Spice It Up Carrot Fries

There is something so wonderful about seeing little kids gobbling up vegetables. While my kids aren’t usually picky, some veggie dishes do take encouragement. Not so with this one! Once they gobble up their serving they ask beg for more.

This is the best way I have ever had carrots. The only reason I do not make them more often is 1) they heat up the kitchen, and 2) I can’t really make enough to satisfy the family. I could eat two trays myself!

I once saw a post claiming to make roasted vegetables more addicting than candy. I found it hard to believe… but these are very sweet. The spices are just to make them all the more delicious and of course to spice it up. When the carrots roast for a long period the sugars in them caramelize which flavors the carrots with a touch of char and a surprising amount of sweet.

If your family is on the fence about carrots, try this and see how delicious they can be. These aren’t very spicy, but they do have a slight kick. If you do not care for spicy, cut or reduce the cayenne.

Spice It Up Carrot Fries

From my co-authored book The Veggie Book

• 7-9 carrots cut into evenly sized sticks
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder (optional, I usually omit)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (omit if you want them mild, omit chili powder if you want them very mild)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons coconut oil

1. Preheat your oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
2. Put as many carrot sticks as you can fit onto your sheet pan. If there are any pieces that are a lot smaller than the others, you will want to leave them off as they will burn. I use stone sheet pans because I have a much better success rate. They tend to burn quickly on metal pans.
3. Sprinkle the seasonings over the carrots and toss to coat them.
4. Some of the seasonings will clump up; that is fine.
5. If you have liquid coconut oil, drizzle it on top. If it is solid, evenly space bits of coconut oil over the carrots.
6. In five minutes, stir the carrots.
7. Stir every ten minutes for 30-40 minutes until the carrots are nice and caramelized and have a wrinkly surface.
8. Eat and enjoy!

Serves: 1 if the kids are asleep or 3 if they are not and I am forced to share. (I usually double it now that I have two stone bar pans. Same servings apply… there are never enough)

Pictured with tahini for dipping.