One of my favorite ways to celebrate the onset of a new season is to cook with newly in-season produce. And with Easter just around the corner, what better way to welcome it than with one of spring’s star vegetables: carrots. One of the things I love most about this veg is how versatile it is. There are seemingly endless categories of carrot recipes: salads, sides, desserts – even cocktails! I love them raw and dipped in hummus, or baked into a cupcake (fine, maybe I like the cupcakes a little bit more.) There are also as many health benefits as there are ways to eat them — they’re bursting with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
So if eating carrots is shown to build immunity, while giving you healthier hair and glow-ier skin… why not make it fun?
13 Carrot Recipes to Enjoy All Spring
Charred Carrots with Honey-Lime Yogurt, Dates, and Almonds
This simple appetizer makes a fantastic carrot-based plate with smoky, caramelized veggies and a creamy and tangy yogurt. In my opinion, the hero ingredient of this dish is the dates, which bring natural sweetness.
Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Hummus Flatbread
This flatbread is a vibrant, flavor-packed creation with a creamy, savory hummus on a crisp, golden crust. Top with whatever greens you have lying around—avocado, cucumber, or a bit of crunchy arugula.
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Each of these cupcakes is a tiny, golden treasure—moist, nutty, and kissed with cinnamon—topped with a cloud of cream cheese frosting and crunchy walnuts.
Raw Carrot Salad with Dates, Walnuts and Aleppo
This carrot recipe by one of our favorite cooks, Eden Grinshpan, is so deliciously fresh and great for the entire family. She juliennes the carrots and serves it with an Aleppo citrus vinaigrette, some dates, red onion, and crushed walnut. Yum!
Carrot Turmeric Hummus
Camille describes this hummus as perfect for all those Whole-30 peeps out there since it’s bean-free, sugar-free and subs in fresh veggies instead of chips or crackers (it’s also grain and gluten-free!). As an added bonus, the color is gorgeous and looks good on any snack platter.
“What’s Up Doc” Carrot-Ginger Cocktail
How amazing would it be to serve a carrot juice libation for Easter brunch or cocktail hour? The flavors are so bright and spring-y, and guests will swoon over the vivid orange color and clever nod to Easter bunny’s favorite food (or drink.) Make with or without alcohol—Camille claims it’s equally delicious both ways.
Orange-Chili Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Carrot Pesto and Grilled Carrots
This is one of Camille’s favorite summertime dinners to throw on the grill. The carrot pesto sounds unusual, but I’ve learned to trust everything she creates. With that sweet-spicy charred flavor, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon.
Honey Roasted Carrots with Spicy Citrus, Sage & Pepitas
This recipe instigated a major Instagram debate: yes or no to cooked carrots? If you’re on Team No, this recipe with its secret sauce might just make you switch sides. Even if you’re officially out on cooked carrot recipes, Camille also uses this same sauce on delicata squash, whole roasted sweet potatoes, and sautéed brussels sprouts, so go ahead and save it now.
Carrot and Hummus Toasts
This simple and delicious recipe is the snack you didn’t know you needed. There’s just something special about this flavor combination. A slight char and crunch from the bread, the garlic and creaminess from the hummus, and then this slightly sweet and spicy flavor from the carrots are just almost too perfect. In a pinch, I go for a simple wrap with hummus and raw shredded carrots and while it’s not the same, it satisfies the cravings.
Moroccan Carrot Ribbon Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing
Camille is really onto something with this simple salad. Carrots, golden raisins, feta, and mint: flavors that are inspired by Morocco and are just unexpected enough to make this dish so much greater than the sum of its parts. The beauty lies in the contrasts and the balance. The carrot ribbons are shocked (which makes them even colder and crunchier), the feta adds a rich and creamy note, and the golden raisins are plump and sweet.
Peruvian Carrot Pesto
This Peruvian Carrot Pesto is the perfect spread for crackers, bread, or veggies for dipping. It’s got all the yumminess of cilantro pesto, but with a colorful twist that makes this dip pop on a cheese board or appetizer tray (especially with a bowl as cute as the one pictured). I have yet to try this combo, but can also imagine it being incredible in a pasta… if anyone tries, be sure to let me know.
Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad
This salad is one of Elizabeth Winslow’s most delicious creations… She notes that it makes the most of carrots’ sweetness and crunch, playing it off against creamy avocado, bright roasted citrus, and a scattering of toasty spices and seeds. Winslow puts it best: “It’s healthy, sure, but it’s so warm and cheerful and delicious, that’s almost beside the point.”
Pineapple Coconut Carrot Cake
Last, but certainly not least, my favorite type of all the carrot recipes: Carrot Cake. Specifically, this Pineapple Coconut Carrot Cake by Crumb Kitchen. There is just something about the combination of the cinnamon flavor and cream cheese frosting that can’t be beaten, but the additional fruity flavor from the pineapple makes this cake even more perfect for spring. If you’re still looking for a dessert to serve this Easter, the search can end here.
