Cracker Barrel Carrots Recipe {Video}

This delicious copycat Cracker Barrel Carrots recipe is perfect for dinner, holidays, or as a side dish to any meal. They are easy to make, require only four ingredients, and taste fantastic!

Cracker Barrel Carrots

I LOVE Cracker Barrel! It may be because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and we didn't have Southern comfort food growing up, or it is just that the food always tastes good, but I love it.

Cracker Barrel was our go-to travel restaurant because we didn't have one nearby.

Even now, the closest Cracker Barrel is in northern Idaho, about an hour away. I will admit that we have driven to Coeur d'Alene from Cracker Barrel a few times. There is just something about their meals.

Since it is an hour away from the house and deep in the winter, we started making Cracker Barrel recipes at home.

I wanted to recreate our favorites and enjoy them any day we wanted them. My husband loves Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings, so I worked to make homemade dumplings, and he loves them.

This year, I am expanding our side dishes on the site. For some reason, I haven't shared many side dishes, which needs to change.

So today, we decided to pair Cracker Barrel Carrots with a new Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Recipe I am working on. It was time we shared more fun recipes.

I have realized over the past year how much we love specific restaurant recipes and miss being able to sit in the restaurant and enjoy them. You can expect to see more copycat recipes coming to the blog soon! It’s my mission to make some of our restaurant favorites at home.

I love that this carrot recipe takes less than 60 minutes–perfect for holidays or family dinners.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients for making epic Cracker Barrel Carrots! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.

• Baby Carrots
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Salt

Equipment Needed

• Teaspoon/Tablespoon
• Saucepan: You want to use a saucepan with a lid with enough space to cook the carrots. A 2-quart saucepan works excellently.
• Kitchen Spoon/Stirring Utensil
• Serving Dish: I like to use a serving dish or large bowl with sides to keep the Cracker Barrel Carrots contained. I am a bit of a klutz and always worry I will turn too quickly and send carrots flying out of the dish and all over the floor or people sitting at the table.

How to Make Cracker Barrel Carrots

I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.

1. Wash the carrots, add them to a saucepan, and cover completely with water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil; allow to simmer for 30-40 minutes until carrots are just getting tender.
3. Remove half of the pan water carefully. Add in brown sugar, butter, and salt, and stir together. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until carrots are fork tender.
4. A fork should easily stick through the carrot when the dish is ready to be served.

 

Preparation and Storage

Make Ahead + Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container and enjoy them within three days.

Freezing/How to Freeze: Freeze any Cracker Barrel Carrots leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag and enjoy them within three months.

How to Reheat: Reheat any leftover portions using the microwave or stove, depending on how many servings you need to prepare.

 

Recipe Variations

Substitutions: You can use sliced regular carrots if you can’t find baby carrots at the store.

Vegetarian Option: This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe is 100 percent vegetarian!

Vegan Option: Replace the butter with a plant-based alternative to make your carrots vegan.

Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, as none of the ingredients typically contain gluten.

Alcohol-Free Option: We haven’t seen variations that use alcohol, and our recipe for this Cracker Barrel side dish doesn’t use any.

Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe makes ten servings. Scale it up or down to your desired yield; it’s easy to double if you’re making it for the holidays or a big family dinner!

Make It Spicy: Cracker Barrel doesn’t make this dish spicy, but you can add a few dashes of chili powder, paprika, or chili powder for some flavor and heat.

Sugar-Free: The written recipe contains 6 grams of sugar per serving. Use a sugar-free alternative to brown sugar to make this recipe sugar-free.

Tips for the Best Cracker Barrel Carrots

• Rinse the carrots before adding them to the pot.
• Pour enough water into the pot to cover the fresh baby carrots.
• The Cracker Barrel baby carrots should be tender when pricked with a fork.
• The sugar and butter add a great sweetness to these carrots.
• If you have been wondering how to cook baby carrots like Cracker Barrel, this recipe is perfect!
• For a bit more flavor, you can add a pinch of nutmeg.
• I have seen people add a tablespoon or two of bacon grease to this recipe, but I have yet to try it.
• If you don't have brown sugar, you can use white sugar. The dish's flavor may differ slightly, but it still tastes great.
• We use butter, but you can easily use margarine if you prefer it.
• Check out all of our favorite recipes with carrots in them.

What to Serve with Cracker Barrel Carrots

Slightly sweet and packed with carrot goodness, these Cracker Barrel Carrots are perfect when you crave a bite of this homestyle American chain from home. We like enjoying them from breakfast to dinner and sometimes in between! Here are some menu planning suggestions.

Sides: BLT Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams, Southern Style Green Beans, CrockPot Bourbon Baked Beans, CrockPot Tater Tot Chicken Casserole, Slow Cooker Corn Pudding, Easy Homemade Banana Bread, Hasselback Potatoes 

Main Dishes: Bacon Pot Pie, Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs, Crock Pot Steak Stroganoff, Crockpot Mushroom Pasta Casserole, Easy German Apple Pancake, French Toast Casserole, Apple & Raisin French Toast, Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes,  crockpot turkey

Desserts: 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars, Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling, Orange Dreamsicle Salad, Bisquick Peach Cobbler, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies, Air Fryer Donuts, Cinnamon & Sugar Crescents, Raspberry Coffee Cake, Biscuit Donuts

When to Serve

• Breakfast
• Brunch
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Holiday meals
• Thanksgiving Dinner
• Christmas
• Easter

Cracker Barrel Recipes

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole

Cracker Barrel Green Beans

Cracker Barrel Pancakes

Cracker Barrel Fried Apples

Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken 

Find this featured recipe in our sloppy joes side dish roundup and our epic side dishes to serve with ham collection!

Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.

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