These Carrot Fries are easy to make, baked-not-fried and make a great snack or side dish.
Reasons to Love Carrot Fries
- TASTE: Cutting carrots into strips and roasting them amplifies the natural sweetness of carrots, making them irresistible!
- EXPOSURE: If your child doesn’t like carrots (or any veg) it is important to continue offering them, without pressure. Serving and cooking them in different ways is great for exposure. These fries are a kid-friendly way of serving carrots.
- NUTRITION: Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene, which gets converted into Vitamin A in the body. They are a good source of fibre and high in Vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting.
- FINGER FOOD: Most kids love finger foods (especially served with dips).
- PREP IN ADVANCE: Cut and coat your carrots in the morning to make evenings easier.
Ingredient Information (with alernative suggestions)
- CARROTS: Use large, thick carrots as they are easier to cut into uniform fries. You can use any colour of carrots.
- OLIVE OIL: Or use an oil of choice
- SMOKED PAPRIKA: Adds a subtle smoky flavour that complements the sweetness of the carrots. You can skip or replace it with a little cumin or coriander. Alternatively, add some fresh herbs straight after cooking (parsley, thyme, tarragon or dill will all work well)
Process Shots and Cooking Tips
- Scrub, peel, top and tail the carrots.
Peeling is optional - Cut the carrots into long sticks. Roughly 1cm by 10cm long (2/5 inch by 4inch).
Remember the carrots will shrivel in the oven so cut slightly bigger than a french fry. - Coat the carrots in oil and smoked paprika.
I find this easiest to do in a bowl but you can mix it on the lined sheet pan. - Line the carrots on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper
Don’t overcrowd the carrots as they will end up steaming and you won’t get the same caramelization. - Bake 200°C/395°F for around 25 mins.
Turn halfway through cooking.
Cooking times will vary depending on oven and size of carrots used. Check at 20 mins, may need up to 35 min.
Watch the Video
Serving Suggestion
- SNACK: Serve carrot fries with a yogurt dip, avocado dip, or dip of choice. My kids love these with a dip made up of yogurt, a little mayonnaise, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- SIDE: Serve as a side with chicken, fish, lentil burgers, fish cakes, fish goujons, croquettes or part of a buddha style bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just make sure to cook them until they are soft enough to smash between your fingers. (Carrots are a common choking hazard so when serving them to a baby they should be cooked until soft)
You can prep the fries, (cut and mix with oil/spice), then cover and refrigerate them for up to a day until ready to bake.
I do not recommend cooking in advance or reheating, as they do go soft with time.
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Carrot Fries
Ingredients
- 4 Large Carrots (mine weighed 500g)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 395°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Scrub, peel (peeling is optional) and remove the top and tail of the carrots.
- Cut the carrots into sticks, slightly larger than a french fry (around 1cm (2/5 inch) thick by 10cm (4 inch))
- Place all the carrots into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil and smoked paprika until they are all coated.
- Place on the prepared baking tray in a single layer
- Bake for approx 25 mins, turning halfway through, until golden.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Oven temperatures vary and the length of time may be shorter / longer depending on how thick you have cut your fries.
If serving a baby make sure to cook until the carrots are squishable between your fingers.
*This post – Carrot Fries – was originally published Feb 2014. It has been updated to include new photos, process shots, a video and extra recipe information.
Rachael S says
Do you make this all at once and then reheat? How many days is it good for?