Carrot Fries

Nutritious, low-carb carrot fries are baked or air-fried until crispy and caramelized, perfect as a healthy side or snack with just 3 base ingredients, in about 30 minutes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Along with potatoes, carrots are one of my favorite low-budget, highly versatile ‘humble’ ingredients. Not only can you boil, steam, roast, fry, and mash them, but you can also make delicious creamy carrot ginger dressing, carrot cake muffins, carrot ginger soup, and these simple but delicious crispy carrot fries!

Not only is this recipe easy to throw together with minimal prep and ingredients, but carrots contain lower carbs and calories than oven-baked sesame fries, can be seasoned endlessly, and baked or air-fried into a simple, crowd-pleasing snack or side.

With the help of cornstarch, roasted carrot fries are lightly crispy outside, wonderfully caramelized and tender within, and beyond tasty with a naturally sweet-savory flavor! They are perfect for encouraging children (and adults) to eat more veggies, along with crispy green bean fries, crispy baked kale chips, cheesy zucchini chips, and oven baked sweet potato fries.

The Ingredients

This carrot fries recipe requires just carrots, oil, and your preferred seasonings for a simple, healthy snack/side. Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

Seasoning Variations

• Simple savory blend: Use onion and garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
• Other seasonings: Experiment with individual spices or seasoning blends, like:
  • Paprika (smoked or regular)
  • Chili/Cayenne powder
  • Onion powder
  • Cumin
  • Curry powder
  • Cajun seasoning
  • Taco seasoning
  • Ranch seasoning
• Dried herbs: i.e., rosemary, thyme, oregano, dill, or Italian seasoning.
• Parsley: To garnish the roasted carrot fries.
• Lemon Juice: A squeeze over the freshly cooked carrot fries adds brightness.
• ‘Parmesan’ vegan cheese: Toss liberally with nutritional yeast for nutty, ‘cheesy’, umami flavor and/or garnish with vegan parmesan. Check out this guide to nutritional yeast to learn more about it!

How to Make Baked Carrot Fries

If the carrot pieces are very wet, pat them dry first for crispier carrot fries.

Step 3: Transfer to the prepared baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy. For slightly crispier results, optionally broil them at the end for 2-3 minutes.

For Air Fryer Carrot Fries: Place in a single layer with space between and air fry at 400F/200C for 13-16 minutes, flipping after 7 minutes. Air fryer carrots are even crispier than the baked version!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Don’t omit oil: Roasted carrot fries don’t become as crispy as regular potato fries, so a small amount of fat is used to encourage it.  
• Avoid overcrowding: Whether you use the oven or air fryer, it’s important not to overcrowd the carrots, or else they’ll steam and be soft rather than crispy.
• Cut even fries: So they cook evenly. Aim for ¼-inch carrot fries for crispy fries.
• Cooking time can vary: The exact cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the fries and your oven/air fryer. Monitor them towards the end to avoid burn.
• For Paleo and keto carrot fries: Skip the cornstarch. They won’t be as crispy, but they’re still pretty yummy.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy crispy carrot fries as a simple snack or in place of regular fries with:

• Dipping sauce: Like ketchup, vegan mayo, vegan chipotle sauce, vegan Ranch, etc.
• Vegan burgers: Like any of these 9 mouthwatering vegan burgers!
• Sandwiches/Wraps: Vegan lentil sloppy joes, healthy baked falafel wrap, chickpea tuna sandwich, tofu pesto sandwich, BBQ tempeh sandwich, black bean lettuce wraps, etc.
• Tacos: Roasted veggie tacos, cauliflower tacos, or tofu tacos, etc.
• Chili: Like Roasted bell pepper chili or mixed vegan bean chili.
• Salad bowls: Garbanzo kale salad, Mediterranean chickpea salad, Panzanella salad, a green veggie bowl, healthy quinoa veg bowl, etc.
• Loaded fries: Like vegan chili fries or nacho fries (topped with easy guacamole, beans, corn, salsa (like this mango salsa), parsley, and vegan cheese/nacho cheese sauce).

Storage Instructions

Make ahead: You can pre-chop the carrots into fries/batons a day in advance, ready to season and bake.

Store: Crispy carrot fries are best enjoyed immediately for optimal flavor/texture. However, leftovers will store, cooled, in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Reheat: Pop them back in the oven (10-15 minutes) or air-fryer (a few minutes) at 375F/190C. Avoid the microwave, as it will turn them limp and ‘soggy.’