crunchy brown butter baked carrots

My strongest opinion on Thanksgiving sides is that whenever possible, they should come in a casserole dish (or its chic French cousin, a gratin). I don’t mean that your sides should be limited to things that swim in cream, cheese, butter, or a happy combination of all three — although one dish in this category is highly welcome on my table — I simply mean that sides like this, that is baked in dishes with walls, tend to excel at holding up to resting times, reheat well, and stay warm longer.
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crunchy brown butter baked carrots

November 18, 2025November 24, 2025 by deb

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My strongest opinion on Thanksgiving sides is that whenever possible, they should come in a casserole dish (or its chic French cousin, a gratin). I don’t mean that your sides should be limited to things that swim in cream, cheese, butter, or a happy combination of all three — although one dish in this category is highly welcome on my table — I simply mean that sides like this, that is baked in dishes with walls, tend to excel at holding up to resting times, reheat well, and stay warm longer.

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Plus, if you’re feeling a little fearless, dishes like this are also a friend to those with one oven (hi!) and many things to reheat at once. My approach? I Jenga them. I stack rectangular and oval dishes two or three high in the oven, turning each so it steadies on the one below. Just don’t bump anything, okay?

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These crunchy baked carrots are a perfect example of a side dish that keeps and reheats well. But it’s also so much more. While it’s a gratin (in the browned and breadcrumb-ed sense), the base is a brown buttery brothy sauce that’s rich but still allows the carrots to taste like carrots. The baked carrots get tender but not mushy. Some capers stirred in near the end keep it bright. A topping of grated cheese and brown butter toasted breadcrumbs gives it a resounding crunch and exactly the correct level of decadence. Together, this dish is spectacular.

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But this has another cool thing up its sleeve: We make this with baby carrots. I’ve been trying lately to consider more dishes through the lens of inexpensive, readily available ingredients that are often dismissed. See: Spinach and Ricotta Gnudi (made with frozen spinach) and [The Best Baked Spinach (now with frozen spinach updates).] If using a bag of baby carrots allows us to skip peeling and cutting into exacting batons, which absolutely nobody wants to do, we’d be crazy not to.

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More pan-baked vegetable sides for your consideration:

– The Best Baked Spinach

– Crispy Sweet Potato Roast

– Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

– Balsamic Braised Brussels with Pancetta

– Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

– Unstuffed Mushroom Casserole

– Potato and Leek Gratin

– Simple Potato Gratin

– Crusty Baked Cauliflower and Farro

Salads that hold up:

– Green Beans with Almond Pesto

– Date, Feta, and Red Cabbage Salad

– Brussels Sprouts, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad

– Cauliflower Slaw

– Broccoli Slaw

– Shaved Fennel and Crushed Olive Salad

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Crunchy Brown Butter Baked Carrots

• Servings: 4

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

• Source: Smitten Kitchen
• Print

This is a relatively small side dish, but you can absolutely double or triple it in a larger dish.

• 1 pound (455 grams) baby carrots, the peeled and bagged kind
• 5 tablespoons (75 grams) unsalted butter, divided
• ¾ cup panko-style plain breadcrumbs
• Kosher salt
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons (25 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (235 ml) vegetable broth
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced parsley, or a mix of herbs you like with carrots such as chives and dill, divided
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 cup (85 grams) grated gruyere or comte cheese

Heat your oven: To 350°F (176°C).

Prepare the carrots: Our biggest enemy here is how water-logged baby carrots come in bags. But, it’s worth the trouble for the ease! Drain the carrots (there’s a puddle at the bottom of the bag just waiting to splash you) and put them in a bowl lined with a few layers of paper towels for 10 minutes before starting. Quarter the carrots lengthwise and return them to the towel-lined bowl while you work on the other elements.

Make the brown butter crumbs: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of the butter over medium heat and keep cooking it, stirring here and there, until the butter has brown flecks all over and smells dreamy. Add the breadcrumbs and two pinches of salt to the pan and toast, stirring, until they’re golden brown all over. Scoop the crumbs out and set them aside.

Make the sauce: Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 grams) of butter and brown it, too. Once browned, increase the heat to medium-high and add the shallots. Cook the shallots until tender and beginning to brown at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the flour and cook until it disappears; it will look like a chunky paste. Add the broth, stirring until the flour mixture disperses. Bring the sauce to a simmer and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I’m using Diamond brand; start with half of other brands) and many grinds of black pepper. The sauce is going to seem too thick but that’s intentional; more water will come out of the carrots as they bake. Add carrots and stir to combine, cooking them together for one minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the herbs.

Assemble and bake: Transfer the carrots and their sauce to a 1-quart baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until carrots are tender (spear with a knife or toothpick to check for no resistance). Increase oven temperature to 400°F (205°C). Transfer dish briefly to a heatsafe surface. Remove foil, stir in capers. Combine cheese and toasted crumbs and sprinkle on top. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. For more color on top, run the pan briefly under your oven’s broiler.

Serve: Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon herbs and dig in.

Do ahead: You can prepare the dish up to the point when it goes in the oven and pause for a few hours, or overnight in the fridge. You could also pause right before adding the cheese and crumbs for the final bake; this would be ideal to do right before serving. Leftovers can be reheated in a 350-degree oven.

Previously

6 months ago: Eggs Florentine

1 year ago: Skillet-Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2 years ago: Chicken Rice with Buttered Onions

3 year ago: Apple Dumplings

[...]

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