Whole Roasted Carrots with incredible spices plus a lemon tahini dipping sauce. A perfectly delicious and super easy carrot side dish that everyone will love, even picky eaters. Plus their gorgeous presentation makes them perfect for a holiday dinner.
If tahini is not your jam…or if you want to make these whole roasted carrots for Passover, serve them with my dairy-free tzatziki sauce for an incredibly delicious alternative to the tahini sauce.
This post has been updated from the original which was published in 2015.
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Oh, how I wish there was a “scratch and sniff” button here. The aroma alone is a great reason to make these whole roasted carrots. BUT…this easy carrot recipe isn’t only delish, it’s also vegan, grain-free and compliant for paleo and whole-30. Oh yeah….people pleaser extraordinaire..an important thing for any family meal.
Whole Roasted Carrots are so easy to make….get them into the oven and then wait as the magic happens. If you’re looking for how to cook carrots on the stovetop, you’ll want to make these amazing Moroccan Carrots.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy Side Dish: Roasting whole carrots significantly cuts down on prep time…no need to get your knife out! You’ll need about 5 minutes to prep these carrots and get them onto a baking sheet and into the oven. The rest is hands off time….put your feet up and relax!
- Delicious: The spice blend is simple, but packs a tasty punch.
- Allergy friendly: Not only are these carrots vegan and grain-free, but they’re also paleo and whole30 compliant…so everyone can enjoy them!
- Simple ingredients: You have fresh carrots in your fridge already….chances are good that you’ll have all the ingredients for this healthy side dish recipe on hand.
- If you’re looking for a tasty way to sneak in more veggies….this easy roasted carrots recipe is IT!
- Great recipes like this are equally at home for weeknight dinners or a holiday meal.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Carrots: Star of the show! A tasty way to get in most of your daily requirement of Vitamin A, plus they have high levels of beta-carotene and are a good source of fiber, antioxidants and are super immune boosters. Substitute with other colored carrots for diversity in nutrition and gut health. Parsnips will also work well in this recipe. I’ve also used radishes and turnips with this same spice rub.
- Olive oil: If you’re not using oil in cooking, lightly spray carrots with water so the spice rub will stick and otherwise follow the recipe. You could also substitute avocado oil for the extra virgin olive oil.
- Chili powder: If you’re looking for some heat, use chipotle chili powder. Regular chili powder will add tons of flavor but not any spiciness. Substitute smokey or sweet paprika if desired.
- Cinnamon: I absolutely love the way cinnamon combines with savory spices for a subtle sweetness. Cinnamon also has prebiotic, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Cardamom is a great sub here.
- Cumin: One of my favorite dry spices, and it mixes so well with chili powder. Substitute ground coriander, turmeric plus black pepper, or curry powder.
- Garlic Powder
- Sea salt: Sea salt includes some trace minerals. If you’re cutting back on salt, no problem, skip it, or add a “no salt” seasoning or a sprinkle of dulse.…which is crushed seaweed and gives off a salty flavor.
How to buy and store Carrots
- Look for carrots that are firm, smooth and with vibrant greens on top that aren’t wilted. Soft spots or carrots that have begun to sprout indicates that the carrots are old.
- Carrot greens are actually the most nutritious part of the plant and you can make an easy carrot top pesto with them that’s super tasty.
- Separate the greens from the carrots and store them separately in your crisper drawer. The greens will last a few days and are best stored with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
- Carrots will stay good in the fridge for longer if they’re submerged in water and covered. Change the water every 5-6 days and the carrots will last for up to a month.
How to make Whole Roasted Carrots
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 and line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
Step 2: Trim carrot tops. (Set aside to make carrot greens pesto. ) I like to leave just a bit of the green on top, because they’ll look nicer on a platter, and you can hold that end if you’re so inclined to pick these up and dip them into the yummy drizzle. Scrub the surface area well with a veggie brush, loofah, or use a vegetable peeler to take off a THIN layer.
Step 3: Lay carrots onto a parchment lined baking tray for easy cleanup. Drizzle with olive oil (or spray with water) and then sprinkle on spices.
Step 4: Roll carrots around on the tray to distribute the spices everywhere. The best way to ensure even roasting is to lay them in a single layer on the sheet pan.
Step 5: Roast carrots in preheated 425 oven for 20 minutes. Exact roasting time will depend on size. Larger carrots may take another 5-10 minutes. Carrots will be fork tender, shriveled and golden brown when finished.
Step 6: In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, cumin, salt, pepper and water. Drizzle over tender carrots.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs and pass extra spiced tahini around.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Make sure carrots are in a single layer on the baking tray for even cooking and some caramelization.
- Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the carrots.
- If you use the top of the carrots to make pesto, you can mix some of that into the tahini for the best flavor.
- Serve as a snack with extra dipping sauce….a nice alternative to raw carrots and hummus.
- If you don’t want to peel the carrots, just give them a good scrub before roasting.
- A large platter of these oven-roasted carrots is the perfect special occasion delicious side dish. Use rainbow carrots for gorgeous presentation.
- Make extra…the leftovers can be chopped and added to salad for a tasty treat.
How to Serve and Store
- This is the perfect side dish, no matter what you’re serving, they can be served warm or at room temperature.
- You can also serve as a snack with the tahini sauce as a dip.
- Store leftover carrots separately from the sauce.
- Lemon tahini sauce will stay good in an airtight container for a week.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Whole Roasted Carrots with Spiced Tahini
Ingredients
For Carrots:
- 2 lbs. carrots peeled and trimmed*
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For Dipping Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons Tahini
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Line rimmed baking tray with unbleached parchment paper.
- Wash, trim and peel carrots. Put carrot tops aside to make them into pesto. Leave just a smidge of carrot top for serving beauty…scrub well so they’re edible.
- Mix spices in small dish.
- Place trimmed carrots on prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Mix well, so they’re evenly coated, and make sure they’re spread out in a single layer.The easiest way to do this is with your hands.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes, depending on thickness of carrots. Carrots are done when shriveled, caramelized around the edges, and tender when pierced with a fork.
- While carrots are roasting, make sauce by combining all ingredients with whisk, adding more water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired thickness.
- Transfer roasted carrots onto platter and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.
- Serve warm or at room temp and pass extra sauce around.
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Kristina Tipps
These carrots are amazing! I did a little less chili powder so my kids would eat them, and even without the dipping sauce they were awesome!
Debra Klein
Yay for making veggies yummy enough that kids like them!
Jil
roasted carrots are amazing just like that, but that tahini sauce takes over the top! Love the pairing!
Debra Klein
Thank you…I totally agree.
Nayomi
This is such a tasty way to spice up your typical roast carrots. And perfect for this time of year too, this would be delicious with a roast.
Debra Klein
Yes….the savory carrots would be the perfect side dish!
Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious
This carrot recipe is perfect for Easter and looks super vibrant and tasty!
Debra Klein
Thank you….great description of this yummy dish.