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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Spiced Carrots and Dates Side Dish

    Published: Apr 1, 2021 / Modified: Apr 13, 2022 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 4 Comments

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    image of carrots and dates on a serving tray under orange text box with recipe title
    spiced carrots and dates on an oval serving dish on a counter
    images of spiced carrots and dates separated by a text box with recipe title

    Rich in flavor and vibrant in color, these spiced carrots and dates make a terrific vegetarian side dish for any occasion! Roasted carrot coins are tossed with sliced dates, pecans, and fresh mint, then drizzled in an olive oil dressing spiked with lemon juice, honey, cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom.

    spiced carrots and dates on an oval serving dish on a counter

    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.

    How is Easter is this weekend? I was totally on top of the other major food events this year, like Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, but I seem to be a little behind on my recipes for Easter.

    But just because I’m late on posting these spiced carrots and dates doesn’t mean you can’t still make them this weekend! This delicious dish dish is very easy to prepare, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

    It’s just perfect for the beginning of spring, with bright orange carrot coins, fresh mint, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Some of the ingredients, like the dates, pecans, and cinnamon, are reminiscent of carrot cake. The combination makes for a fairly sweet side dish, but the sweetness isn’t overpowering. It’s overall a well-rounded recipe!

    I think spiced carrots and dates would pair very nicely with your Easter ham or roast and would be a great addition to a brunch spread too. Check out some of my serving suggestions for this dish if you need ideas!

    7 carrots next to 10 dates on a white counter

    How to Make Spiced Carrots and Dates

    For the full ingredients list and directions, scroll down to the recipe card. Here’s a preview of the steps!

    1. Roast the carrot coins until tender.
    2. In the meantime, slice the dates, pecans, and mint. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
    3. Combine the roasted carrots with the rest of the ingredients, and toss in the dressing until coated.
    carrot coins cut on a diagonal spread out on a lined baking sheet
    roasted carrots tossed with mint, nuts, and dates in a mixing bowl

    Expert Tips

    • Preparation: For a pretty presentation, slice the carrots crosswise on an angle! To be honest, I always admired photographs of roasted carrots that were cut this way on other blogs. So I was very excited to try it out with this carrots and dates recipe! It’s a simple technique that adds some extra flair to a dish. Try to cut the carrots into roughly the same size to promote even cooking.
    • Ingredient Tips: Tri-color carrots would be gorgeous in this dish, if you can find them. I recommend purchasing pitted dates so that you don’t have to remove the pits yourself. You can usually find them by the nuts and dried fruit in the grocery store. Keep the dates in the refrigerator to make them easier to slice.
    • Substitutions: Feel free to substitute walnuts or another type of nut or seed for the pecans. To make this dish vegan, use maple syrup in place of the honey. I made the spiced dressing with cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom. If you don’t have cardamom on hand, add a little more cinnamon.
    • Prep Ahead and Storage: This dish keeps very well in the fridge, so it can be made ahead of time. I recommend making it no longer than 24 hours in advance though. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Spiced carrots and dates can be enjoyed warm or cold.

    What to Serve with Carrots and Dates

    This easy recipe makes a great side dish for Easter brunch or dinner. For brunch, it would pair well with the Easy Broccoli and Cheese Egg Bake, Baked Brown Rice Risotto with Asparagus, Prosecco and Carrot Juice Cocktails, Marinated Celery Salad, and the Mini Cucumber Sandwiches with Dill Cream Cheese.

    spiced carrots and dates on an oval serving dish on a counter

    More Carrot Side Dishes

    If you love this easy recipe, check out some of my other side dishes:

    • Carrot Raisin Salad with Pineapple
    • Roasted Asparagus and Carrots
    • Dill and Maple Roasted Carrots
    • Herbed Carrot and Swede Mash
    • Carrot and Celery Soup with Thyme Pecan Crumble

    I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

    📖 Recipe

    spiced carrots and dates on an oval serving dish on a counter

    Spiced Carrots and Dates

    This flavorful roasted carrot side dish features sliced dates, pecans, mint, and a spiced lemon dressing. It's great for Easter, Thanksgiving, or an evening meal.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 40 minutes mins
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 272kcal
    Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

    Ingredients 

    • 1 pound carrots - trimmed and sliced crosswise on an angle
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Salt - to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
    • 8 to 10 pitted dates - sliced
    • ¼ cup roughly chopped pecans
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint

    For the dressing

    • 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 small lemon - juiced
    • 2 teaspoon honey
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom - optional
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    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the carrots, and make sure to cut them into pieces that are fairly similar in size so that they cook evenly. I like to cut them crosswise on an angle for a pretty presentation. Toss the sliced carrots in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tender.
    • In the meantime, prepare the other ingredients. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl or measuring cup.
    • When the carrots are finished roasting, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add the sliced dates, pecans, and fresh mint. Pour the dressing over the mixture, and stir until coated. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    • This recipe yields about 4 cups, so it can serve more than 4 if it’s part of a larger spread.
    • It can be enjoyed warm or cold, and you can make it up to 24 hours in advance. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge, and stir well before serving.
    • Feel free to substitute walnuts or another nut/seed for pecans. To make vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey. If you don’t have ground cardamom, add a little more cinnamon if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 19071IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall and follow me today!

    Happy Easter weekend! – Lizzie

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    1. Brandywine

      March 13, 2023 at 1:09 pm

      5 stars
      This was absolutely spectacular. Two of my guests who do not like cooked carrots went back for not only seconds, but thirds! It was such a simple but impressive dish.

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        March 13, 2023 at 3:30 pm

        That is wonderful to hear! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for your 5-star review!

        Reply
    2. Cherylynn

      April 02, 2021 at 2:06 pm

      5 stars
      I was just trying to decide what side dish to bring for Easter and I’m definitely going to be making this. Looks really good. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

        April 05, 2021 at 10:19 am

        Perfect timing!! I hope that you enjoyed this dish :-). Happy Easter!

        Reply

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