Brown Sugar Glazed Instant Pot Carrots

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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.

You may also like: Carrot Bread

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.

You may also like: Air Fryer Carrots or Healthy Carrot Muffins

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, sweet and spicy 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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Did you try this recipe for instant pot carrots? Let us know what you thought with a rating and comment. You can also tag us in your recipe creations on social media using @aileencooks.