Healthy Carrot Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious carrot side dish recipes including baby carrots, roasted carrots and glazed carrots. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Easy Pineapple Coleslaw

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This easy pineapple coleslaw is a fresh take on the traditional coleslaw recipe—it contains those familiar savory flavors plus a touch of sweetness thanks to the pineapple. If you prefer a more tart-tasting slaw, feel free to add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice. This recipe is part of our Juneteenth Family Cookout Menu.
By Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD

Smashed Carrots

Smashing steamed carrots coated in curry powder then finishing them under the broiler lets the flavor set in and gives the carrots a light, crispy edge.
By Carolyn Casner

Carrot-Cucumber Salad

Carrot salads are refreshing, and this one--with cucumbers, red onion and a zesty cilantro-chili vinaigrette--is sure to become a new favorite. It's excellent served with grilled fish.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Carrot-Raisin Salad

This carrot-raisin salad is both tangy and sweet, thanks to the combination of lemon juice, pineapple and raisins; carrots bring color and crunch. Letting the salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes is a great way to help the flavors intensify.
By Liv Dansky

Cumin-Roasted Carrots with Dill Yogurt

A tangy dill yogurt is the perfect sauce for these cumin-roasted carrots.

Air-Fryer Carrots

Air-fryer carrots are an easy side dish that pairs with just about everything. Here the carrots are tossed with a touch of brown sugar and spices, with Parmesan cheese adding a savory note.
By Laura Kanya

Balsamic Roasted Carrots

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Roasting carrots brings out their sweetness, which is enhanced further with a tangy balsamic and maple glaze. Serve them straight-up for an easy weeknight side dish or garnish with chopped hazelnuts for holiday meals and dinner parties.
By Marianne Williams

Maple Roasted Carrots

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Roasting brings out the inherent sweetness in carrots--but add a little maple syrup and butter and you have a caramelized vegetable your kids (and you!) will actually want to eat seconds of.
By Carolyn Casner

Southwest Chopped Salad with Tomatillo Dressing

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Jicama is the crunchy, sweet tuberous root of a legume native to Central America. If you love it in this salad, try including sticks of it with your next crudités spread.

Roasted Butternut Squash & Root Vegetables

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This easy roasted butternut squash and root vegetables recipe is incredibly versatile. Pile the squash and veggies onto grain bowls, add to sandwiches, toss in soup, serve as a side dish--you name it. Roasting vegetables in the oven gives you 20 minutes of hands-off cooking time to assemble the rest of your meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Roasted Purple Carrots with Black Sesame Dukkah

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We love how the Egyptian nut, seed and spice blend dukkah adds aroma, flavor and texture to this otherwise simple purple carrot recipe.
By Becky Duffett

Mexican Coleslaw

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Enjoy this crunchy, refreshing alternative to mayonnaise-based coleslaw on a taco or on the side.
By Stacy Fraser
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Inspiration and Ideas

Roasted Vegetable Antipasto
Roasted vegetables get tossed in a zesty vinaigrette for a stunning and easy side dish or appetizer.
Carrot Soup
This crazy-easy blender soup recipe is a great way to eat more vegetables and use up a surplus of carrots.
"Use a Spoon" Chopped Salad
Pea Pod and Carrot Stir-Fry
Stir-Fried Carrots, Corn & Peppers
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This eclectic stir-fry is a colorful combination of carrot, red bell pepper, corn and romaine lettuce. This recipe exemplifies how to stir-fry vegetables with different textures. The carrots, which are a “hard vegetable,” should be stir-fried for a minute before adding “medium-hard” vegetables like peppers or corn, which require slightly less cooking. Finally, add “soft or leafy vegetables” in the last 30 seconds to ensure all the vegetables achieve the same level of doneness. Make sure the lettuce is dry--if it's wet when added to the pan, it will turn the stir-fry into a braise.

All Healthy Carrot Side Dish Recipes

Warm Cabbage Salad with Bacon

This warm cabbage salad bursts with flavor from a tangy Dijon vinaigrette and crispy bacon.
By Patsy Jamieson

Sesame-Honey Carrot Ribbon Salad

A simple vegetable peeler turns carrots into beautifully thin strips in this healthy vegetable side dish recipe. If you have a spiralizer, you can go for an artful tangle instead. Serve with miso-glazed fish or tofu.
By Carolyn Casner

Sesame Snap Peas with Carrots & Peppers

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The colorful combination of sugar snap peas, red bell pepper and carrot plus Asian-inspired flavors make this side dish a pleasure to whip up for a weeknight dinner.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey BBQ Roasted Root Vegetables

In this veggie-forward spin on Texas-style barbecue, we swap the traditional brisket for root vegetables and rely on the chipotles in the sauce to bring the smokiness to the table. These vegetables are a versatile side for all sorts of mains, whether you're in the mood for meat or want to go vegetarian with grilled tofu or a bean dish.
By Paula Forbes

Glazed Mini Carrots

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Take advantage of convenient mini ("baby") carrots to make this simple but sophisticated classic French side dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Orange-Glazed Shredded Carrots

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An orange glaze brings out the sweetness in one of the kid-friendliest vegetables around. With convenient pre-shredded carrots, there's no chopping required.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Carrots

A little bit of cayenne adds an unexpected kick to these classic roasted carrots.
By Laura Marzen, R.D., L.D.

Carrot-Parsnip Gratin

Make this creamy carrot-and-parsnip casserole for your next holiday meal--everyone will beg you for the recipe! Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes--saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

Napa Cabbage & Carrots with Rice Wine-Oyster Sauce

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Napa--also known as Chinese cabbage--is the preferred cabbage in this healthy Asian stir-fry recipe because it's much sweeter and more tender than green cabbage. If napa cabbage isn't available at your grocery store, try Savoy cabbage or bok choy.
By Grace Young

Steamed Cabbage & Carrots

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It's been said that serving cabbage for New Year's promises prosperity, so adding a few carrot coins can only sweeten the purse.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Chili-Roasted Carrots

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Roasted with chili powder and cumin then tossed with cilantro and lime juice, these carrots are bursting with zesty flavor. Serve them with simple roast chicken or pork.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Hasselback Moroccan Roasted Carrots

Take roasted carrots to the next level with this hasselback version of a vegetable-side favorite. Adding thin hasselback cuts to whole carrots not only allows more flavor to seep into the veggies, it also speeds up the cooking time.
By Carolyn Casner

Root Vegetable & Greens Salad with Red Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette

Red pepper jelly is the key ingredient in this piquant yet sweet salad dressing. If you prefer more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
By Laura Kanya

Candied Carrots

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A combination of brown sugar and apple juice makes these easy candied carrots sweet but not cloying. Chopped fresh thyme brightens the flavor in this classic side dish, but feel free to omit it if you want an even simpler dish. Serve with chicken, pork or your Thanksgiving dinner.
By Julia Levy

Roasted Carrots with Cardamom Butter

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Roasting these carrots with only a bit of butter and some cardamom gives them a rich, nutty flavor that belies how healthy they are. A single serving gives you over 600 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A!
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Olive Oil-Poached Carrots & Shallots

Sliced carrots are poached in olive oil to create a healthy side dish in this recipe from chef Eric Skokan.

Honey-Roasted Carrots

These sweet and tender honey-roasted carrots get a bit of char from the oven. These are topped with sesame seeds, but topping with a fresh herb like parsley can add a pop of color to this easy side dish.
By Liv Dansky

Shaved Root Vegetable Salad with Pistachios

This centerpiece-worthy salad calls for buying up the most colorful roots in the produce section. We like using a rainbow of beets and carrots for the most stunning presentation.
By Devon O'Brien

Ginger Pickled Carrots

This pickling liquid gives bright flavor to carrots—try it with green beans or peppers as well. Serve these pickled carrots alongside Koji-Brined Pork Shoulder for a bright, acidic side dish.
By Ben Bebenroth

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Sage Brown Butter

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Wow your guests with multicolored carrots dressed in a brown butter and sage sauce. They only take 15 minutes to roast, so pop them in the oven while you carve the turkey and they'll be ready in time to eat.
By Hilary Meyer

Mashed Root Vegetables

A mixture of boiled root vegetables--turnips, carrots, parsnips and onion--are cooked until tender and mashed just like potatoes. This tasty side dish is a healthy and beautiful addition to any meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mixed Greens with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

This carrot-ginger dressing is based on the one served at the Japanese steakhouse chain Benihana. It holds well, so make a double batch to have on hand for salads throughout the week.
By Adam Dolge

Sesame Carrots

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Toasted sesame seeds add taste and eye appeal to a cheery plate of crunchy carrots.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey-Glazed Carrots

A basic carrot side dish is jazzed up with the addition of honey and ginger.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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