Air fryer carrot fries are a great alternative to sweet potato fries or regular fries!
Ready in 20 minutes, these healthy air fryer carrots can be made sweet or savory and go with any meal! Great as a fun side dish or even a filling snack!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Carrot fries have been a long time favorite recipe of mine, however cooking them in the oven often requires 30-40 minutes (which is longer than I prefer for dinner to take lately). Making carrots in the air fryer are ready in about 20 minutes (that includes prepping the fries for cooking).
- It’s so easy to change up the flavors! Carrot fries are a great base for so many different flavors, so you will never get tired of them! You can even make them sweet (great for satisfying a sweet craving).
- They are a great french fry alternative! Get picky eaters to eat more veggies. These are great for dipping in your favorite sauce and pair well with burgers, sandwiches or as a side dish to any meal!
Ingredients
- Carrots – you can use whole or baby carrots in this recipe
- Avocado oil or olive oil – you want some oil to help the carrots get a bit crispy on the outside. If you are 100% against using oil you could omit this.
- Salt – I like to use sea salt in recipes. It helps to elevate the flavors of the carrots and the other seasonings. Omit if you have issues with sodium.
- Paprika (optional) – this adds a depth of flavor and makes the carrots a bit more savory.
- Garlic powder (optional)- helps to add more flavor to the carrots and helps them with a more “savory” profile.
- Arrowroot powder or tapioca flour (optional) – this helps create a little crust on the outside of the carrot fries.
Instructions how to make carrot fries
Start by washing your carrots. Most people prefer to peel their carrots as the outside can sometimes be tough and a bit bitter. I find that with organic carrots this is less of an issue (unless they have been sitting in the fridge for quite a while). Peel your carrots if necessary.
Cut the carrots into fries:
- Step 1: Cut the top and bottom from the carrot.
- Step 2: Cut the carrots in half where they start to get wider from the bottom to the top.
- Step 3: Cut those halves in half, so they are half-moon shaped.
- Step 4: Cut into fries
- The bottom part of the carrots may be a good size now, or may need to be cut in half again.
- The top part of the carrots likely need to be cut in half or into thirds depending on how big your carrots are.
Season: Place all the carrot sticks in a bowl. Pour avocado oil (or olive oil) over the carrots with salt, paprika, garlic powder and arrowroot powder. Mix well (with tongs or use your hands).
Cook: Add the carrots to the air fryer basket and cook 390F for 16 minutes, shaking the basket regularly (every 3-4 minutes) after the first 8 minutes pass.
Check the carrots after cooking, if you think they need a few more minutes; continue cooking 2-3 more minutes, keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
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Expert tips
- Don’t over crowd the air fryer basket. This may mean that you have to make in batches or shake the basket more regularly depending on how full the basket is.
- Don’t expect these to be crispy like the fries you buy at restaurants. They are not deep fried and don’t have the same structure as a potato, however the arrowroot powder on the outside does help create a crust. These fries will disappear like they are from a restaurant though!
- Serve these carrot fries pretty quickly after cooking. As the carrots sit, they begin to steam, which makes them have a less fry like texture. They turn into roasted carrots (which are still amazing) but may not be as fun for small kids to eat once they sit for some time.
How to make carrot fries crispy
To give the fries a crunchy exterior, I add 1 tsp of arrowroot powder or tapioca starch to the carrots with the oil and spices. The starch helps the carrots crisp up when cooking, giving them a crunchier coating.
You can omit the arrowroot (if you don’t have it or don’t want it) and the fries will still taste amazing.
Other spices you could use
Carrot fries are very versatile and can easily change flavors based on the seasonings you use. These flavor combinations would replace the paprika and garlic powder.
- Curry: Curry powder (1/2 -1 tsp.)
- Smoky: Cumin (1/2 tsp) + cinnamon (1/2 tsp) + smoked paprika (1/2 tsp)
- Slightly sweet and savory: Garam masala (1/2 tsp) + cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
- Cajun: Cajun seasoning (1 tsp)
- Ranch: Ranch seasoning (1 tsp)
- Spicy: Chipotle pepper powder (1/4 tsp) + cumin (1/2 tsp)
- Sweet: Omit the salt. Add cinnamon (1/2 tsp), coconut sugar (1-2 tsp) and pinch of ground cloves (optional)
The best dipping sauces
Take this recipe to the next level with the right dip! Here are some of my favorites:
- Ketchup
- Chimichurri
- Vegan Chipotle Mayo
- Cilantro lime dipping sauce
- Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
- Chipotle Ranch Dressing
How to make air fryer baby carrots
Yes! Some baby carrots may be a bit too thick. If the baby carrot is any thicker than your pinky finger, I cut it in half before coating with oil + seasoning and baking them in the air fryer.
Large whole baby carrots will likely steam from the inside and be a little softer than carrot fries that have been cut.
How to make these in the oven
You can make this recipe in the oven! If you need to make a large batch at once or if you don’t have an air fryer, you can instead use the oven method.
Storage
Store leftover carrot fries in a well sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers don’t have that same crisp crunch, they become more like roasted carrots. They are great on salads, in omelets or for snacking. You could reheat them in the air fryer 350F for 4-5 minutes to help crisp them back up.
Leftovers can also be frozen, but the texture will not be the same after defrosting. Again you could reheat them in the air fryer 350F for 5-7 minutes after defrosting, but the texture will never be the same.
Substitutions:
Carrots: You could also use parsnips in place of carrots
Avocado oil (or olive oil): The fat helps the spices and starch stick to the outside of the carrots and helps create that crispier coating on the outside.
You could use whatever cooking fat you prefer, melted coconut oil might be another great option. If you don’t want to add the arrowroot flour, you could try spraying the carrots with olive oil or avocado oil spray and sprinkling the salt/spices right over top of the carrots.
Paprika: This helps give a depth of flavor to the carrots, omit or replace with any of the herbs/spices above.
Garlic powder: Fresh garlic would likely burn during air frying, so garlic powder is the safe choice with this recipe. You can omit or replace with any of the herbs/spices above.
Salt: Salt can be omitted. Use your favorite no-salt added seasoning on top of the carrots to ensure they are well seasoned.
Arrowroot flour or tapioca flour: This helps create a crispy coating on the outside of the carrot fries during air frying. You can also use corn starch if you are not grain free.
If you love this recipe, you should try:
- Air Fryer Delicata Squash
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash
- Air Fryer Frozen Brussel Sprouts
- Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets (Whole30)
Air Fryer Carrot Fries
$1.40 recipe/$0.35 servingIngredients
- 1 pound carrots (peeled if necessary) - $0.89
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil (or olive oil) - $0.35
- 1/2 tsp. salt - $0.03
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder - $0.05
- 1/2 tsp. paprika - $0.05
- 1 tsp. arrowroot powder (or tapioca flour) - $0.03
Instructions
- Wash and peel the carrots if necessary.
- Cut the carrots into fries: Cut the top and bottom off the carrots. Cut the carrot in half where it starts to get wider. Cut those halves in half to create half-moon shapes. Cut the top half of the carrots into 2-3 fries each side. Cut the bottom half of the carrots into 1-2 fries each side.
- Add all the carrot fries to a bowl, drizzle oil, add spices and salt and arrowroot powder. Stir with hands or tongs (less messy).
- Add the carrots to the air fryer basket. Set the cook temperate and time to 390F for 16 minutes total.
- After 8-9 minutes have passed, pause cooking and shake the basket well. Continue to shake the basket every 2-3 minutes making sure that none of the carrots have gotten stuck.
- After 16 minutes, check your fries. If they need more time, cook at 390F for 1-2 more minutes.
Notes
- Curry: Curry powder (1/2 -1 tsp.)
- Smoky: Cumin (1/2 tsp) + cinnamon (1/2 tsp) + smoked paprika (1/2 tsp)
- Slightly sweet and savory: Garam masala (1/2 tsp) + cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
- Cajun: Cajun seasoning (1 tsp)
- Ranch: Ranch seasoning (1 tsp)
- Spicy: Chipotle pepper powder (1/4 tsp) + cumin (1/2 tsp)
- Sweet: Omit the salt. Add cinnamon (1/2 tsp), coconut sugar (1-2 tsp) and pinch of ground cloves (optional)
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