A twist on classic french fries, these baked Healthy Carrot Fries with curry dipping sauce make the perfect vegetable side. They are vegan, paleo, dairy free, & Whole30 approved!
We are officially done traveling for the year!! Hooray! Except if we go to Cabo with our friends, but that isn’t a definite yet. I am so excited to just be home and have some time to myself and do the things that I want to do. Sounds so selfish of me, but I don’t care. I need some me time.
We were back on the east coast this past weekend in North Carolina for one of Michael’s cousins weddings. It was so much fun! I love that side of his family and always have a blast with them. The wedding was super small (maybe about 50 people) in downtown Raleigh. The ceremony and reception was in a local restaurant. They rented out the lower level which had huge open windows and looked onto the street. It was so pretty!
They did the ceremony, then a cocktail hour, cake cutting, and then dinner and dessert. After everyone had cake and drank some more, we headed to a bar just a block away for some more fun. There was no dancing or huge reception, which I kind of liked. The party was so small it felt a lot more intimate this way. It was so fun to all go out dressed up to the bar too. The bride was even still in her dress! It was one of my favorite weddings we have attended this year!
After all the drinking and some indulging, my body was craving vegetables once we got home. And what better way to get some veggies into your diet than in french fry form! I’m always down for fries, but like to change it up once in awhile. These healthy carrot fries do the trick. They have less carbs than a potato and are full of carotenoids (antioxidants high in cancer fighting properties), vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and fiber. They are great for eye health just like your mom told you when you were younger. Bonus is that when carrots are cooked, their nutrients are more available to your body!
And what’s a fry without a good dipping sauce. I’m all about adding more flavor to my food and that is usually in some kind of sauce/condiment form. This curry sauce is made with cashews, which makes it creamy while keeping it dairy free, paleo, and vegan friendly. It makes more than you need for the fries (unless you really get after it) so keep it in the fridge to top on your favorite proteins or veggies.
Check out the video on how easy they come together!
- 8 large carrots (about 850 grams)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh cilantro, optional
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1½ tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ cup water
- Soak cashews the night before. Place in a small bowl and cover with water. Set aside. If you forget to soak them, add them to hot water while the carrots cook.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut carrots in matchsticks. Place in a large bowl and mix with avocado oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place on two parchment lined baking sheets, spreading out evenly. Make sure they are not too close together.
- Bake for 20 minutes, stir/rotate, and bake for another 15 minutes.
- While the carrot fries bake, make the sauce. Place all ingredients into a Vitamix or high powered blender and blend until smooth.
- Once carrots are done sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Let’s talk!
Have you been to a really fun wedding lately?
What kind of veggies have you made into fries?
I just literally LOVE these. So freaking awesome. Carrots/ parsnips make the best fries. Pinning!
Right, they are such a nice change from the potato! Thanks Allie!
Mmm… they should serve these at a fast food restaurant; they look so good! 🙂 I totally know what you mean after a week or a celebratory event, I always crave the veggies too.
Well that would be cool! Maybe one day lol
I love that you used cashews for the dipping sauce- very creative! These look fantastic- PINNED!
Thanks Diana! I use cashews for a lot of my sauces, they make them so creamy!! You should try it!
I LOVE veggie fries and these look SO good. Mouth is watering.
The best kind of fries!! Thanks Ashley.
I LOVE weddings! Haha! Always have!
And veggies are always a bit more fun in fry form….plus with a killer sauce to dip!
Yes, everything is more more fun in fry form!
This looks awesome – I’ve never thought about making carrot chips before, I’ve always stuck to sweet potato fries! Def giving this a try, we had family in town for the past ten days and lets just say our diets haven’t been the healthiest!
It’s fun to use other veggies instead of potatoes. And I feel ya on having family in town. When mine visits there is a lot of eating and drinking!
Woah woah woah carrot fries?!? This is a game changer. LOVE! I’m soooo pinning!
Yasss!! They are so bomb!
So I tried these tonight…and yes…loved them and the sauce, but were the carrots supposed to be crispy at all? They weren’t getting crisp, so I tried them on low broil…which made some of the tips black (yummy)…but am now thinking that substituting the avocado oil for coconut oil might have been a poor choice…unless you can think of something else that possibly went wrong…. We still loved what we had, but the black crispy edges that caramelized were the best!
So glad you liked them Karen! They don’t get as crispy as your average fry. Putting them under the broiler will definitely help though. Also, make sure they are spread out enough and you can even put them on a cooling rack on the cookie sheet so the hot air flow around them evenly. Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than coconut, but you can definitely use coconut oil. I agree though, those crispy burnt parts are my fav!
These look amazing!! I’m severely allergic to cashews, though – what would you suggest using in place of the cashews for the sauce?
Thanks Heather! Are you allergic to all nuts? Cashews blend well and have a creamy consistency, but I would think macadamia nuts would be a good sub. You might have to soak them for a little longer. If all nuts are out, just use a homemade mayo! I have an easy one here – http://eatthegains.com/one-minute-homemade-spicy-chipotle-mayo/ – just leave out the chipotle paste and cayenne. Then mix it up with the rest of the ingredients, minus the water. I have actually done this before when I don’t have cashews! Hope that helps!
It’s just cashews and peanuts – but I LOVE the idea of the macadamia nuts. Thanks!