simple roasted carrots combine the interesting flavors of honey, cumin and ricotta to give you an easy fall side dish that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. The contrast of the smokey cumin, creamy ricotta and sweet honey in this dish will just blow you away! 

I used to spend a lot of time in San Francisco for work, and I grew up in the Bay Area, so whenever I'm out there I always like to explore new restaurants. On a trip a few years ago, I met up with a friend for dinner and she took me to a place called Pizzeria Delfina in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. It's a farm-to-table restaurant that creates Neapolitan-inspired pizza and other seasonal dishes. Their pizza is amazing but I was blown away by the honey-roasted carrots served atop creamy ricotta cheese that we had as a starter.  As I often do, I went home and created my version to share in a blog post!

Contents:

• Why you'll love this recipe
• Additional notes from the kitchen
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Roast Carrots
• Recommended Tools
• Serving Suggestions
• More side dish recipes
• Simple Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Honey & Ricotta

Why you'll love this recipe

Sometimes side dishes are a bit of an afterthought, but an outstanding side dish that's simple yet flavorful can really enhance a weeknight meal. These carrots are:

• Easy to make: With only 7 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time they work for any day of the week.
• Packed with flavor: The combination of honey, cumin and ricotta gives these carrots a unique flavor profile that's slightly sweet yet a bit smoky.

Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Roast Carrots

See the recipe card below for full instructions

This recipe comes together in a few easy steps:

1. Prepare the carrots. Start by scrubbing the carrots to remove any dirt or stringy bits.  If you like,  carefully peel the carrots. Cut off any stringy ends at the bottom of the carrots. Make sure the carrots are dry before you roast them. Arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Leave some space between them so the heat can circulate while they are roasting.
2. Season the carrots. Mix the oil, honey, cumin and salt together in a small bowl. Brush the carrots with the mixture, making sure they are well coated. You want to make sure they don't stick to the pan while they are roasting.
3. Roast the carrots.  Place the baking sheet in a preheated oven and roast the carrots for 25 minutes or until they are tender.  
4. Remove from oven. When the carrots are done roasting, remove them from the oven. Add the ricotta to a serving dish and top with the roasted carrots. Drizzle the carrots with the remaining honey and sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley.  Serve immediately. 

Serving Suggestions

These carrots make a great side dish for just about any main course. I'd recommend serving them with these Turkey Meatloaf Muffins or this Skillet Lemon Chicken.

More side dish recipes

If you are looking for more unique side dishes check out these reader favorites:

• Miso Glazed Roasted Cauliflower. While this recipe is easy enough for a weeknight meal, the bright lemon flavor and parmesan breadcrumbs give it a touch of elegance.
• Parmesan Truffle Mashed Potatoes. These creamy mashed potatoes combine cauliflower, truffle and parmesan for a unique twist on a traditional side dish. 

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This post was originally published in November 2019. It was updated in October 2024 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.