Explore these easy carrot recipes for the best creative ways to use this colorful vegetable! Try them glazed, roasted, in soups and salads, and even baked into desserts.
Looking for the best ways to eat carrots? These bright orange, healthy veggies are good for so much more than just your eyesight, like the old mantra. They’re packed full of vitamins and nutrients! Luckily: they’re also delicious. And there are so many more ways to eat them than raw carrots sticks!
Here we’ve compiled all the best carrot recipes in two groups: first, recipes where carrots are the star! Think: carrot soup, roasted carrots, carrot cake cookies. But second, and just as important: recipes where carrots play an important supporting role. What’s a good coleslaw or noodle soup without carrots? Let’s get to the recipes.
And now…our best easy carrot recipes!
These really are the perfect sauteed carrots! Turns out they’re very simple, too! These are the most tender, buttery, savory, coins of carrots, with a hint of herbaceous fresh thyme and chives. They taste like the best carrots you’ve ever had: but they only have 3 ingredients and take 10 minutes.
Looking for an easy side dish? Look no further than these Honey Glazed Carrots! When you’re looking for something special…what’s better than a butter and honey glaze? This recipe comes together in just 15 minutes, and the flavor is out of this world: sweet, savory, and salty, with fruity and floral notes from the honey. It’s perfect for impressing guests, or a special weeknight dinner in.
These soft and chewy cookies have all the best elements of carrot cake—the moist, spiced cake, vibrant flecks of carrot, and crunch of walnuts or pecans—condensed into bite-sized perfection! Top it all off with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting and it’s a perfect sweet treat
Good news, fry lovers: there’s a new fry in town. Carrot fries! This healthy fry recipe is full of all the nutrients of this popular vegetable: but tastes like your favorite greasy comfort food. Even better: they’re coated in ranch seasoning! This play on the standard pairing of carrots and ranch gives a savory zing to each bite. Of course, you can dip them in ranch too for double the fun. They’re baked, and there’s a little trick to give them a lightly crispy exterior. Everyone will love them!
Ready for the best carrots EVER? Don’t get us wrong: carrots are perfect raw. Carrots and hummus, carrots and ranch: we’re there for it! But if you want to dress up your carrots as a crazy delicious side dish: make these easy roasted carrots! They come out tender, lightly charred, and sweetly earthy. Roasting them with lemon wedges gives a brightness of flavor. Give that raw carrot a glamorous makeover! You’ll be glad you did.
Carrot salad might sound humble, but it’s anything but. Serve this carrot salad to your friends and family, and they’ll be singing your praises! We know because after we made this at our house, it disappeared within minutes. It’s simple and refreshing, featuring strings of carrots doused in a a tangy Mediterranean-style vinaigrette.
Here’s a bright orange puree that that tastes like sunshine: Carrot Ginger Soup! This recipe is ideal for when you’ve got a big bag of carrots to use up, or when you’re in the midst of a gray season craving sun. It’s great as a first course, or for lunch with grilled cheese. Also try: Simple Carrot Soup
Here’s a carrot recipe you need in your arsenal: carrot cake muffins! These are beautifully moist and spiced, with cozy spices interspersed with pecans and bright strands of carrots. Add a tangy cream cheese glaze to decorate the tops, and it takes them into rockstar territory.
Want to eat more carrots? Here’s a tasty way to get a healthy dose of them: this Perfect Carrot Smoothie! This vibrant puree is full of irresistible fruity flavor: it pairs this orange veggie with orange, apple, and mango. Make your daily dose of fruits and veggies sippable! We especially love how the citrus of the orange accents the sweetness of the carrot.
Here’s a festive carrot recipe: Carrot Cake Cupcakes! These little cakes are fun, easy to put together, and overwhelmingly satisfying. The moist, carrot-studded cakes have just the right warm spiced interior. Piled high with tangy cream cheese frosting, the flavor combination is out of this world good.
There’s nothing quite like the salty, tangy crunch of pickled carrots, is there? Eat them as a relish, throw them on a cheese board, add them to sandwiches…or simply inhale them right out of the jar. These quick pickled carrots are beyond simple to make at home. You don’t need any special canning equipment or expertise. Just mix up a brine, cut the carrots, and throw them in a jar. In 24 hours, you’ve got pickles!
The only thing better than roasted carrots? Roasted carrots and onions! Yes, simply adding an onion to your tray of roasted carrots makes them even more fun to eat. Add part of a red and yellow onion, and you get a beautiful variation in color and texture. The onion gets tender with charred tips, with an unbelievably sweet flavor. It’s the perfect accent to carrot coins, seasoned with garlic and thyme.
Here’s one of the best juices you can add on the daily: carrot juice! It’s full of nutrients and it tastes fantastic. Instead of drinking soda, why not sip on this glowing orange beauty? This carrot juice recipe results in juice with a beautiful fresh flavor. It’s got natural sweetness from oranges and apples, and a little tang from lemon. Even better, you don’t even need a juicer to make it! Though you can use one if you have it.
Looking for pancakes that won’t leave you with a sugar crash? Try these Carrot Cake Pancakes! They’re just sweet enough with a healthy spin. Lightly sweetened with maple syrup, they’re tender and moist from the carrots, and perfectly spiced with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Even better, top them with maple Greek yogurt and the sweet tang is magic. It’s like eating a piece of carrot cake…that’s suitable for breakfast.
Here’s a fresh, zingy drizzle for salads and bowl meals alike: Carrot Ginger Dressing! This vibrant sauce is packed with a punch of salty, savory, tangy, bright and sweet all at once. It incorporates Asian-inspired flavors like miso and rice vinegar, it’s got a twist: Mediterranean tahini brings in a creamy body to the dressing.
Here’s a cozy carrot recipe that’s like a bowlful of sunshine on a gray day: this simple carrot soup! Bold, bright flavor exudes from this orange puree, and it’s lusciously creamy with a hint of cream. It’s quick and simple to put together, with a short ingredient list: great as a first course for cozy dinner or a tasty lunch soup with a grilled cheese.
When it comes to side dishes, we’re always looking to mix things up. Here’s the perfect idea: Roasted Broccoli and Carrots! The bright green florets border on savory-sweet, and mixed with the sweet orange carrot rounds, the contrast is just perfect. The variation of flavor, texture and shape is just enough to make these roasted vegetables seem like a new innovation. Use them as a healthy side dish or part of a grain bowl or main dish salad.
Here’s a tasty and healthy way to eat your veggies: steamed carrots! We know what you’re thinking. Steamed vegetables are mushy and flavorless. But cook them the right way, and they’re full of bright, fresh flavor! These steamed carrots are cooked until crisp tender, then topped with fresh herbs and a spritz of fresh lemon juice. Steaming uses less oil than sauteing, so it’s a great option for healthy eating.
If it’s grilling season, you must try this grilled carrots recipe! Grilling baby carrots makes them tender and slightly charred. When they’re done, toss them with lime juice, cilantro and a hint of cumin for a zesty flavor.
Want to start your day with carrot recipes? These carrot cake breakfast cookies are perfect for busy mornings. They’re hearty, tasty, and the texture is just right: pleasantly chewy, almost like a Cliff bar–but better! They’re also easily portable for traveling or breakfast on the go. Make a big batch and pull them out of the freezer when you’re running out the door!
Last up in our carrot recipes: baked oatmeal! Bake up this tasty carrot cake baked oatmeal as a tasty way to start the day!
Vitamin A / Beta Carotene: Carrots have 428% of your daily vitamin A in 1 cup! It’s present as beta-carotene, an antioxidant could help in cancer prevention. Your body converts beta carotene into Vitamin A.
Vitamins C, K and potassium: Carrots also are high in these vitamins.
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or other fresh herbs — we used a combination of thyme and chives)
Peel the carrots and slice them diagonally into rounds (on the bias).
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the carrots and cover. Cook for 4 minutes without stirring.
Remove the lid, stir, and add the ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Continue to saute uncovered 3 to 4 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs and a few more pinches kosher salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Need more inspiration outside of these carrot recipes? We’ve got lots of it. Here are a few more resources for eating more vegetables:
20 Best Vegetables to Eat Today We’ve all heard, “Eat more vegetables.” But how to do it? Here are the healthiest vegetables to get into your diet, and recipes for how to eat them!
28 Day Vegetarian Meal Plan Here’s a month-long vegetarian meal plan with planning ideas and a meal planning calendar with food to cook.
Plant Based Diet for Beginners Everything you need to know about eating a plant based diet, including plant based protein ideas and recipes for every meal of the day!