Cook up some of the best roasted vegetables recipes for quick and easy side dishes that the whole family can enjoy. From roasted broccoli and carrots, to roasted zucchini and sweet potato, there are ideas here for all year long!
Roasted Vegetables Recipes
The best roasted vegetables for kids, in my opinion, include broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peppers, and Brussels sprouts, though you can really experiment with anything your kids love.
This is a super easy side to go with any toddler dinner and they are particularly great since roasting brings out the natural sugars—making the veggies a little sweet and a lot delicious!
TIP: You can serve these as baby led weaning style foods and continue serving them as the kids grow.
Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
All of these recipes are made using a basic sheet pan. I like the ones from Wilton as they tend to be very durable and easy to clean, but any will work!
Table of Contents
- Roasted Vegetables Recipes
- Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables
- Ingredients You Need
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- How to Serve Roasted Veggies to Kids
- Carrot Fries
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Roasted Acorn Squash Baby Food
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Sweet Potato
- Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
- Easy Roasted Zucchini
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Roasted Spaghetti Squash
- Tips for Making the Best Roasted Vegetables
- Favorite Roasted Vegetables Recipes Recipe
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Ingredients You Need
To make basic roasted veggies of any kind, you just need:
- Veggie of choice
- Olive oil (or other neutral cooking oil like avocado oil)
- Salt
TIP: You can adjust the flavors as you like and serve with a range of dips and sauces.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the basic method for roasting veggies. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for additional information.
- Preheat the oven.
- Prep your veggies.
- Toss with oil and salt and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Roast until tender.
TIP: I usually line my pans with foil simply to make cleaning up easier.
How to Serve Roasted Veggies to Kids
If your baby or toddler has a hard time with any roasted vegetables, cut them into very small pieces, rather than offering a full carrot stick or potato wedge, for example.
This will give them the chance to chew instead of pushing a big chunk of food into their mouths.
And it will make it much easier for them to actually eat the vegetable!
TIP: If a vegetable isn’t soft enough cooked as directed, turn the heat down 25-50 degrees and cook a little longer so the veggies continue to become tender but they don’t burn.
Carrot Fries
These are easy to make and so delicious to eat. Our family loves them with ketchup, but use any dip you prefer.
Roasted Acorn Squash
Slice and roast the halves as directed, or cut the roasting time down by slicing into rounds first. The skin peels off easily after the squash is roasted and toddlers can pick up pieces and nibble away all on their own.
Roasted Acorn Squash Baby Food
This method is easy as a baby-led weaning food or to serve as a baby food puree starting at 6 months and up.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Turning winter squash into a fun and delicious side dish is so easy—and learning how to roast butternut squash means that you can turn it into fun shapes, serve them as “fries”, and even add additional flavors like brown sugar or rosemary. And all in less than 20 minutes!
Roasted Broccoli
This recipe for roasted broccoli has a tahini sauce that adult may like, but the broccoli is really so good on its own that you can skip it! (Or, of course, offer some ketchup for dipping.)
Roasted Cauliflower
This roasted cauliflower recipe is a staple in our house in the dead of winter when veggies aren’t always the best at our Midwestern markets, but the cauliflower usually looks good. It’s a little sweet and really yummy topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Roasted Sweet Potato
These are a classic side that kids adore. (My daughter inhaled a version of these when she was just starting out with baby led weaning!)
Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
With just 20 minutes of cooking time, you can serve up these Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes as a simple family dinner side dish. Or, you can make a batch ahead of time and pack them in a kiddo’s lunch—they’re a perfect finger food!
Easy Roasted Zucchini
This is super soft and super simple and it’s an easy side for any time of the year.
Roasted Red Peppers
With a simple sheet pan method and pantry spices, you can learn how to roast red peppers in the oven to use in tacos, sandwiches, and just as a simple side.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Learn how to roast spaghetti squash to serve to kids of any age with this easy method.
Tips for Making the Best Roasted Vegetables
- Be sure to use enough oil so the vegetables don’t turn out dry.
- Make sure they are cooked until soft for little kids.
- Season to taste with salt or other spices (cumin is usually great on everything, cinnamon works well on sweet potato and butternut squash).
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Desserts
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I’d love to hear if you try any of these recipes or if you have another roasted veggie that you love so please comment below to share!
Favorite Roasted Vegetables Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli, cauliflower florets, cubed butternut squash or sweet potato (peel and any seeds) discarded), roughly chopped zucchini, carrot sticks, or pepper strips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
- Optional dips like ketchup, Ranch, or other favorite sauces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Add the veggies to a large bowl and toss with the oil. If they seem dry (which might happen with broccoli), add a little more oil.
- Arrange on a baking sheet in one layer.
- Roast for 12-22 minutes (broccoli and cauliflower will be done on the lower end, butternut squash, sweet potato, and carrots on the longer end), checking every few minutes after 12 minutes. The veggies are done when they are starting to brown and are soft when poked with a knife.
- If the veggies are browning, but you want them a little softer for the kids, lower the heat to 350 and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Sprinkle with salt and serve with any desired dips or sauces.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published December 2019.
Having kids eat potatoes is my fave ‘challenge’ because they love it when I do different types of homemade fries. They’re much healthier and better than having them eat the fast food ones.
where is the brocley