Making these Instant Pot carrots is a quick and easy way to enjoy perfectly tender and flavorful carrots. This is a quick 15-minute Thanksgiving side dish recipe made with quality ingredients.
As a kid, I used to dislike the texture of carrots. It would take so much coaxing before I used to eat them.
Now, as an adult, I still dislike the rough, chewy texture of boiled carrots. That’s why I cook them in the Instant Pot! This appliance makes softer carrots in minutes, making them practically melt in one bite!
They now taste so good, especially when finished with a whipped honey butter glaze.
Originally published on November 20th, 2015 at 5:16pm . Click here to see why this recipe was updated.
🛒 Ingredients for Instant Pot Honey Butter Carrots
Here is a quick look at the ingredients. It is to understand why these specific ingredients were chosen. To get the full recipe, go to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Carrots – Carrots contain beta carotene, which is a precursor to Retinol. Your body will convert part of this carotene into retinol. Additionally, they are also a great source of Lutein + zeaxanthin. Overall, carrots are a good source of many nutritional benefits. See citations below.
Honey – I have used maple syrup in the past to make glazed baby carrots, so I decided to try something different. Honey and butter whipped together are an amazing flavor powerhouse!
Butter – Instead of using cooking oils to cook these carrots, I felt it would be better to use butter, as it is a good “off-the-beaten-path” ingredient. I used grass-fed butter in this recipe, which brought out the carrots’ natural sweetness.
📋 Step-by-Step Instructions for Instant Pot Carrots
Prerequisite: If possible, wash and dry the carrots before starting to cook.
- Add enough water (1 cup) to the inner stainless steel container of the Instant Pot.
- Put the carrots in an Instant Pot-safe container. I use these (Amazon Affiliate Link) stainless steel pans. Place the pan inside the Instant Pot and close the lid.
- Choose the “pressure cook” option and set it to 2 minutes of cooking time. Remove the “keep warm” option. Also, make sure the pressure setting is “high pressure”.
4. When the “END” message appears on the display, don’t open the lid. The pressure is still cooking the carrots. Don’t be tempted to use the quick pressure release. Wait for the valve to drop before opening the lid.
5. Remove the carrots pan from the Instant Pot and drain any liquid that’s inside the carrots pan.
6. Remove the water from the inner container and wipe the inside.
7. Put the inner can back in the Instant Pot and set the “Saute” option.
8. Add whipped butter to the inner container.
9. Add the drained carrots to the pan. Then, add salt and pepper. Mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes on the saute setting. Turn off the Instant Pot and transfer the carrots to a serving dish, garnish with parsley (or any fresh herbs), and serve.
🧄 5 Delicious ways to season your carrots
This post focuses on making a big batch of Instant Pot Carrots with a delicious honey & whipped butter glaze (the full recipe is below!). However, there are 5 other mouth-watering ways to flavor them:
- Brown Sugar and Cinnamon (The Holiday Classic) – Here is another southern way to flavor the carrots. It’s the ultimate comfort food because it has a sweet taste! Toss the warm carrots with 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of nutmeg (optional) in a skillet. Sauté until the sugar melts and completely coats the carrots.
- Spicy Balsamic – Up your flavor game by making this unique glaze. Toss carrots in a pan along with a high-quality balsamic, 1 Tbsp avocado oil, and sprinkles of pepper flakes. Cook until the liquid is a sticky reduction. Trust me, there will be a flavor party in your mouth. This is a vegan version.
- Garlic Herb Butter – For the best taste experience, use my basil garlic compound butter recipe. Its simplicity is what makes this flavor so amazing. Add the compound butter to a pan along with the cooked carrots. Stir, then turn off after 3 minutes or until all the carrots are well coated. You can also use dill, thyme, or Rosemary.
- Lemon vinaigrette – I made a simple lemon vinaigrette using Dijon mustard and garlic cloves. This vinaigrette takes just 5 minutes to put together, so you can quickly get to flavoring and eating the carrots.
- Savory parsley & Parmesan – Organic Valley makes a vegetarian Parmesan using vegetable rennet. Toss cooked carrots with 1 Tbsp of avocado oil, salt, and pepper to taste, and top with parsley & Parmesan.
❓ Answering your questions – FAQs
Yes, it is possible to overcook them in the Instant Pot. It will feel like you are biting into rubber tubing. This applies to almost all veggies.
Ideally, use a steamer or any Instant Pot safe container. This is because these two methods will help cook vegetables evenly and prevent them from getting mushy.
Amazon affiliate links for steamers and Instant Pot safe containers.
Chances are, you overcooked them in the Instant Pot. Also, it may be because you didn’t use a container to cook the carrots.
Yes, this is a make-ahead recipe. It can be made for up to 5 days. Cook them in the Instant Pot and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve, saute them in the Instant Pot with butter, salt, and pepper. See heating instructions in the “Storing and Reheating” section.
📦 Storing leftovers and reheating
If you have leftover carrots, transfer them to an airtight container and put them in the fridge. Use them up within 5 days. Do not freeze cooked carrots because they will lose their texture and taste.
These are the glass containers I use to store all my vegetable leftovers. (Amazon affiliate link) 8 Pack Glass Food Storage Containers.
To reheat, saute in the Instant Pot or stove-top.
🌿 More Instant Pot Vegetables to try
Instant Pot Green Beans
This is my favorite holiday side dish because green beans are so tasty with any meal.
Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are always confusing to cook. Much as I love oven-roasted sprouts, I find that cooking them in the Instant Pot is the most efficient way.
Instant Pot Frozen Peas
This recipe gets a lot of slack, lol. Most people just want to shove the peas in the microwave and be done with it. Peas never get the. love they deserve, if you ask me! So, I show you a more effective way of cooking them.
I also love serving Instant Pot purple sweet potatoes on my holiday table.
🙏 More Thanksgiving Recipe Collections
💌 Sharing is caring
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Instant Pot Carrots with Honey Butter
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
For the carrots
- 1 lb baby carrots 454g
- ¼ cup whipped butter 30g
- 1½ tsp salt 8g, adjust to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper 2g
For the whipped butter
- 1 stick grass-fed unsalted butter 113.5g
- 1 Tbsp honey 20g
Instructions
Prerequisite: If possible, wash and dry the carrots before starting to cook.
- Add water to the inner stainless steel container of the Instant Pot.
- Place baby carrots in an Instant Pot-safe container and place it inside the Instant Pot. Close the lid.
- Press the "pressure cook" option and set it to 2 minutes. Remove the "keep warm" option.
- When the "END" message appears on the display, don't open the lid because the ingredients are still cooking.
- While waiting for the valve to drop, blend up the honey and butter.
- Wait for the valve to drop before opening the lid.
- Remove the carrots pan from the Instant Pot and drain any liquid that's inside it.
- Also, remove the water from the inner container and wipe the inside.
- Put the inner can back in the Instant Pot and set the "Saute" option.
- Add whipped butter to the inner container. Refrigerate the remaining butter for use in future recipes.
- Add the drained carrots to the pan.
- Then, add salt and pepper.
- Mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes on the saute setting.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and transfer the carrots to a serving dish.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- You will only use a part of the whipped butter you make in this recipe. Refrigerate the remaining for future use.
- Adjust salt and pepper to your taste, if needed.
- Use organic baby carrots. I got mine from Walmart, where they are affordable (between $1-$2).
- When the display says “end”, wait for the valve to drop. Don’t press the quick-release button because it’s still cooking.
- Leftover carrots can be refrigerated and used within 5 days. Do not freeze cooked carrots.
- To reheat leftovers, you can saute stove top or in the Instant Pot.
Nutrition
Citations
- University of Rochester
- Of retinol, ruses, and root veggies: The fantastic tale of carrots
- Do carrots actually improve eyesight?
- Eat this much – Carrots
- Nine vegetables that are healthier for you when cooked
Version 1
From time to time, I look through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images, and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover.
This time, I changed both the images and the recipe. I made a larger portion of the recipe and also used honey butter instead of maple syrup and vegan butter. The new recipe has more of a natural taste and is faster to make in the Instant Pot.
Click here to see the original recipe.
