I made honey glazed carrots in the oven, air fryer and hob – 1 was the tastiest by far

I made honey glazed carrots in the oven, air fryer and hob – 1 was the tastiest by farHoney glazed carrots are a simple yet delicious side dish - but the cooking method makes all the difference. I tested three ways to make them on the oven, air fryer and hob to find the best.CommentsWhat's OnopinionNicola Roy Spare Time writer 03:32, 31 May 2026View 6 ImagesI put three carrot cooking methods to the test and there was a clear winner(Image: Nicola Roy) Carrots have been one of the nation's favourite vegetables for years, and for good reason. They're crisp and tasty when eaten raw alongside a good dip or two, and they become beautifully tender and caramelised when prepared in a honey glaze. ‌ If you're in charge of Sunday roast duties this week and want to genuinely impress everybody with your carrot cooking abilities, there's one technique that beats all others. In an effort to find out the best way to make honey-glazed carrots, I decided to trial several different approaches. ‌ The winning carrots were ready so much quicker compared to the alternatives, and they tasted a lot better too. ‌ Whenever I've prepared glazed carrots, roasting them in the oven has been my preferred technique. However, for comparative reasons, I also rustled up a batch in the air fryer and on the stovetop. View 6 ImagesThe stovetop carrots were by far the tastiest(Image: Nicola Roy) I hadn't even considered cooking them on the hob unless you were boiling them, which must be one of the least appealing ways to serve carrots. There's such an lack of taste and texture, and I'm convinced that if you dislike carrots, then you simply haven't been cooking them properly. ‌ To ensure fairness, I used the same ingredients for each method. All that's required is a couple of carrots, approximately a tablespoon of honey, a pinch of salt and a knob of butter. Since I was creating a small tasting portion of each, you may need to double or even triple the ingredients for larger portions. Here's how I prepared each batch of carrots, and which was the best. View 6 ImagesThey came out with a nice glaze on them(Image: Nicola Roy) ‌ Oven-roasted carrotsFirst, knowing it would take the longest, I got started on my oven carrots. I peeled and cut the vegetables into batons, preheated my oven to 180°C, and placed them in a roasting dish with honey, salt, butter, and a splash of water. This is a technique I've relied on for years and one I return to time and again. Admittedly, it does take a while — roughly an hour to an hour and 15 minutes — but the carrots generally turn out quite well. Give the carrots a stir midway through cooking, and once done, they should have a lovely glaze. These ended up spending around an hour and 10 minutes in the oven. ‌ They tasted wonderfully sweet, though maybe not as crispy as I would have preferred. This method earns credit for being the most hands-off approach, but it does leave a little to be desired in terms of texture. View 6 ImagesThe air fryer carrots are made in the same way(Image: Nicola Roy) Air fryer carrotsI use my air fryer almost every day and absolutely love it, yet strangely, I had never attempted roasting carrots in it before. One of the best advantages of the air fryer is its speed, so it was no surprise that most recipes I found online suggested cooking them for just 15-20 minutes. ‌ I never bother preheating my air fryer, so I grabbed one of my silicone liners, tossed in the carrots and glaze ingredients, gave everything a good mix and set it to 180°C for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. I had high hopes for this method becoming my new go-to, but it left me feeling let down. The carrots cooked unevenly, despite stirring, and much of the glaze pooled at the base of the liner rather than the carrots themselves. They were still nice to eat, but I had expected this method to give a crispier, caramelised finish, as the air fryer normally does. That said, it's still a solid approach if you're pressed for time but still want a largely hands-free way to prepare your carrots. ‌ View 6 ImagesI didn't even know you could make glazed carrots on the hob(Image: Nicola Roy) Carrots on the hobFinally, the moment arrived to test glazed carrots on the hob. For some reason, I assumed carrots would be far too tough to cook through properly on the stovetop, especially as the BBC recipe I followed said they required only around 15 minutes, making it the speediest recipe I tested. The only adjustment I made was substituting the butter for sunflower oil, as I felt it would be more suitable for hob cooking. Simply heat the oil, tip the carrots into the pan and leave them to cook undisturbed for approximately seven minutes. ‌ Once the time is up, squeeze in your honey, then add salt and a little water too. This will begin to sizzle vigorously, so take care to avoid splashing it onto yourself or the flame. You can then stir continuously for a further five minutes or so, until the liquid has fully evaporated. View 6 ImagesThe winning carrots were perfectly glazed and caramelized(Image: Nicola Roy) The whole process took no more than 15 minutes, but the carrots turned out beautifully golden and appetising, with a great char on them. Given the short cooking time, I expected they would still be quite raw in the centre, but I was mistaken. Article continues belowThey were crispy and caramelised on the outside, while the inside remained delightfully juicy with a satisfying bite, without being undercooked. I was astonished and couldn't believe I hadn't discovered this cooking method sooner. It may require the most effort of the three methods I tested, but it's absolutely worth it. Next time you're preparing a good dinner and fancy some carrots as a side, ditch the oven and the air fryer and give the hob a go — you won't be disappointed.