Instant Pot Honey Glazed Carrots with a hint of orange, honey, and dijon mustard. When you see me going back for seconds, thirds . . . okay fourths on carrots, you can be guaranteed this one is a winner! Proof that with just a few simple ingredients you can make an incredible side dish!
Carrots = diet food. Anyone else think that?
My whole life I've struggled to like carrots in anything besides chicken noodle soup.
The only reason I will eat a raw carrot is if it contains a 6 to 1 ratio of my mom's veggie dip to baby carrot.
Back in my early 20's when I thought dieting was a necessary part of life, carrots were what I packed in my lunch box to work.
Crunch, crunch, crunch . . . how many carrots do I have left to eat? Five? Ugh. I can do this. Crunch, crunch, crunch . . . bleh, forget it, I'll drink water.
Yeah, I know. Healthy eating at its finest. Live and learn.
Well, I'll be dipped If I haven't finally found a recipe for carrots that I not only like to eat, I LOVE to eat spoonful after spoonful of these honey glazed cuties!
Honestly, for me to scoop myself up another pile of carrots instead of snitching croutons from my kid's untouched salad bowls, is truly an unfathomable wonder.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE PRESSURE COOKER HONEY GLAZED CARROTS
- Crazy simple and there's a good chance you have all the ingredients at home right now. Doesn't everyone have a bag of 2 week old, dried up baby carrots somewhere in their fridge?
- Buttery, sweet, glaze with a teeny tiny kick of dijon, the freshness of orange zest, and a solid sprinkle of kosher salt. These flavors were meant to be together forever.
- Fastest side you could possibly ever throw together. Perfect for entertaining or for a quick side dish on a weekday.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT HONEY GLAZED CARROTS
- Dump the carrots in a steamer basket and start cookin'
- When cooked, pull the steamer basket out, drain the liquid from the pot and add butter, honey, orange zest, dijon mustard, and salt
- Add the carrots back to the pot and stir to coat
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
I mean really, aside from warming up a boring can of green beans, I can't think of an easier side dish.
TIPS FOR MAKING PRESSURE COOKER CARROTS
- I prefer to cook them in a steamer basket for the best texture. In a pinch, you can cook them directly in the pot with water.
- Carrots can keep warm without going mushy, so go ahead and start these early, release the pressure when they are done, then let them rest while you finish the rest of the meal.
- Orange zest is key! I didn't like it nearly as much with a splash of orange juice, go for the zest!
- Big carrots also work great! I suggest peeling them and then cutting them into baby sized pieces.
- Don't skimp on the kosher salt. That mighty pinch makes all the other flavors come alive!
MORE WAYS TO FLAVOR CARROTS
- Swap the honey for maple syrup, and add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
- Go for a garlic and herb combo. Add the butter then a couple of cloves of minced garlic and herbs of choice (basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, or make it easy and just add some Italian Seasoning)
- Butter and dill – easy, simple and tasty
This recipe has the wheels in my brain turning on how many more ways I can amplify the flavors of the most basic vegetables. If you have any go-to favorites, I would love to hear about them! Leave a comment below telling me how you most enjoy eating your veggies.
MORE EASY INSTANT POT VEGETABLE SIDE DISHES
- Instant Pot Vegetable Medley
- Instant Pot Baked Potato
- Instant Pot Sweet Potato – 3 ways
- Instant Pot Salt Potatoes
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
TOOLS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT HONEY GLAZED CARROTS
- Instant Pot
- Steamer Basket
- My Favorite Peeler (if you're using big carrots)
Instant Pot Honey Glazed Carrots
Sweet, bright side dish to compliment any meal, these Instant Pot Honey Glazed Carrots are amazing!
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound bag baby carrots
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- zest of 1 small orange
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place collapsible steamer basket inside. Add the carrots. Â
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 4 – 5 minutes (4 will be tender crisp, 5 is very soft).
- When cooking is complete, use a quick release.
- Remove steamer basket with carrots and set aside. Â
- Pour water out of the pot and return it to the pressure cooker.
- Add butter, honey, dijon mustard, orange zest, and kosher salt to the pot. Using the sauté function, warm the ingredients and stir, until a smooth sauce develops. Â
- Put carrots back into the pot and stir to coat with the sauce. Â
- Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- Whole carrots can be substituted for baby carrots. Simply peel and chop into a size similar to baby carrots.
- The collapsible steamer basket makes steaming vegetables very quick and easy, especially when transferring. Any basket or rack will work as long as the spaces in the rack aren’t large enough for the carrots to fall through.
- If you don’t have a steamer basket, cook the carrots directly in the pot with the water for 2 minutes instead of 5.Â
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave or in a saute pan.
Keywords: Instant Pot side dish, honey glazed carrots, steamed carrots

I bet you could cook the carrots in something other than water and get great flavor but I am not sure what would be the best thing to use. Or add something to the water. That said, I am going to use the basket and make them! lol
If I double the recipe, do I need to increase the cooking time? (Advice for with and without a steamer basket would be much appreciated!)
Allyson, No, you won’t need to increase the cook time. It should work great!
I made this last night for my family, and everyone loved it! It was SO easy and delicious. The orange zest does add a wonderful flavor. I can see myself making these again and again. I was thinking of other flavors to jazz it up too; maybe a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar? I’m so glad to have a recipe for an easy side dish that everyone loves!
Susan, I’m so glad you loved them! I love your extra ideas, the balsamic would be amazing!
Marci, this is in regard to Vanilla Extract that I made from your recipe in the insta-pot. When I give as a gift at Christmas do the people use this extract in the same amount as store bought in recipes. I’m thinking it is going to be stronger vanilla taste and does it overpower a recipe if using as called for? Thank you Marci for your wonderful recipes. I have enjoyed making many of them and look forward to continuing to do so in the future.
Sandra, I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes around here. It makes my day to read that. For the vanilla, I agree it is a stronger taste, but it’s also a much more pleasant taste in comparison to storebought so I always use exactly what a recipe calls for.