Carrot Fries: My Simple New Healthy Frenemy

Carrot Fries, I hate that term. My brain knows what fries are supposed to taste like and these do not taste like fries. Don’t get me wrong, they are delicious but they don’t taste like French Fries.

Having a very strong sweet tooth, I absolutely love these! After any meal, I crave something sweet. I’m fairly convinced it’s because I’m on the road to diabetes but I digress….

We had ours as a side with tuna sandwiches on our most recent game night and they were absolutely delicious!

I especially love that they are healthy, low sodium, easy to make and fairly quick!

How to Make Delicious Carrot Fries

Be sure and check the tips below the recipe. They may be just what you need to make your Carrot fries taste just the way you want them!

• 1 lb Medium Carrots (more or less if you’d like!)
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1. Rinse your carrots, it’s not necessary to peel them but you’ll want to pull (or scrub) off any roots that are trying to grow out of them.
2. Cut the carrots into thirds (or fourths if they are super long). Then cut each of the thicker pieces in half, then those halves in half again. So, basically cut them into fourths. However, if those are still super thick you may need to cut the halves into three pieces instead of two. For the thinner parts, you’ll want to cut them in half. Try to get all of the pieces in the same general size so that they’ll cook evenly.
3. Now is the time to begin pre-heating the oven to 425 degrees.
4. Place carrots in a large mixing bowl (we love the restaurant style ones because they are easy to work with and wash like the one pictured in our grill review), pour in the olive oil and toss so that the carrots are covered. If you have to add more oil, do so very sparingly. If too much gets added, they’ll end up being greasy rather than crispy.
5. Sprinkle in the other ingredients, one at a time tossing after each addition to coat the carrots completely.
6. Here’s where you have some options, pick the choice below that works for you:
   • Place on baking sheet, spreading them apart as much as possible so that they don’t end up steaming each other rather than baking
   • Place on  wire baking rack with squares small enough that the carrot fries don’t fall through.
   • Place aluminum foil on baking sheet, spray with non stick spray, and spread the carrots out from each other.
7. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove them and flip the carrots. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Tips for the Perfect Baked Carrot Fry

• If they aren’t crispy enough, add a couple of minutes to the baking time. Just remember to check them until you figure out the perfect level of crispiness for you.
• If you’d like to ‘mix things up,’ you can add some garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, or whatever seasonings your family loves!
• You can also add a sprinkle of salt if you prefer.  About a quarter to a half teaspoon is enough.
• Why fresh cracked black pepper? When you crack the pepper yourself, you are releasing the oils from the peppercorns that give food an additional bit of flavor we just can’t get out of pre-cracked pepper. Plus, there are additives in that pepper than take the flavor down. If that’s not enough of a reason to buy a pepper grinder, it’s also cheaper to buy peppercorns than it is to buy a can of pepper that will go stale long before you use it! **Note: The pepper grinder link above is to the pepper grinder we have in our kitchen. We have two, one for fresh pepper and one for sea salt. You can get the pair here. Both, are my affiliate links and I appreciate your support!

Recipes at the Zoo that Would Go Great With Carrot Fries: