Published Feb 2 2023
Modified Sept 2 2024
Hello bubbly maple bourbon glazed carrots and pears! This dish comes together in about 40 minutes, and you just need a sheet pan to make it! Although we use bourbon in this dish, you can omit that, and just add some extra maple. The alcohol will cook off, so no worries! And if you want it vegan, use plant based butter.
Ingredients for Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots & Pears:
- Pears: Adds sweetness and a tender texture that balances the carrots. The variety and color also enhance the dish’s visual appeal.
- Rainbow carrots: Provides a vibrant color contrast and a slightly earthy, sweet flavor that pairs well with the pears.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps caramelize the pears and carrots, enhancing their flavors.
- Maple syrup: Provides natural sweetness and depth of flavor that complements the bourbon and balances the spices.
- Bourbon: Adds a subtle warmth and complexity, with caramel and vanilla notes that enhance the glaze.
- Aleppo pepper: Introduces a mild, fruity heat that complements the sweetness without overpowering it.
- Black pepper: Adds a bit of sharpness and contrast to the sweetness of the maple syrup and pears.
- Sea salt: Enhances the flavors by balancing the sweetness and bringing out the dish’s savory elements.
- Fresh thyme: Adds an herbal note that complements both the sweet and savory aspects of the dish.
- Pomegranate arils: Provides a pop of tartness and color, adding freshness and visual appeal.
Instructions for Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots & Pears
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 325°F for convection roast, or 350°F for a standard oven. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, bourbon, and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Set the mixture aside.
- Prep the Carrots: Wash and peel the rainbow carrots, then pat them dry. Arrange the carrots on the prepared sheet pan, alternating the direction of the pointed ends to help them fit evenly.
- Slice the Pears: Cut the pears in half, slightly off-center, so that the stem remains intact on one side. Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds, creating a small hollow. Place the pears on one side of the sheet pan, skin side down.
- Add Fresh Thyme: Remove a few leaves from 4 of the thyme sprigs and sprinkle them over the carrots and pears.
- Apply the Glaze: Drizzle the butter-bourbon-maple syrup mixture over the carrots and pears. Use your hands to ensure everything is evenly coated. Then, drizzle an additional tablespoon of maple syrup over the pears.
- Season: Sprinkle Aleppo pepper over the carrots and pears. Grind fresh black pepper over the carrots, and finish with a pinch of sea salt.
- Bake: Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, remove the pan and turn the carrots to coat them evenly. Flip the pears so they are skin side up. Add a bit more Aleppo pepper and a pinch of salt. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly.
- Finish: Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Flip the pears back over so they are skin side down. Transfer everything to a serving platter or serve directly from the sheet pan. Sprinkle the pomegranate arils over the top, making sure some fall into the hollows of the pears where the syrup has collected.
- Garnish: Place the remaining 4 thyme sprigs over the dish as a garnish before serving.
We love to use both rainbow carrots and rainbow pears! This dish can be modified by trading out the pears for apples, and add rosemary instead of thyme. If you don’t want it as sweet, use butter, with a mixture of garlic, and lemon.
Whatever you do, be sure to add the pomegranate arils over the top before you serve these maple bourbon glazed carrots and pears! Not only does it make the dish look even more colorful, it pops the flavor too!
Servings: 6 servings as side dish
Calories: 173kcal
Equipment
- sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Vegatable peeler
- Melon baller
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
Ingredients for Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots & Pears
- 3 ripe pears we buy a bag of multi colored from Trader Joes and use 1 of each color
- 12 rainbow carrots
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 8 grinds of fresh black pepper
- a pinch of sea salt
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
Instructions for Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots & Pears
- Pre-heat oven to 325 F. convection roast, or 350 F. for standard oven. Place sheet of parchment paper in a sheet pan. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix melted butter, bourbon, and 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup. Set aside.3 tablespoons melted butter, 4 tablespoons real maple syrup, 1 tablespoon bourbon
- Wash and peel rainbow carrots, patting dry. Then place carrots on parchment paper, pointing ends every other direction to help them fit more evenly.12 rainbow carrots
- Slice Pears down the middle, starting at the pointy end, just off to one side of the stem, leaving stem intact. Using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds, forming a small round area. Place pears on one of the long sides of the sheet pan, skin side down.3 ripe pears
- Pull a few leaves off of 4 of the sprigs of thyme, and sprinkle over carrots and pears. Drizzle the butter, bourbon, maple mixture over the tops of carrots, and pears. Using your hands, ensure that the mixture has covered all the carrots and pears. Now drizzle about a tablespoon or so of the maple syrup over the pears. Sprinkle the Aleppo pepper over carrots and pears. Freshly crack pepper over the carrots. Sprinkle all with a pinch of sea salt.3 ripe pears, 12 rainbow carrots, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 4 tablespoons real maple syrup, 1 tablespoon bourbon, 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, a pinch of sea salt, 8 grinds of fresh black pepper
- Place pan into oven, and set timer for 12 minutes. Pull pan out after 12 minutes, and turn to coat carrots, and turn pears so that they are skin side up. Add a bit more of the Aleppo pepper over the top and a pinch of salt. Return to oven, and check after 10 minutes, but may take up to another 12. Watch for mixture to be bubbly.
- Pull sheet pan out of oven. Turn the pears back over so that the skin is down. Depending on style of service, you may serve right off the sheet pan, or move to a platter. Now you want to sprinkle the pomegranate arils over the top, making sure that the pears catch a few in the bubbly maple syrup that has found its way into the small hole made with the melon scooper.1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- Place the last 4 sprigs of thyme over the top as garnish before serving.8 sprigs of fresh thyme
Notes
If there are any leftovers, they are great thrown into soup that week.
Nutrition
Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 20748IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
75+ Vegetable Side Dishes for the Holidays
All you need to complete your holiday get-together:
This glaze was amazing!! Made such a great fall side dish for some steaks. Will be making this again and again this fall for sure!
This was everything a gourmet dish should be, and then some! Was easy and delicious; even my picky eaters gobbled them up!
Sara,
Those rainbow colors work every time with the little ones!!
Dina and Bruce
Love the combination of ingredients here. Thanks for sharing.
Kushigalu,
So happy you enjoyed this,
Dina and Brucer
This was divine! I can’t wait to use it for our Thanksgiving sides!
This side dish is so easy to make, full of marvelous flavors and will definitely impress my family. I can’t wait to make this.
I can’t wait to add this to my Thanksgiving menu as a side! It was so so delicious!
Shweta,
Awe, yay! So glad!
Thank you,
Dina and Bruce
Love how easy the whole process looks thanks to your recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
This new and excited side dish is full of fresh flavors and fresh ingredients. It will be a big hit for the Holidays.
I can’t think of a better flavor to pair with carrots than maple and bourbon. I can almost taste that tangy sweetness with the carrots and the pears. Yum!
Love this! So beautiful and perfect for the holidays! The flavors and colors make it the perfect side dish. Thanks for the great recipe!
Angela,
Thank you. Rainbows make us smile, and the flavor was so tasty!
Dina and Bruce
The combination of carrots and pears is so delicious and pretty on the plate too. Will definitely make this again.
This was incredibly good and perfect for a dinner party we had!
Carol,
We love that this was a hit for your party!!!
Dina and Bruce
Oh this is incredible! So warm and comforting, this is so perfect for fall!
Ned,
A colorful and tasty dish!
Thank you!
Dina and Bruce