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Made with fresh carrots, olive oil, and ground spices, these carrot fries offer a healthier alternative to traditional French fries.
Why Make These Carrot Fries?
I love coming up with slightly healthier, vegetarian (and often vegan) -friendly alternatives to fast food favorites, like sausage rolls with plant-based meat; lentil meatballs; spicy buffalo cauliflower, and this taco-inspired sweet potato.
As it happens, carrots are one of my all-time favorite vegetables for snacking, cooking, and baking. You can add them to a salad, grate them for baked goods like carrot cake or cookies, or stir them into carrot cake inspired overnight oats. I’ve even made carrot jelly candy. But until now I’ve never shared a carrot fry recipe.
Tossed in olive oil and baked in the oven, carrot fries offer a healthier alternative to traditional French fries. As they roast, the carrots caramelize, bringing out their natural sweetness and creating a crispy texture—it’s similar to the technique I use for making a roasted Brussels sprout pizza.
Like my baked veggie nuggets, these carrot fries are kid-friendly, and good way to get children and adults alike to eat their vegetables. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene (which the body converts into vitamin A for healthy eyes and skin), are packed with vitamins and antioxidants, and provide an excellent source of fiber. As a bonus, this recipe also offers an easy, budget-friendly solution for using up a surplus of fresh carrots—in fact, I had the idea for this recipe after receiving way too many carrots in my weekly food delivery!
Carrot Fry Recipe Ingredients
To make homemade carrot fries, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Carrots – You’ll need 450 grams (1 pound) of fresh carrots, trimmed and peeled. Do not use frozen carrots.
- Olive Oil – Tossing the sliced carrots in olive oil adds flavor, promotes browning, and creates a crispy exterior.
- Cornflour – Along with olive oil, cornflour (cornstarch in the US) gives the fries their crispy texture.
- Spices – You’ll need paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper, to season the fries.
How to Make Carrot Fries
To make homemade carrot fries, begin by combining cornflour (cornstarch, in the US) and ground spices in a bowl. After trimming and slicing fresh carrots into sticks, coat the sticks in olive oil, then add the spice mixture and toss to coat:
Arrange everything on a large, parchment-lined tray. Then simply bake in a 400° F (205° C) oven, using a flat metal spatula to turn the carrots periodically, until the’re soft in the middle, crispy on the outside, and lightly caramelized around the edges.
For ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions, and process photos, scroll down to the recipe card below.
What to Serve with Carrot Fries
Carrot fries work as a side dish for burgers, fried chicken, fish sticks, or veggie nuggets. I like to serve them alongside other classic sides like red potato salad, Amish macaroni salad, coleslaw, or corn relish. And because these “fries” are made from carrots rather than potatoes, they pair nicely with a baked potato, too.
To enjoy as a snack or appetizer, serve carrot fries with a bowl of blue cheese dip; healthy yogurt dip; sriracha mayo; homemade buttermilk ranch dressing; or plain old tomato ketchup for dipping.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can peel, trim, and slice the carrots up to 48 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Carrot fries are best enjoyed hot, straight from the oven. I don’t recommend reheating the leftovers.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Potato Wedges
Halloumi Fries
Baked Veggie Nuggets
Vegetarian Sausage Rolls
Buffalo Cauliflower
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Print
Carrot Fries
- Total Time55 minutes
- Yield3-4 servings 1x
Made with fresh carrots, olive oil, and ground spices, these carrot fries offer a healthier alternative to traditional French fries.
Ingredients
450 grams carrots (1 pound), trimmed and peeled
30 milliliters olive oil (2 tablespoons)
10 grams cornflour/cornstarch (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan, optional, to garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 205° C / 400° F. Line a half-sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornflour, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the carrots lengthwise, then lengthwise again.
Add sliced carrots to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil.
Add dry ingredients and toss to coat.
Arrange carrots, without overlapping, on prepared tray.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes,* turning periodically, until crispy.
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, accompanied by ketchup, sriracha dip, Greek yogurt dip, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dip.
Notes
*The roasting time will vary depending on your oven, the tray you’ve chosen, and how thickly you’ve sliced the carrots. Pay attention to visual and tactile cues. The carrots should be soft on the inside, with a crispy exterior and caramelized, golden brown edges.
