These oven-baked carrot fries are a healthier alternative to traditional fries. They’re lower in carbs, packed with nutrients… oh, and did I mention they’re DELICIOUS? Especially when dunked in the spicy creamy lime dipping sauce made with mayonnaise. You’re going to LOVE this versatile side dish!
I may never go back to regular old potato fries again.
OK that’s a lie, because I love fries. But boy, was I pleased with the result of these carrot fries! My toddlers both gobbled them up (and kept asking for more sauce). They were perfect for an easy dinner with frozen veggie burgers the other night.
Carrot fries are the perfect thing to make if you find yourself with heaps of carrots. I always love keeping a big bag of carrots in my fridge because they can last for months. And I had all the ingredients for the dipping sauce – mayo, hot sauce, and lime juice – all ready to go!
Here’s how to make oven-baked carrot fries, sauce alternative suggestions, as well as some tips and tricks for pumping up the crispiness.
How to make carrot fries
It’s as easy as cutting up some carrots, coating them in spices and oil, and baking in a hot oven! Here are the details.
- First, cut the carrots into fry-sized pieces. I cut mine in half crosswise, then into halves or thirds lengthwise both ways, depending on how thick the halves were. I used particularly large carrots- if you use really thin ones, you may only need one slice lengthwise.
- Then, coat the carrots in olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. You can skip the parsley if you want, but I have a ton growing in my garden and wanted to use it up. It adds a really nice fresh, bright flavor. Mix everything up in a bowl so the carrots are evenly coated with everything.
- Arrange the carrots on a parchment covered baking sheet in a single layer. Try to make them not touch- this will help them cook more evenly and crispier.
- Finally, bake in the top half of your oven, flipping over halfway through (if you remember- no worries if you forget this part!).
How to make the spicy mayo dipping sauce
I LOVE the carrot fries, but I really, REALLY love this dipping sauce.
Just mix together some mayonnaise, fresh squeezed lime juice, and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce in a bowl. Done! It’s so easy, and you can serve it with these fries, on sandwiches, etc.
I used sriracha hot sauce, but you can use any kind you want. I almost grabbed the chipotle tabasco– my favorite hot sauce- I’ll try that next time.
If you want to take it up a notch, this homemade spicy mayo has an East-Asian flair to it, adding chili garlic sauce, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce to the mix. YUM.
You can also use lemon juice if you don’t have lime, or even just a little bit of vinegar for a hint of acidity.
This dipping sauce would also be DELICIOUS served with homemade potato chips.
Can I use something besides mayonnaise for the sauce?
Absolutely! You can use Greek yogurt or sour cream- both would be delicious, and a bit lighter, too.
If you do this, be sure to season the sauce with salt. Mayo already has salt in it, so you don’t need any extra, but you’ll need it with substitutions.
And if you’re making a vegan version, make sure you use a vegan mayo. Samesies with paleo/whole30- make sure to use a compliant mayonnaise.
Finally- you can use any kind of dipping sauce you want! 5-Minute avocado sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce, Tzatziki sauce, Dill dip, regular old ketchup, honey mustard… whatever you have on hand is fine.
How do I make carrot fries crispy?
Carrots aren’t as starchy as potatoes, so they naturally won’t be as crispy. If you’re looking for REALLY crispy oven-fried carrots, I’m going to ask you to lower your expectations a bit.
There are some things you can do to make them crispIER, though. Here’s what I suggest.
- Cook them in the top part of your oven. It’s hotter there, so the carrots will get toastier on the outside.
- Bake for 30 minutes… or longer. Most carrot fry recipes I found only require about 15-20 minutes of baking- this is NOT enough time for crispy carrot fries! Unless your oven runs very hot, you will need longer. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Slice the carrots really thinly. The thinner they are, the crispier they will be.
- Coat the carrots in a starch, such as cornstarch, potato starch, or tapioca starch, along with the spices. Although this recipe doesn’t call for it, adding a starch can help absorb some of the moisture expelled from the carrots while baking, and develop a crispier coating.
- Leave the carrots in the oven while it cools. I use this method with making crispy oven-roasted chickpeas. Not only will this help keep the carrot fries warm until you are ready to serve them, but they will continue to dehydrate in the warm oven, making them a little crispier than just roasting at a high temperature. You can keep them in there for a half hour or so, if you have time.
And don’t worry- what these carrot fries lack in crispiness they more than make up for in flavor! It’s an even trade, in my opinion.
Other oven fry recipes
- How to make crispy oven fries with white potatoes
- Chili Garlic Sweet Potato Fries with Lemon Garlic Mayo
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato fries with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
What to serve with carrot fries
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Carrot Fries with Spicy Dipping Sauce
- 4 large carrots cut into thin strips about 4" long
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or other oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
For the spicy dipping sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise see notes for alternative
- 1 tablespoon lime juice from about 1/2 lime
- a few dashes of hot sauce such as tabasco, sriracha, etc., depending on how spicy you like it.
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange an oven rack about 1/3 of the way from the top of the oven.
- Mix the cut carrots with the olive oil (2 tablespoons), kosher salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (1/2 teaspoon), garlic powder (1 teaspoon), and fresh parsley, if using (1 tablespoon) until carrots are well-coated in everything.
- Arrange the carrot sticks on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out so they don't touch.
- Bake for about 30 minutes on the top rack, stirring around to flip them over once halfway through (if you forget to do this, that's fine!). Keep an eye on them- if your oven runs hot, you may need less time.
- Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise (1/2 cup), lime juice (1 tablespoon), and hot sauce (a few dashes) in a small bowl. Taste and adjust amounts if necessary. Keep in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
- Serve carrot fries with spicy dipping sauce. Best served immediately.
- If you don’t want to use mayonnaise, I recommend using Greek yogurt or sour cream as a substitute. You’ll need to season the dip with salt if you use these. Or, just dip the fries in ketchup if you prefer!
- For a vegan version, use your favorite vegan mayo substitute.
- There’s no need to peel the carrots, just give them a good wash before cutting. If you prefer to peel them, feel free.
- For extra crispiness, you can try coating the carrots in a couple of tablespoons of starch (such as cornstarch, potato starch, or tapioca starch) along with the spices. You can also leave them in the oven after you turn it off- this will both keep them warm until you’re ready to serve, as well as continuing to dehydrate the carrots, resulting in a more crispy result.
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
yolanda
i used the giant carrots from my local asian market, sliced them the night before and wrapped them in dry paper towels in ziploc. next day i removed wet paper towels sprinkeled 1T corn starch and shook bag followed by all other dry ingredients, shook again, added peanut oil and gave one final shake before baking. came out great and i dipped into texas dip with no issues.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Great tips. Thanks for sharing.
Britney
So I cut up some carrots, seasoned them, baked them, pulled them out at just the right time so they were still warm when bitten into and I ended up eating all of them in one sitting! These were delicious! Making more tomorrow!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Krys
I loved these! Also I may try the starch thing next time, to try and get them crispier 😉
I have one question though… If I were to freeze the carrots for later, would I have to freeze them just raw (then thaw, prep and bake), or could I freeze them already prepped (so just would need to get in the oven and bake)? I do it for breaded cauliflower, so I was wondering if it would work similarly, especially if I add the starch! Thanks a bunch!
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never frozen them, so I’m not sure! If you do this for cauliflower and it works, I say go for it! So glad you liked the recipe.
karena
I think calling them “fries” is misleading, which is why you end up telling people they won’t be crispy. They are carrots baked in the oven.
Just because something is shaped like a French fry, that doesn’t make it a fry!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Sometimes I name my recipes based on what will appeal to people or show up on google searches. You’re right, fries are technically deep fried. Regardless, the recipe is delicious!
Yehudis
These are amazing, and incredibly easy! Thank you elizabeth!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked them!
Liz Watts
They don’t even need a dipping sauce. They’re yum on their own! I left them in the oven after turning it off and they were on the verge of caramelized/burnt which made them extra tasty!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO glad you liked them! I’m making them tonight again for my family… I think I’m addicted!