Instant Pot Carrots with Brown Sugar Glaze

Sweet and tender instant pot carrots in just 15 minutes! The brown sugar glaze makes these carrots extra special without a lot of extra work!

I love carrots. They are one of my favorite vegetables to serve and were one of my favorite vegetables growing up. My grandma used to make a sweet and buttery carrot dish every week and it was the one I looked forward to the most.

Some our other favorite vegetable side dishes are Air Fryer Cauliflower, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic, Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots, Instant Pot Artichokes with Creamy Chili Dipping Sauce, Kid Friendly Roasted Cauliflower, and Honey Roasted Carrots.

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This instant pot carrot recipe is reminiscent of the buttery carrots my grandma made when I was a child. Carrots are wonderful because they are naturally sweet and tend to be kid-friendly. The trick to cooking carrots is cooking them until they are fork tender. You don’t want a crunchy carrot. 

That’s why I like steaming carrots in the instant pot. They come out perfectly fork tender (without being mushy) and are on the table in just about 15 minutes.

How do you steam vegetables in an instant pot?

Steaming vegetables in the instant pot is very easy! Simply add 1 cup of water to the bottom of your instant pot and place your cut and washed vegetables inside the instant pot, on top of a steamer basket.

Many softer vegetables will steam in 0 minutes. The pot will come to pressure and immediately start depressurizing. That is the perfect time to steam vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. When steaming carrots, you will set the time to 2 minutes with a quick pressure release.

How to cook fresh carrots in the instant pot?

(printable recipe is available at the bottom of this post)

1. Prepare your carrots by peeling them and cutting them in 1-inch pieces at an angle.
2. Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot and place the steamer basket into the instant pot. You can add the trivet underneath for easier removal, too.
3. Cook the carrots on high pressure for 2 minutes. Do a quick release.
4. Remove the carrots, steamer basket, and trivet, if used. Pour out the water.
5. Press sauté and melt the butter, brown sugar, and spices inside the instant pot.
6. Toss the carrots in the brown sugar glaze.
7. Enjoy!

How do you steam vegetables in an instant pot without a basket?

If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can still steam carrots and other vegetables in your instant pot. Simply place your trivet inside the instant pot over the required water. Make a bowl out of two pieces of foil and place the carrots inside of the bowl. 

Alternately, you can roll up three balls of foil and place them at the bottom of your instant pot and place a foil bowl on top of that.

Why make carrots in the instant pot?

Carrots in the instant pot come out perfectly tender and soft. The brown sugar glaze adds the perfect amount of sweetness that makes them extra special and pleases those picky eaters.

Can I use baby carrots instead of whole carrots?

If you prefer the flavor of baby carrots over whole peeled and cut carrots, you can use them in this recipe! The cook time stays the same, so it is very simple to make the switch to baby carrots.

What to serve with instant pot carrots?

We love serving instant pot carrots with a protein like Instant Pot Italian Beef, meatloaf or instant pot chicken. They are also great served next to a grain like brown rice or quinoa. Mashed potatoes is also a great side kick for instant pot carrots.

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Yield: Serves 6

Instant Pot Carrots with Brown Sugar Glaze

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Additional Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Sweet and tender instant pot carrots in just 15 minutes! The brown sugar glaze makes these carrots extra special without a lot of extra work!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

1. Place water in instant pot and top with steamer basket.
2. Place carrots inside of steamer basket.
3. Close lid and set pressure release valve to sealing.
4. Press manual or pressure cook button and set to 2 minutes.
5. Once pot has finished cooking, quick release the pressure.
6. Remove lid, take out carrots and set aside, pour out water.
7. Press sautte button and add butter, brown sugar, salt, and cumin.
8. Stir until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissovled, about 2 minutes.
9. Pour carrots into the pot and stir to coat them in the brown sugar glaze.
10. Serve warm.
11. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1/2 cup cooked carrots with glaze
Amount Per Serving Calories 124 Total Fat 8g Saturated Fat 5g Trans Fat 0g Unsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 20mg Sodium 197mg Carbohydrates 14g Net Carbohydrates 0g Fiber 2g Sugar 10g Sugar Alcohols 0g Protein 1g

Nutrition information is an estimate.

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