Never had a carrot fry before? I hadn’t either, until a recent trip to my in-laws’ for the holidays. At a family dinner out with my three little nephews and niece, the kids were given carrots fries with their chicken tenders and were none the wiser—they loved the sweetness and crunch!
These baked carrots fries are a playful alternative to potato fries or sweet potato fries, and are an easy way to add a vegetable to your family’s plate. They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and just begging for your favorite dipping sauce.
How to Make Carrot Fries Extra Crispy
Unlike potatoes, carrots aren’t inherently starchy—that means they’ll have a little trouble getting crispy in the oven without some help. Tossing the carrot fries with cornstarch (before tossing them with oil) creates a starchy barrier on the exterior of each fry, which absorbs moisture while concurrently creating a crispy coating.
Different Ways to Season Carrot Fries
While I’ve made the smoked paprika optional, I love how its smokiness offsets the sweetness of the carrots. If that’s not your thing, there are countless ways to season besides just salt and pepper. You can try lemon pepper seasoning, garam masala, za’atar, Cajun seasoning, or chili powder—this recipe is definitely one you can raid your spice cabinet for. If any of the spice blends you decide to use contain salt, just reduce the salt in the recipe to one-half teaspoon to account for this.
Good Sauces to Pair With Carrot Fries
Carrot fries have a similar sweetness to sweet potato fries, so while they can be dunked in ketchup, I like to pair them with a more savory or spicy dip to counter the sweetness. A few of my favorites include the following:
Carrot Fries
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
