Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with Mustard

Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips with wholegrain mustard and thyme. The perfect side dish for your Sunday lunch, Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas lunch. Ready in under 30 minutes.

This is our favourite side dish for a special Sunday lunch or Christmas dinner. I've been making this for years and it never fails to impress guests and family alike. It's such a simple but delicious side dish. Easy to make and ready in no time!

I usually serve these honey-roasted carrots and parsnips with my Mushroom Wellington or my Nut Roast en Croûte. This is a tried and tested recipe that my Mum handed down to me and has been a family favourite for a long time.

Why This Recipe Works

• Roasting carrots and parsnips brings out their sweetness! 
• Adding honey, wholegrain mustard and thyme enhances the earthy flavour of the carrots and parsnips.
• Toasted walnuts add texture and warmth.

What You'll Need

This recipe is a super simple combination of Carrots and Parsnips, with Mustard, Honey, and optional ingredients of Thyme and Walnuts.

How To Make Honey Roasted Carrots And Parsnips

This is just a visual guide, please see the recipe card below for full ingredient list and instructions.

1. Peel the carrots then cut lengthways into halves or quarters depending on how thick they are.
2. Peel the parsnips then cut lengthways into halves or quarters depending on how thick they are. Place the carrots and parsnips on two baking trays, drizzle oil over them and toss until they are completely covered. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Toast the chopped walnuts until slightly brown.
4. Take the trays out of the oven. Add the honey, mustard and thyme and toss until the carrots and parsnips are covered. Put the trays bake in the oven and cook for another 10 - 12 minutes. 

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Carrots -  When buying your carrots make sure they are firm and the skin is an even orange colour. For this recipe, I would choose carrots of a similar size so they cook at the same time. If you buy carrots with the tops on, make sure they are fresh and not wilted. Smaller carrots are best for this recipe as larger carrots could have a woody core which you may want to remove before cooking.
• Parsnips - Choose parsnips that are on the smaller side, they will be more tender than bigger parsnips that can have a woody core. Look for parsnips that are firm and not limp and have smooth skin.
• Honey - I use runny honey to make this roasted carrots and parsnips. I would avoid set honey or honey that is too strong in floral flavours. If you are vegan you can use maple syrup, I would reduce the amount by a tablespoon and go for light in colour maple syrup. I have had great results using vegan "honey".
• Mustard - Wholegrain mustard is best for this recipe, you can make this without if you wish. I have made this with Dijon mustard too but wholegrain mustard will give you the best results.
• Herbs - Thyme is the best herb for this recipe, I have used rosemary with good results too. You can leave it out if you wish.
• Walnuts - Lightly toasted, chopped walnuts add great texture to this dish but this is optional. I have used almonds too which worked really well.

Tips For Making The Best Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

• Choose carrots and parsnips of a similar size to ensure even cooking. Make sure and cut the carrots and parsnips into similar sizes too. I cut off the ends of the parsnips, if they are too thin they will burn.
• Don't forget to preheat the oven, I also heat the baking trays before I add the carrots and parsnips to the oven.
• Cook the carrots and parsnips for 10 minutes before you add the thyme, mustard and honey. This will stop the thyme and the honey from burning.
• Don't overcook the walnuts, they only need to be lightly toasted. They will be too bitter if overcooked.
• Be careful not to overcrowd your veggies, I use two baking trays to make these. For best results make sure the carrots and parsnips are spread out evenly and do not overlap.

FAQs About This Recipe

Do parsnips need parboiling before roasting? No, you don't need to parboil the parsnips. I would only parboil the parsnips if they were quite big, this would prevent them from being tough and chewy.

Should I peel carrots and parsnips before I cook them? If I buy organic carrots and parsnips then I wouldn't bother peeling them, I would just give them a good scrub with a vegetable brush under running water. Otherwise, I would wash and peel them both.

Can you prepare carrots and parsnips in advance? You can peel and chop the carrots and parsnips the day before, I often do this on Christmas Eve when I make this for Christmas dinner. I keep them in a bowl of water to stop them from drying out. Just make sure they are completely covered in water.

Can I reheat honey-roasted carrots and parsnips? Yes, you can reheat roasted carrots and parsnips. If you have any leftover, keep them in the fridge, covered. For best results reheat in the oven. Place the carrots and parsnips in an ovenproof dish, cover it with foil then cook for about 20 minutes at 180C/356F degrees in a fan or 200C/392F conventional oven. They may not be as firm when they are reheated.

Can I freeze roasted carrots and parsnips? This recipe is best made fresh, however, if you need to freeze them I would not add the honey, mustard, thyme or the walnuts. To freeze, leave them to cool on the trays then place the trays in the freezer for 2 or 3 hours. Once hard transfer the carrots and parsnips to a freezer-friendly container. They will keep for 3 months. To cook from frozen place them evenly on baking trays and bake at 180C/356F fan or 200C/392F conventional oven for 35 minutes. Add the honey, mustard and thyme about 20 minutes before the end of cooking.

More Tasty Side Dishes

For an indulgent Sunday lunch side dish try my Creamy, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, so good with veggie sausages too. 

Have you made this Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think.