Carrot Stars – A high protein snack for kids with added carrot goodness.
Have you heard of carrot taco shells? I recently stumbled across them on this great blog. They are a brilliant alternative to standard taco shells – high in protein with some added carrot goodness. Finn loves them, as do all of us, and I knew that I could adapt the recipe slightly to make a great finger food snack.
As Finn would say “it’s only one sleep until December” and I’ve started thinking of healthy festive snacks. Last year I tried to make a healthy Christmas themed snack for each day in the advent calendar. Finn had a lot of fun helping make them so I’m guessing it will be an annual tradition.
To make these super tasty Christmas carrot stars I basically followed the carrot taco recipe and only altered the ingredient amounts and cooking times slightly. These changes were to make it work for smaller, biscuit-like snacks.
I used a star cookie cutter to form the carrot stars to make it a little festive. However, they will be a perfect snack any time of the year and you could use any shape.
The recipe includes oat flour. I just make my own oat flour by grounding oats in a food processor. It is so easy and takes seconds.
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Have you tried this recipe? I love receiving your feedback, please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies
Carrot Stars (only 4 ingredients)
Ingredients
- 200 g grated carrots (around 1 1/2 packed cups)
- 1/2 cup water
- 70 g grated cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
- 2 eggs
- 4 tbsp oat flour
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4
- Mixed the carrot and water in a bowl, cover and microwave on high for 3 mins
- Drain the carrots and then place them on a clean cloth / absorbent paper and squeeze out the liquid. (You need to get the carrots quite dry)
- Place the carrots back in the bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients
- Prepare a baking tray with baking paper or use a silicon baking sheet
- Form star shapes of the mixture onto the sheet using a cookie cutter. (Mine were around 1/2 cm thick)
- Bake for approx. 13 mins (until crispy on the sides)
Recipe Notes
Nutritional Information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
I’ll need to give this a try as I usually just make my own oat flour! I love the photo with the little hand, so cute! I’ll have to try to snap a similar one of my son, such a clever idea.
This récipe can go to the freezer ?
Hi Kristel, yes they can be frozen 🙂
These are so cute, I bet my boys would love them!
Thanks Charlotte, they go pretty quickly when I make them 🙂
I love the look of these. My little girl loves star shapes so maybe I will be able to get her to eat a savoury biscuit if I try these!
Thanks Corina! Let me know if it works! You will then end up cutting everything into stars 🙂
Love these! Brilliant idea and the taco idea is great too 🙂
Thanks Simone 🙂
Hi
Thank you for the recipe, I made them and they turned beautifully. However, what is the secret to make then into star shapes? I tried with a cookie cutter but the dough was so sticky I could not keep the shape?
Many thanks
Hi Ann, thanks for your comment 🙂 I used a cookie cutter too. I pushed the mixture into the shape and then pushed down in the corners when removing the cutter. It took a couple of attempts to get the hang of it. Hope you manage next time!
Thanks Amy, I will definitely do them again, star shaped or not! 🙂
My (vegetable hating) girls LOVED these (and so did I). I made a few stars but found it much quicker to just make rounds. They have been great for snacking on but haven’t last long. This is the first recipe I’ve tried but have had a little look and plans to make a few more. Thanks for the ideas.
Thanks for commenting and your positive feedback Amy. So glad you and your girls loved them. It is lovely to read that you like the blog and please do tell me how any other recipes go!
I made these and they look great, however they turned out more omelet like than I was expecting. Are they supposed to be crunchy like a cracker? I’m certain I followed the amounts of each ingredient as specified…..
Thanks!
Hi Tara, thanks for your comment and for trying the recipe. These aren’t that crunchy and don’t have the texture of a cracker. They are hard enough to pick up but are quite soft inside. Did you make them quite thick? If you make them thinner they should be crispier. ??
Hi, have you tried them subbing the oat flour with a different flour to make them gluten free? Really would love to try them. However I don’t eat oats. Thanks
Hi Cherie, I haven’t tried it with any other flours, sorry.
Bob’s Redmill makes a gluten-free oat.
Hi, in response to the question regarding substituting oatflour, I only used self raising Doves Farm gluten free flour and they were delicious. I have made them twice now. I haven’t tried it yet but I reckon the carrots could be swapped with potatoes or sweet potatoes, or any root vegetable.
Love the idea of switching the root vegetable. I’ve made them with zucchini and they were sooo tasty! Will post recipe soon but basically the same as this one switching out the carrot for zucchini.
Hi I have just recently found you on facebook and are looking forward to trying your recipes. I made the carrot stars and my 2.5 year old who is fussy and won’t eat carrot ATE 3 !!! he loved them we call them cheesy biscuits ( the mere mention of a carrot could be fatal , lol )
I look forward to trying all your recipes
Thanks Carmen! I’m s glad they were a success and thank you for taking the time to tell me!
I’m always looking for ways to get my extremely picky eater to eat, and get all the important nutrients he needs. I hide veggies in everything and this is just genius! He absolutely loves them. I’m making my second batch as I write this. I plan on making up a lot of these for our Disneyland trip in a couple of weeks. Keep the kiddo fueled and healthy!
I’m so glad they were a success and thanks for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy Disneyland!
Can you make these with all purpose flour or would the consistence change too much?
Hi Jennifer, I received a message from someone who made them with both all purpose flour and oat flour. She said they were crunchier with the all purpose flour and tasted great. Hope you enjoy them 🙂
Hi Amy, What a lovely blog you have! I absolutely love what you did with my taco shell original recipe. I may try this for my 3 years old soon 🙂 thanks for linking to my blog as well !
Thank you Carine, it is a great recipe and I make both your taco shells and these a lot. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Very yummy…..I added coriander. .. i just love carrot and coriander….not sure how biscuity they were but they were fantastic…also added to a salad with toasted carraway seeds and monted yogurt….thanks x
OH I love coriander in everything! I must add some the next time I make them. Love your salad idea too! Thanks!
We have an egg allergy in our house. Could I use a regular egg replacement in this recipe?
Hi laura, I have never tried or worked with egg replacements so can’t help you with this, sorry. If you try it please let me know how it goes 🙂
I subbed egg for banana and they turned out great.
Good to hear Ashley! Do they taste sweet?
Just made these and added sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and black pepper to the mix. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe. You made my daughter and I, both Coeliacs, very happy. In fact, the whole family loved them.
I’m so glad they were a hit Saira and thanks for letting me know. Love your additions, will try that next time 🙂
I love this recipe-very popular all round. Worked really well. I also tried it with using cooked carrots grated which worked well too (easier to grate if you don’t have a food processor!)
Great! I’m so glad you liked it Fiona. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Hi Amy – thanks for the great recipe! I have just made a batch for my eight month old, can’t wait for him to try them tomorrow. I was wondering whether they freeze ok?
Hi Stephanie, I’m glad you liked the recipe and hope your eight month did too. I have never frozen them so can’t tell you, sorry. I keep meaning to but there are never any left to do so! (My boys LOVE them!)
I like this blog.Thanks for all your help
these look delicious but my daughter cannot have cheese. if i leave out the cheese, would it change the consistency and the way it bakes?
HI Susy, I have never made it without cheese but it would be worth trying. It would probably be a lot softer but the egg should bind it. I felt I needed the cheese for flavour too so you may want to add some flavour through herbs etc. Let me know how it goes.
Do you roll it out like biscuit dough so you can cookie cutter the shapes? Or do you use a mould style baking tray? Thanks
Hi Sorcha, the mixture is too wet to roll out like dough. I put a cookie cutter onto a lined baking sheet and put approx. a table spoon of the mixture inside the star shape and pushed it to the corners and then very gently removed the cookie cutter.
This looks interesting. Hope my picky eater likes it. Whats the shelf-life? How can i store it?
Hi Priya, I haven’t been able to store them long as they always get eaten so quickly. I’d say they would be good in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze (although they may go softer)
I made mine with a cup of carrot and half a cup of zucchini, and added a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. It was good.
Would these freeze?
HI Elise, I haven’t actually tried but I think they would freeze well. Let me know if you try it. 🙂
These carrot stars are a great high protein snack for kids. Made with only 4 ingredients – carrots, egg, oats and cheese. Delicious, easy and healthy.
I really want to try making these but how do you store them as I’d like to batch make them if she likes but she’s so fussy I wouldn’t want to waste ingredients??
Hi Natasha, I haven’t stored these for long as my sons go crazy for them 🙂 I have stored them over night in the fridge. You could stick them in the freezer and take them out one at a time. I haven’t frozen them so can’t guarantee the outcome, sorry.
Can we use other flour or a substitue for Oats? My daughter has CD and cannot have anything gluten
Hi Moragajagga, I’ve not tried it with other flours, sorry. You could buy gluten free oats and make oat flour with them? I think a reader messaged me saying she tried it with almond flour and it worked well but I haven’t tried it personally.
I freeze these without any problems (stacks of twos with greaseproof paper between each layer) I take out however many I need in the morning and they’re defrosted by lunchtime.
My little girl loves these, usually stay true to the recipe but have put fresh coriander in the latest batch (husband says they taste medicinal yuk…Will see if little one agrees tomorrow).
Hi Kate, thanks for your feedback as a lot of people have been asking if they can freeze them. Glad your little girl loves them and hopefully she likes them with coriander (i think it sounds delicious and no at all medicinal!) ?
For those who are asking about flour substitutes, I made a batch with baby cereal instead of flour for added iron and they turned out great! 🙂 I just find that they need a little seasoning.
Shannon, thanks for letting us know! Glad they worked out great ?
Hi! I love all your healthy recipes! My 19 month old will eat constantly so I am always looking for healthy snacks! These look great! Do you think these would work with spelt flour (bought to make you’re banana bread) thanks xx
Hi Rebecca, thanks for your kind comment. I’ve never tried them with anything but the oat flour. I think they would work with the spelt though. Let me know if you try it 🙂
How crunchy are these? Would they be appropriate for a toddler who doesn’t quite have all his teeth?
Hi Phoenix, they aren’t crunchy they have a softer texture and my toddler (with out all his teeth) has enjoyed them for months. I hope you both enjoy x
Wonder if you could us broccoli instead of carrots? Sweet potatoes? Just a thought. Think Ill give it a try!
Oh yes, definitely. I’ve made them with courgette / zucchini (I have a post called zucchini bites) and they were great. Love the sound of the sweet potato ….
My 13 month old hates carrots, so I just tried these tonight as a way to get him to eat them. I made rounds instead of stars, but OMG he loves them!!! Thank you for the inspiration!
Hi Anne, YEAH! I’m so glad they were a success ? If he loves theses I’m sure he will love the zucchini bites too – you should try them! Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback x
What could I substitute for the cheese? Banana or apple maybe?
Thanks. I will experiment and let you know how it turns out
I would love to make these for my granddaughter but she is only 7 months old and is not supposed to have cheese yet. What could I substitute? I am thinking banana or apple?
I’m not sure how that would work to be honest. I have a couple of oat cookie recipes that you could use instead. They use banana to bind and some extra fruit. The raspberry ones are really good. You could blend the oats into flour, like in this recipe if you wanted. They are easy to adapt too.
Hi Amy! Thanks for this recipe I made them in the form of Mickey Mouse and my daughter loved them! They are so perfect in many ways. Also my husband loved them. Salutes from Mexico!
Excellent! I’d have loved to have seen the Mickey Mouse version! So glad they were a hit and thanks for taking the time to tell me. x
Made these today with sweet potato & parsnip rounds instead of carrot. So. Good. ? Little guy is having his nap and it’s going to be a struggle for me not to eat them all before he wakes up! Love this recipe! I’m going to try all kinds of vegetables now. Thank you!
So glad you like the recipe. Sweet potato and parsnip sound lovely. I have the same problem when I make these….never enough for the kids!
Is there anything dairy free I could substitute for the cheese? I have a 10 month old who is dairy intolerant.
Thanks
Hi Amy, This recipe was adapted from a recipe from sweetashoney.com You should def check that blog out for great food ideas. She has actually adapted the recipe to make it gluten free (she also uses zucchini instead of carrots but just replace with carrots using same method in this recipe) It is made using arrowroot and coconut flour. http://www.sweetashoney.co/homemade-tortillas-healthy-zucchini-tortilla/
Hope this helps,
Amy
Oh, I was actually after dairy free not gluten free. Any ideas?
Hi Amy, I was supposed to write dairy free. There is no cheese in that recipe. I’m trying to think of other alternatives but would have to experiment a bit, sorry.
So so clever I’ve been meaning to tey these for ages! Think Dex would love them.
Thanks Faye, they are pretty addictive!
Hey there,
Can I use coconut or almond flour instead? How much would I need?
Thank you, I am going to get my nursery kids to make them!
Hi Helen, I don’t think there is enough liquid to replace with coconut flour but you might be able to use almond. I’ve never tried it though so I’m not sure how the flavour and texture would be. I just make my oat flour by blitzing oats in a food processor or blender. Hope your nursery kids enjoy them!
Any idea for an egg substitute as our 13m old allergic?!
TIA
Have you tried chia see or flax seed eggs? I haven’t tried either in this recipe so I can’t guarantee it would work. Alternatively you could try this recipe http://www.sweetashoney.co/homemade-tortillas-healthy-zucchini-tortilla/ but just replace the zucchini with carrots and form into stars before baking.
My son loves this recipe, thanks Amy! Simply not sure where we would be without your blog!
Thanks Sarah, so glad you are enjoying the blog. It means so much to receive lovely feedback like this ??
I made these for my 9 month old she wants to feed herself all the time now! I did half oat flour and half white flower, she loves them!!! Huge hit thank you so much!!!
Hi Justine, thanks for your feedback and I’m so glad that your 9 month old approves! ?
Hi Amy,
Congratulations on the blog! I’m in love with it!
Question: what if we don’t use microwave? Should I boil the carrots or bake in the oven?
Thank you!
Hi Isabella, Thank you, I love to hear that people are enjoying the blog and it really means a lot that you take the time to tell me.
I would grate the carrots and then steam them ??
.
Hi there. What can we do if we don’t have a microwave for the first step? Thanks!
Hi Becky, I would just steam them??
Oh wow they so amazing even me and my partner love them
Brilliant! Thanks for your feedback ??
Hi there. Just to say that these are going down very well! Last time I made them using baby cereal as we needed to use that up, and it worked fine – but as I found the mixture sloppy to handle I doubled (or even trebled) the baby cereal quantity. It worked fine. Just made a fresh batch today with ground oats to make the flour, and again as it looked too sloppy to me to handle, I doubled the flour. Again, it worked perfectly. Just baked until going darkish brown at the edges. This added grain is a good adaptation for us as it makes them more of a grain-plus-protein snack/side, which for my little one is more important than predominantly protein foods as he eats them in plenty anyway. Thanks for the great adaptable recipe! x
Great! Thanks Sonia, so happy you like them. Thanks for the feedback on the amounts, I really squeeze as much liquid out the carrots to stop the mixture being too wet, maybe that was the difference? Good to know you can up the oat flour and they still work ??Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback , I really appreciate it.
Hi
Pls advise if I don’t want to use egg than what is the subsitute for it ?
You could try a chia seed egg or flax seed egg. I haven’t tried them though so can’t say how they will turn out.
Amazing!
I wanted to whip up a quick snack to take on an impromptu trip out tomorrow.
We ran out of carrots (oops)
But I have 4 butternut pumpkins given to me- so have subbed these instead. I was rushing, so instead of crushing oats- I used wholemeal flour. I wasn’t confident that I’d removed enough moisture, so added extra flour too. Again- due to lack of time- I just spread the mix out on a baking sheet and halfway through cooking, cut into fingers and finished cooking. The result is amazing- took next to no time & taste amazing! Pretty sure my son will love these! Thank you 🙂
Excellent! I love the sound of all your alterations too – yum!
Hi, what age group can these be for please.
Have an almost 6 month and would love to get into finger foods and these would be wonderful.
Also would you be able to mix up the recipe for other flavours doing this and if so what would you suggest.
Thank you xx
Hi Michelle, are you doing baby led weaning or purees? If you are doing purees I would wait until your baby is used to finger foods. There is quite a bit of cheese in these so I’d keep an eye on sodium levels and wouldn’t give too many at once. I have made a zucchini version (https://healthylittlefoodies.com/zucchini-bites) and a spinach version (https://healthylittlefoodies.com/spinach-christmas-tree-bites). I hope you enjoy them!
These look wonderful! I am going to try them this week but was just wondering how much baby cereal should be used when subbing for oat flour. Thanks!
Hi Kate, thank you! I have never tried it with baby cereal so can’t say for sure – sorry. Is it a oat cereal? I’d probably add the same weight of cereal.
These were a big hit with my kids! They are 1 and 4 years old and both very picky in different ways. They couldn’t get enough of these. My star shapes got a little wonky in the oven… since I’m a perfectionist and can’t help myself, I used the cookie cutter again after they were done and cut away the edges to make perfect stars. So cute! Thanks
Brilliant! Feedback like this make my day, thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. I love that you are a perfectionist and took the time to make them perfect for your little ones!
How cooked should the carrots be? I’m asking as I don’t have a microwave..: thanks!!
Hi Flora, I’d still grate them and then steam them until soft and you can easily squeeze the liquid out of them. You want the carrots to be dry so the mixture isn’t wet.
I made these with a mix of cauliflower and carrots. I don’t have a microwave so just steamed them once I had blitzed them in the food processor. Used two eggs + two chia eggs (I made a double batch, thankfully!). They came out perfectly. So. Damn. Good. My husband who hates cauliflower loved them. Baked them up so for my little one for lunch at daycare tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll love them too 🙂
I’m loving the sound of cauliflower in these! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, it really does mean a lot.
Can you freeze these once they have been cooked?
Hi Megan, yes these freeze well 🙂
Loved these for my 17 month old twins , didn’t have a big enough star but I did find Minnie Mouse cookie cutter lol
Thanks Cheryl, Minnie Mouse ones would have been so cute!
Hi..can I know how you make oat flour?
Hi Zana, I just blitz rolled oats in my blender / food processor until it is a flour.
These are great!
Can I freeze them?
Oh, I’ve just seen you’ve commented above with freezer advice! These really do taste good.
Thanks Nici, so glad you liked them!
Hi , can these be frozen and if so how would you go about it?
Hi Zoe, Yes these can be frozen, I’d freeze on a baking tray until frozen and then transfer to a zip lock bag / freezable container.
Hi Amy, the cookies are delicious, however very soft. I tried baking for another 15 min, seems to be better however still quite soft. Are they supposed to be at least a bit crispy? Also how long can \i keep them just in the fidge and frozen? I would normally bake my cookies ovet the weekend and eat during the whole week. Can they last just in the fridge for a week?
Thank you,
Olga
Hi Olga, they are quite soft. Maybe if you make them thinner they would crisp up for you more. I’m glad you liked the flavour! Sorry for just getting back to you now, I recently moved house and all my emails and comments built up! I seemed to have missed a few.
I usually freeze any leftovers and take out as needed. I haven’t tested them in the fridge for that long so can’t say how they would be. Food saftey wise I’d say they would last well but I’m not sure how the texture would hold up.
I just made these and the texture turned out weird. Kind of gummy. I processed old fashion oats in a magic bullet. Maybe I didn’t process it long enough? My 17 month old ate some of it mostly because it was dipped in hummus.
Hi Crissy, Sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe. The magic bullet should have processed the oats into flour well. Did it have a flour consistency or were oats still visible? I’m glad hummus came to the rescue and that they weren’t completely wasted!
My whole family (including two very fussy toddlers) loved this! Thank you
Fantastic, thank you!
Just made a batch for my very fussy 2yr Old. So fingers crossed he eats them! I made them into car shapes as cars are his favourite in everything!
How do these need to be stored?
Thanks
Hi Hayley, My 3yr old would love car shaped ones, great idea! How did he enjoy them? I usually store these in the freezer, sorry for the delay in getting back to you but I have just travelled from Scotland to Australia and had limited wifi.
Hey can this work with regular plain flour?
Hi Claire, I haven’t tried it myself but I have had feedback from readers saying that they made them with plain flour and it worked well. Enjoy!
I can’t wait to make these. I have a seriously picky eater on my hands and no time to make lunches in the morning before school. I’ll be trying your recipe soon and wanted to let you know that I’ve shared it over on my blog too. 🙂
Thank you, I hope your picky eater approves! Fingers crossed!
I’ve made a dairy free version of these, but think I’ve made them a bit too thick!! My niece is trying these later today so hoping they go down okay!
Hi Sam, thanks for the comment. What did you replace the cheese with to make it dairy free? Would love to know for others. Thanks, Amy
Hi,
I’m about to make this recipe for Chinese Buddhist nuns. Question: May I use vegan egg replacer? Will they work ok or is it best to have actual eggs. The nuns do not eat eggs at all.
I have never tried them with an egg replacer so can’t say how they would turn out. Sorry.
Would a but milk bag work for squeezing out the carrot?
Hi Lucy, I’ve never owned a nut bag so I’m not 100% sure but I think it would work great. The carrot may stain the bag though…
Hmm, this didn’t seem to work quite right for me. It took no less than 30 minutes for mine to start to brown on the sides. At 13 minutes, it was definitely omelet-like, as another poster said. Perhaps it’s a humidity issue? I definitely squeezed the carrots out like crazy.
Hi Sarah, sorry this didn’t work for you. This is one of my more popular posts but an old post. I will make them again and update this month with more specific instructions and process images. My only thought could be that they may have been too thick? Maybe it is a humidity issue, I made them a lot when I lived in Scotland, I’ll see how they differ from my Australian kitchen!
Fantastic! I just made these for my 10 month old. I stuck them in a brownie pan instead in parchment. Lifted he parchment out and then cut them into rectangles and into strips etc. so easy, will definitely be making more and adding some spinach or greens!
Thanks, Kayla! Yes, I’ve made these with zucchini and with spinach – the recipe is pretty flexible 🙂
I made these for me little one and subbed the oat flour for Buckwheat flour and removed the cheese and used nutritional yeast. They turned out great and my little guy thoroughly enjoyed them 🙂
Hi Kate, fab! So glad your little one enjoyed them and thank you for letting me know that the substitutions worked for you. I am always asked for dairy and gluten free versions of my recipes and it is great to know what works for others 🙂