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Carrots don't always get the attention they deserve compared to other root vegetables, like their starchy potato cousins. We get it—a crispy fried or creamy mashed potato will almost always win the majority vote for best side dish. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the versatility and deliciousness of carrots, which make a great base for both sweet and savory recipes! Explore everything this orange veggie has to offer with these tasty carrot recipes. Whether you want to warm up with a creamy soup, maximize the crunch with a spring salad, or indulge in a healthy dessert, there are so many ways to prepare carrots that'll whet everyone's appetite. Not only will you find candied carrots—the perfect side dish for holiday ham—but you'll also see how carrots can be roasted, pureed, or served raw in a shredded carrot salad.
If sweets are what you're after, we've included plenty of variations on carrot cake, including carrot cake cookies, carrot cake pancakes, and, of course, Ree's classic carrot cake. She calls the homemade cake with cream cheese frosting "carrot-y and exceedingly spring-y." Oh, and if you love carrot cake andcheesecake, there's a carrot cake cheesecake dessert here! (Yes, it's as good as it sounds.) Whether you're looking for a new addition to your Easter menu or just in search of an easy vegetable side dish for busy weeknights, these carrot recipes are sure to add a pop of color to your dinner table. Scroll ahead for even more ways to use them!
1
Vegetable Soup
Caitlin Bensel
Carrots are great on their own, but they're even better when combined with a variety of other nourishing vegetables. This vegetable soup contains ten different veggies, including carrots and sweet potatoes, for a heart-warming and nutritious cold-weather delight.
If you love cream cheese frosting equally as much as you love carrot cake, this recipe is for you! There's a thick layer of silky cream cheese cheesecake on top of a crust made from grated carrots and toasted pecans.
What's the quickest way to get your kiddos to eat their veggies? Make them taste like candy! Between the natural sweetness of the carrots and the light brown sugar, this side dish is irresistible.
Just like a classic carrot cake—in muffin form! These tasty treats are topped with a buttery streusel and cream cheese glaze. Plus, they give you can excuse to eat "cake" in the morning!
Carrots join together with other orange-hued root veggies, like sweet potatoes and butternut squash, in this hearty side dish. They're topped with a sweet and smoky pecan crumble for extra crunch.
This refreshing salad is a fun side dish for backyard cookouts or Easter brunch. It's tangy, colorful, and slightly sweet thanks to the raisins and apples.
A touch of honey and salted butter gives these root veggies the sweet and salty flavor that's hard to resist. Serve it up for any holiday meal and your family will thank you.
Anyone who's a fan of carrot cake will get a kick out of this adorable variation made into cookies. They even have the crowd-pleasing cream cheese frosting!
You can customize this classic carrot cake by turning it into a Bundt cake or sheet cake, but the layer cake version is a beautiful choice for special occasions.
The creamy texture and beautiful orange color of this carrot soup makes it look extra elegant, but it's surprisingly easy to make and it only requires five ingredients!
You can pickle almost any kind of veggie—even carrots! These quick pickled carrots are perfect for adding to salads, using as a garnish for tacos, or just eating straight-up!
Everything about this vegetarian soup is a delight from the creamy blended carrots and potatoes to the curry seasoning and coconut milk. It's a soup for the senses!
This bright and colorful side dish is loaded with flavor thanks to the addition of whiskey. It helps to create the sweet glaze that makes these carrots so tasty.
This carrot recipe couldn't be easier! You can serve them warm from the oven, at room temperature, or even cold out of the fridge. They're perfect for Easter leftovers.
Carrot cake is great, but carrot poke cake? Now that's a game changer. Carrot cake is infused with sweetened condensed milk and adorned with airy frosting. The whole thing is generously bathed in luscious caramel sauce for a super sweet finishing touch!
These potstickers aren't the typical pork variety you might order with your Chinese takeout, but they're just as delicious! The dough-encased bundles are filled with a vegetarian puree of carrot, tofu, and sesame oil.
You've heard of banana bread and zucchini bread, but how about carrot bread? This sweet bread has all the flavors of carrot cake—like carrot, nutmeg, and walnuts—but without the sugary frosting, so you can eat it for breakfast, dessert, or both!