Maple-Glazed Roast Parsnips

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 05/27/22
Maple-glazed roast parsnips

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Roasted parsnips are an important part of a British Sunday Roast, Christmas lunch or, quite frankly, anytime. The aroma of them cooking is just irresistible. The simplest way to roast parsnips is to parboil as the recipe below and to cook them in good flavored fat like goose or duck (vegetable oil if you want it lighter).

For an extra special treat, try this glazed parsnip recipe by adding a dash of maple syrup and a sprinkle of sesame seeds for extra flavor and a little crunch. This takes the parsnip to whole new heights. This sophisticated addition to the recipe ensures they can still be part of a traditional dinner or special occasion party. The humble parsnip has never looked so good. Don't be surprised if they soon become a favorite on your dinner table.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

  • 1 1/2 pounds (700 grams) parsnips, peeled, topped, and tailed

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for maple-roasted parsnip
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  2. Preheat oven to 425 F / 220 C / Gas 8.

  3. Heat a heavy bottom frying pan or skillet to hot, but not burning. Add the sesame seeds to the dry, hot pan and gently swirl the pan around until you notice the seeds starting to color. Whip them out of the pan and onto a plate immediately you see any color. They will continue to cook even when on the plate.

    Heat a skillet
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  4. Cut the peeled parsnips in half lengthways and in half again. If the parsnips you are using are a little old or are woody, you will need to cut into quarters and remove the wooden cores. Once done, they will taste just as good as young parsnips.

    Cut the peeled parsnips
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  5. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the parsnips and cook for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander keep to one side.

    Bring to boil
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  6. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the maple syrup and heat gently.

    Melt the butter
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  7. Place the cooked parsnips in a roasting tin and brush thoroughly with the maple-butter mixture. Season well with salt and pepper.

    Put glaze on
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  8. Roast in the oven, shaking the pan frequently, for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

    Roast in the oven
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  9. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

    Sprinkle over sesame seeds
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  10. Transfer to a warm serving dish, serve immediately or keep warm until needed.

Tips

  • If you don't have maple syrup, you can also become a little inventive; a little honey is also delicious and a tiny drizzle of golden syrup (corn syrup in the US) can also work wonders.
  • The sesame seeds do work very well for that extra crunch and flavor. If you don't have them, then leave them out.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
9g Fat
37g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 210mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 14%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 22mg 111%
Calcium 135mg 10%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 678mg 14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)