40 Tasty Carrot Recipes to Serve This Spring
Roasted Carrot and Coconut Soup
Avocado and coconut milk give this vegetarian soup a decadent, buttery texture; fiber-rich lentils and beans make it surprisingly filling. Keep your pantry stocked with these staples to help you throw this soup together in no time.
Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Batons With Tahini Dip
Deep caramelization from roasting brings out the natural sweetness in carrots and parsnips. Try to cut the vegetables into the size we call for in step 2. If the pieces are too large or too long, they may cook unevenly or end up limp; if they’re too small, they will likely burn. You can make the dip a day or two ahead, but bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
Fiesta Chicken and Carrot Rice
This quick-cooking chicken dish comes together in a single skillet, cutting back on cleanup time, and helping get dinner onto the table with a minimum of fuss. It also happens to be delicious, and a family favorite among even the pickiest of kids. Gina Homolka is the founder of skinnytaste.com and @skinnytaste.
Ginger-Orange Carrots
This recipe is great for entertaining: Simply roast the carrots ahead of time and broil just before serving.
Moroccan Spiced Carrots
A heady blend of spices makes these roasted carrots hard to resist. If you can find tender baby carrots, they make a great shortcut; just give them a good scrub—no peeling required. Check the carrots during cooking; smaller carrots could overcook, yielding mushy results. Pair these carrots with roasted lamb or beef or your favorite curry dish.
Carrot Ribbon Salad
Getting your hands on a Y-shaped vegetable peeler is the secret to long and beautiful carrot ribbons. Although we used regular carrots here, multicolored carrots would make a vibrant addition to this salad. To save time, make the dressing and carrot ribbons ahead of time. Pro tip: Soak the ribbons in ice water to get a nice distinct curl.
Glazed Carrots Almondine
Traditional versions of glazed carrots can include up to 2/3 cup sugar. Our re-imagined version delivers all the classic flavor with just a tablespoon of honey and a dash brandy. If you’d like to keep this dish kid-friendly, substitute apple cider vinegar for the brandy. Be sure to stir frequently during the last few minutes of cooking to ensure maximum glazed goodness.
Carrot-Ginger Turmeric Sauce
Turmeric has some fantastic health benefits and is well worth keeping in rotation in your kitchen. Fresh turmeric looks similar to its rhizome relative—fresh ginger—but with an orange hue. Look for it in well-stocked produce departments and natural-foods stores. Its orange flesh adds vibrant color and turmeric-forward flavor to this sauce. Cooking the vegetables in a touch of coconut oil before pureeing them adds a hint of coconut flavor and also makes them soft enough to create a silky-smooth sauce (but go easy—it’s high in saturated fat). Try drizzled over roasted leg of lamb or grilled chicken thighs, or thin with a little more vinegar and olive oil and use it as a salad dressing.
Roasted Carrots, Radishes, and Chickpeas
This is a lovely side dish that pairs with pretty much any protein—or serve it with a salad for a perfectly light spring dinner. Carrots and radishes are more flavorful in the spring, their true season, than any other time of year—the former have more intense flavor and the latter a sweeter, less pungent bite. Here, both get roasted with chickpeas, which cook to a crisp, dense texture. Just be sure to dry the chickpeas well first so they don’t steam.
Coffee-Roasted Carrots Are Actually Incredible
This is our take on San Francisco chef Daniel Patterson’s renowned dish of carrots roasted on whole coffee beans. For a lighter approach with spring carrots, we use just a little instant coffee and roast the carrots quickly in high heat. The carrots develop wonderfully subtle bittersweet flavor, though their springtime brightness shines through. Fennel pollen adds a hint of anise; you can find it on Amazon.
Cider-Glazed Carrots with Walnuts
A few pantry staples—apple cider vinegar, dry mustard, and paprika—turn this traditional side into something spectacular. Be careful not to over-reduce the glaze; it should have a thin, syrupy texture.
Carrot Hummus
Carrots add a pretty orange hue and subtle sweetness to this smooth and creamy hummus. Choose milder red chiles, such as New Mexico-style or guajillo dried chiles, for heat that’s not overpowering.
Couscous Pilaf with Roasted Carrots, Chicken, and Feta
Flavored with golden raisins, toasted almonds, and an ingeniously simple lemon-brown butter sauce, this fluffy couscous is delicious on its own, but roasted carrots and chicken turn it into a memorable one-bowl meal. There are countless ways to repurpose a rotisserie chicken, and this clever recipe is a delicious way to do so. The lemon-brown butter sauce pairs beautifully with all of the ingredients in this one-bowl meal. You’re picky eaters can enjoy all the parts separately, but it really taste even better together. We think that’s reason enough to try this one for dinner tonight. If you are short on time you can use baby carrots, which come ready to roast—there’s no chopping or peeling required. Yet another way to cut down on your time in the kitchen!
Carrot Cooler
Mimosas, step aside: brighten up brunch with this sunrise-orange cooler mixed with fresh-pressed carrot juice, tequila, and spicy ginger ale.
Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a sheet pan supper that’s high on flavor and low on cleanup. This tangy sheet pan chicken supper gets a little kick from cayenne pepper that’s balanced in the sauce with caramelized grapes. Roasted cauliflower and carrots offer a savory touch to the dinner, while couscous makes it hearty and healthy. Since the chicken is bone-in, it takes a little longer to roast than thin filets; but the amount of flavor in the end is more than worth it! The seedless grapes are definitely the secret ingredient in this dish. They melt and caramelize while roasting, adding a subtle hint of sweetness to the sauce.
Carrot Orecchiette
Lighten up pasta night with a healthy dose of veggies. The trick to this dish is to thinly slice the carrots so they cook through quickly. Large carrots work best here. For faster prep, use a mandoline for slicing (This one, from OXO is nice).
Steak and Carrots with Parsley Pesto
Grass-fed beef is more flavorful but also tends to be tougher, so the salt-and-sugar rub here will help tenderize the meat. Look for carrots with tops that are about 10 inches long and typically sold in bunches. Save yourself some time and skip peeling the carrots. Just give them a good scrub to get off any residual dirt. Any leftovers can be turned into a nice salad—chop the meat and carrots, whisk a little yogurt or mayo into the pesto, then serve over mixed greens or arugula.
Pea, Radish, and Carrot Salad
Pretty ribbons of rainbow carrots, bright radishes, and vibrant green snap peas make this spring side a feast for the eyes. Go for multicolored radishes if you can—the more color the better here. Sprinkling the carrots and radishes with a pinch of salt and setting them aside while you make the dressing softens them just enough to make them easier to eat without losing any of the crunch. The miso-ginger flavors in the carrot dressing would pair well with stir-fried chicken tenders seasoned with reduced-sodium tamari and a touch of sesame oil.
Roasted Carrots with Pine Nut Gremolata
Starting the carrots at a high temp gives them a beautifully browned exterior; finishing at a lower temp keeps them tender. You can sub sherry vinegar for the malt vinegar if you like. Pair the carrots with seared chicken or fish.
Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream and Glazed Carrots
Beef tenderloin is worthy splurge when you want a special entrée in less time; the cut is so meltingly tender already that it takes just 8 minutes to cook. We use the same pan to cook and glaze the carrots for easy clean up. The horseradish sauce is the tangy, creamy, pungent element this dish needs. Beyond the sauce, try stirring horseradish into the dressing for slaw, a devilled egg filling, or mashed potatoes.
Beet, Carrot, and Pistachio Salad
Bring a bit of sunshine to your plate with this golden beet and purple carrot salad. Both vegetables are usually available year-round. Fresh dill has a grassiness that will transport you to warmer days; it also contrasts beautifully with the earthy sweetness of the beets. Use any extra remaining dill in yogurt dressings, toss with roasted vegetables, or stir into beaten eggs before scrambling.
Carrot-Citrus Crush
Brighten up winter happy hour or Sunday brunch with this citrusy cocktail. Leafy carrot tops lend an herby backbone similar to parsley, and blood oranges infuse a berrylike sweetness. Plus, this drink boasts half your daily vitamin A and more than a third of your daily vitamin C goal.
Sumac Chicken with Cauliflower and Carrots
This sheet pan supper gets a double dose of bright citrus: thin lemon slices roasted until tender and fresh lemon juice added to a quick herb dressing, which is spooned over the finished dish. Sumac has a tart, lemony quality as well. It’s fantastic as a rub here but is also delicious in vinaigrettes or sprinkled over dips.
Raw and Roasted Carrots and Fennel
This salad demonstrates the magic that happens when you showcase both the raw and cooked sides of ingredients.
Shaved Carrot, Cucumber, and Sweet Onion Salad
A 5-minute soak in the vinaigrette softens the carrots slightly and removes a bit of the pungent bite from the onion.
Beer-Braised Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Turnips
$2.32 per serving.
Ask your butcher to cut a 1-pound roast for you, or buy a larger one (especially if it’s on sale) and freeze the rest for later. Use a dark beer that’s not too strong; stout will overpower the other ingredients.
Creamy Carrot and Lemongrass Soup
Look for lemongrass paste in the refrigerated produce section, near the packages of fresh herbs. Bonus: One serving of this soup delivers 100% of your daily dose of vitamin A.
Herb-Roasted Carrots
A simple side of roasted carrots is the breather a crowded table needs–a bit of palate relief (and ease for the cook) that still looks elegant. Use leftover cilantro in turkey chili or tacos.
Tricolor Beet-and-Carrot Salad
Smoky Carrot Dogs with Nacho Sauce
We’ve embellished the humble carrot to mimic the smoky taste and snappy texture of a hot dog. To lend a dairy-free cheesy flavor to plant-based nacho sauce, we use nutritional yeast; look for it in health food stores or well-stocked specialty grocers. Our recipe saves 8g saturated fat over standard cheese dogs without losing any of the flavor.
Apricot-Sage Chicken with Carrots
Dinner doesn’t get much easier than this eight-ingredient, one-pan dish. The secret is jarred apricot preserves; much more than a spread for toast, it balances the earthy sage and pungent mustard in the pan sauce and gives everything a glossy coat. You can also thin the preserves in a small saucepan over medium heat and brush over roasted pork tenderloin, salmon fillets, or a rustic apple tart. A little butter stirred in at the end adds body to the sauce.
Rum and Honey-Roasted Cayenne-Cumin Carrots
Carrot Easter Cake
It’s not Easter without a themed cake! Rather than deal with a fussy animal-shaped pan, bake two round cake layers with an 8-inch diameter and let a little food styling and frosting do the work. You can use a box cake mix make a favorite recipe from scratch, depending on the level of effort you want to put in. This method can also be used for the Easter Egg Cake and Easter Bunny Cake.
Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream
You’ve got dessert duty? We’ve got you covered with this lightly spiced sheet cake that serves a crowd and travels well too. Why choose between carrot cake and coconut cake when both flavors work so well together?
Carrot-Apple Muffins With Orange Glaze
These tender, lightly sweetened whole-grain muffins have a special can’t-put-your-finger-on-it flavor thanks to garam masala. Look for garam masala in the spice aisle; large spice brands make it. If you don’t have it or can’t find it, you can substitute an equal amount of cinnamon.
Carrot Cake Biscuits and Pineapple-Cinnamon Butter
Carrot Cake is a favorite classic Easter dessert, combining sweet carrots, plump raisins, and the warm scent of cinnamon into a beautiful layer cake topped with a traditional cream cheese frosting. We have reimagined this springtime treat into these delightful make-ahead biscuits. We kept the same great taste but reduced the amount a sugar a bit, making the biscuits an excellent choice for mealtime. We like the jewel-like look of golden raisins, but you can use the darker ones, or even chopped dried apricots or cranberries. These biscuits, perfect for a holiday dinner, also make ideal mid-afternoon snacks paired with a cup of tea. But watch out—these biscuits are packed with juicy springtime carrots; don’t be surprised to discover Peter Cottontail himself sneaking a treat out of the breadbasket.
The Ultimate Carrot Cake
These layers are tender, so remove from pans carefully!
Carrot-Walnut-Coconut Sheet Cake
This moist, delicious carrot cake has traditional ingredients like carrot, pineapple, and walnuts, with the addition of toasted coconut flakes to dress up cream cheese icing.
How to Make Carrot Cake Pancakes with Boxed Pancake Mix
Skinny Carrot Cake
Dessert: Be smart and you can treat yourself without breaking the rules! 150 calories and under. This healthy recipe is featured in the dessert section of the new 5:2 Starter’s Guide to The 2-Day Diet. The book provides a selection of over 100 tasty recipes to help you meet the daily 500 calorie allotment for the 2 days of intermittent fasting, as required by the 5:2 Diet.
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