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What is a more perfect Fall inspired side dish than a tri color carrots recipe with a maple honey glaze? The deep purple, beet red and white colors of the tri colored carrots are my absolute favorite. A colorful display, the sweetness of this tri color carrot and maple honey glaze recipe pairs well with most main dish proteins such as, chicken, ham, or pork chops.

When I last made these tasty carrots, I served them alongside cinnamon apple pork chops with bourbon sugar sauce. Sounds mouth-watering doesn’t it? I will be sharing that recipe in another week or so, so make sure to check back for that one! 

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Tri Color Carrots | Rainbow Carrots

What are Tri Color Carrots Called?

Tri color carrots are otherwise known as rainbow carrots.

This is definitely a great nickname for them as they are such beautiful root vegetables. These multi-colored carrots have been around for centuries. Interestingly enough, the orange carrot was not the first to be cultivated.

It is believed that the first cultivated carrots originated in Afghanistan before the 900s, and were purple and yellow in color. Spreading to Europe in the early 1600s, white and orange carrots were developed. The red hued carrot was then cultivated in China and India in the early 1700s.

Do Tri Color Carrots Offer Nutritional Benefits?

The hues of tri color carrots aren’t just for looks; they also have many nutritional benefits.

According to the USDA, carrots with red roots have lycopene, a type of carotene believed to protect against heart disease and certain cancers. Yellow carrots accumulate xanthophylls, pigments that are similar to beta-carotene and support good eye health.

Purple carrots possess an entirely different class of pigments, called anthocyanin, which act as powerful antioxidants. According to Dr. Hazel MacTavish-West, a creative food scientist, eating a raw purple carrot a day has the potential to protect against cardiovascular disease, inhibit cancer cells and reverse negative effects of a high-fat diet.

Among many other studies, the purple carrots seems to be the best color out of the bunch for health benefits. 

Does the Color of a Carrot Affect Its Flavor?

Unless you are a food guru, you might not taste much of a difference between the tri color carrots. However, there are some subtle variations of flavor, mainly when eaten raw.

White carrots have been noted to taste less earthy than orange carrots, but sweeter than both purple and red carrots. Purple carrots that carry their purple color on the inside as well, can have a subtle peppery flavor and are not as sweet.

Red carrots are the most similar to orange carrots. However, these flavors can be altered depending on how they are prepared, and what seasonings you pair with them.

Three Ways to Prepare Tri Color Carrots

Who would have thought that there could be so many various ways to cook a carrot!? Proof that carrots can be far from basic, check out the three different cooking methods below to get inspired!

Air Fryer Rainbow Carrots

Air fryer rainbow carrots have become a fairly popular recipe.

Cooking tri color carrots in the air fryer will result in a crispier texture. Tossed in a light coating of oil, or nothing at all, the air fryer can be a healthier cooking method.

Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, air-fried rainbow carrots are a tasty option that is also super quick. Air fryer rainbow carrots take only 10-15 minutes to cook!

Boiled Tri Color Carrots Recipe

For a softer carrot, boiled carrots fit the bill.

Slice the carrots into small circle pieces and boil in water on the stovetop for about 4-5 minutes. This is the quickest method for cooking carrots.

Once the tri color carrots are done boiling, you can drain the water and coat them with the maple honey glaze. If you want to try something a little extra, boil the carrots a minute longer until they are easy to mash.

After draining out the water, mash using a potato masher to create a mashed potato like texture. Add in your maple honey glaze and mix into the mashed carrots.

You could also experiment with adding a splash of milk to the carrots and using an immersion blender to create a whipped carrot.

Your guests might mistake these as squash, but you can amaze them with the unexpected! 

Roasted Tri Color Carrots Recipe

Roasted tri color carrots are delicious, but take the longest to cook.

You can coat the carrots with the maple honey glaze and spread out on a foil-lined baking sheet or place in a baking dish.

Cooking spread out on the baking sheet will give each carrot a crispier result. Use a baking dish if you prefer your carrots to be tender but not quite as crisp.

Roast in the oven at the high temperature of 400°F for about 50-60 minutes. If using a baking sheet, you should stir or flip the carrots mid-way through to ensure each side gets crispy.

For this roasted tri color carrots recipe with maple honey glaze, I used a baking dish and cooked uncovered for about an hour.

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Roasted Tri Color Carrots Recipe with Maple Honey Glaze

Yields Roughly 6 servings. Serving Size: 2.5 ounces. Calories Per Serving: 95

Recipe Ingredients 

• 1 lb. fresh tri color carrots
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. parsley
• dash of salt & pepper

Tri Color Carrots Recipe Directions

1. Start by measuring out all of your ingredients needed to make the maple honey glaze, and set aside.
2. Wash and scrub tri color carrots in the sink using a vegetable brush, and then pat dry with a tea towel.
3. Chop the greens ends off the carrots and slice carrots horizontally, splitting them in half.
4. Place cut carrots in a baking dish or foil-lined roasting sheet and set aside.
5. In a medium glass bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the maple glaze.
6. Pour glaze over the carrots and mix around to fully coat the carrots.
7. Place baking dish or roasting sheet in the oven, and bake uncovered at 400°F for 50 mins to 1 hour.
8. Serve while hot and enjoy!

You Might Also Enjoy…

Please let me know if you enjoy this tri color carrots recipe, or if you made this recipe with a different cooking method! How do you prefer to cook your tri color carrots?

If you’re looking for more simple side dish recipes, make sure to check these out next.

• Tomato Cucumber Quinoa Salad
• Healthy Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese
• Moist Banana Bread with Applesauce

You can also visit my recipe archives here.

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~Sarah