Roasted Winter Root Vegetables with Rosemary is an easy one-pan dinner that tastes like all-day cooking! It’s colorful and healthy with layers of comforting flavors. Suitable as a main dish or hearty side. This vegan recipe is naturally gluten-free too!

On the rainy winter day I was shooting this recipe, my son Bobby, who was visiting from San Diego, came bounding into the kitchen. You could almost see him salivating. “Mom, that aroma is *crazy* good, are you making stuffing?” His nose was right! Roasted winter root vegetables with rosemary fills your kitchen with the same cozy smells of toasty herbs and hearty dinners, kind of like a holiday meal with minimal fuss. The veggies brown and caramelize right onto the baking tray so you get the taste of all day cooking in under an hour. It’s totally miraculous.

I roast root vegetables all the time, usually at the end of each week when I’m cleaning out the fridge. They’re so easy and so delicious! You can use whatever high smoke point oil you have on hand, but my new favorite is refined coconut oil. This unique oil is solid at room temperature. It cleverly clings onto the cut vegetables and helps the seasonings stick. Plus, it lends a whisper of tropical flavor which is so welcome during the winter months.

Ingredients and substitutions

You can find the exact measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card below, but let’s take a closer look at each one and chat about substitutions as well.

Potatoes-

My favorite potatoes to roast are golden potatoes. They bake up soft and creamy with a slightly nutty flavor. Winter is a great time to find potatoes at your local farmers’ market and you can have fun experimenting with different varieties. Make sure you leave the peel on.

Sweet potatoes-

Orange fleshed sweet potatoes are so pretty and taste almost like pie! They perfectly balance the earthy beets and become caramelized on the hot baking sheet. These you need to peel.

Carrots-

Who doesn’t love sweet roasted carrots? They can take a little longer to bake than potatoes, so be sure to cut them the same size or smaller.

Beets-

Beets come in 3 common varieties: red, golden, and striped. Red beets are easy to find and have the earthiest flavor, perfect for a winter roast. Golden beets are mild and sweet and striped beets taste similar to red but are a touch sweeter.

Onions-

I use red onions in this recipe for their mild flavor and beautiful color. However, yellow or sweet onions will turn soft and caramelly just like the red ones. So, use what you have.

Fresh rosemary-

It really is worth getting fresh rosemary. We have a huge bush that grows in our backyard, so I always have some on hand. But you can also find rosemary in the herb section of your local grocer. If you can’t find fresh, roughly chop up 1 teaspoon of dried.

Refined coconut oil-

Solid at room temperature, this oil needs to be melted in the microwave or on the stovetop before using. It’s important to choose refined coconut oil which has only a hint of coconut flavor. I love it for its unique ability to cling to the cut vegetables. It will create a thin white film on the vegetables as it cools down. This is totally normal. Feel free to swap out this oil for a good quality olive oil or a favorite oil with a high smoke point.

Thyme leaves-

These little guys are the perfect herb for roasts and they smell so good! This recipe calls for dried thyme leaves for simplicity, but you can always use freshly plucked thyme leaves instead.

If using fresh thyme leaves instead of dried, triple the amount. For example, this recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves which is the equivalent of 1 tablespoon of fresh leaves.

Salt and pepper-

I recommend kosher salt which has a larger grain than regular table salt. This allows you to use 2 full teaspoons without over-salting. My favorite is Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Freshly ground black pepper adds a familiar layer of flavor.

Ingredients for roasted winter root vegetables

Tips for making great winter roasted root vegetables

Preheat your baking tray- It doesn’t take any extra time to slide the baking tray into the oven while you preheat it and will transform your dish. This trick is what sears the bottom of the vegetables, creating a deliciously crispy brown crust.
Cut the onions into chunks- Onions, with their many layers, will tend to separate. Try to keep the pieces intact so that they caramelize instead of burn.
Cut your vegetables all the same size- This allows them to cook at the same rate. I like to cut them into 1” bite-sized chunks so they fit nicely on a fork. But you can dice them into 1½” cubes, if you prefer, as long as they’re about the same size.
Use refined coconut oil- All coconut oil is made by machine-pressing coconut meat. The difference between refined and unrefined coconut oil is that refined undergoes additional processing which removes the pronounced coconut flavor. A hint of flavor remains but it won’t overwhelm the dish.
Use fresh rosemary- The intoxicating aroma of roasted root vegetables, you know, the smell that makes you spoon up a second helping even though you’re stuffed, comes from fresh rosemary. Flavorful oils are released during the roasting process that infuses every bite in a way that dried rosemary can’t touch.

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables with rosemary on a table

How to make Roasted Winter Root Vegetables with Rosemary

Preheat your oven to 425°F / 218°C. Slide an 18x13” rimmed, ungreased, baking sheet into the oven at the same time so it gets nice and hot.

2. Cut all the vegetables, even the onions, into 1” cubes. This helps them cook at the same rate.

3. Toss with coconut oil- Pile all of the cut veggies and rosemary into a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted coconut oil over them and use a flexible spatula to toss until well coated. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves, tossing as you go.

4. Tumble the root veggies onto the hot sheet. It will make a satisfying sizzling sound. Use the spatula to spread them out evenly and scootch the potatoes around so they are cut side down. Scrape up any remaining solidified oil, clinging to the sides of the bowl, and plop it onto the veggies.

5. Bake at 425°F / 218°C for 45 minutes until fork tender and crispy on the bottom. Pluck out and discard the rosemary stems. Use a metal spatula to scoop up the veggies along with the crispy brown bits baked on the pan. Serve as a hearty side dish or a lighter main.

Storage:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

You’ll find endless uses for this recipe. It is such a comforting meal all by itself but lends to enhancing other dishes as well.

It goes beautifully with (or in) a creamy soup like Roasted Pumpkin Soup.
Make it a dinner main and serve it alongside Massaged Kale Salad.
Or, round out burger night and slide a tray into the oven with Smoky Black Bean Beet Burgers with Walnuts.
And if you’re looking to add an easy protein to this meal, make Crispy Air Fryer Tofu while the veggies are roasting and then toss them all together.

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables with Rosemary