Baked Carrot Fries with Dijon-Thyme Aioli

With perfectly crisped outer edges and tender sweetness at the center, these oven-baked carrot fries are an awesome new way to serve a favorite nutritious veggie! Seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme, our baked carrot fries will disappear so fast. Especially when you serve them with our easy Dijon-Thyme Aioli dipping sauce! Whether you serve them as a healthy side for burger night, or as a snack on their own, these are sure to be a new family favorite. 

This post was created in partnership with Primal Kitchen. 

Whether it’s burger night, a busy weeknight, or you are in the mood for fries, we have you covered with these Baked Carrot Fries.

This recipe comes together fast and is made with just a few ingredients. Baking the carrots brings out their natural sweetness while the blend of seasonings adds a nice savory component resulting in that sweet and savory flavor combo we all crave.

While these baked fries are perfect for dipping in ketchup or ranch, the Dijon-Thyme Aioli is its true flavor match. The simple dipping sauce is made with just 5 ingredients in under 2 minutes. You’ll want to serve it with everything, so if you do have any leftovers, spread it on sandwiches or lettuce wraps, or use it as a dip for your favorite fresh veggies.

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Ingredients for Baked Carrot Fries and Dijon-Thyme Aioli

For the Carrot Fries you will need:

• Whole carrots – peeled and cut into ¼-½-inch thick sticks
• Avocado oil – Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil (or avocado oil)
• Cornstarch* – (omit for Whole30)
• Seasonings – Garlic powder, Onion powder, dried thyme
• Black pepper and salt

For the Dijon-Thyme Aioli:

• Mayonnaise – Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo – made with no sugar added and real food ingredients. For vegan-friendly use Primal Kitchen Vegan Mayo. 
• Dijon mustard – Primal Kitchen Dijon Mustard
• Fresh thyme leaves – dried thyme
• Seasonings – Garlic powder, Onion powder
• Black pepper

How to make CRISPY Baked Carrot Fries

• Same size: Cut the carrots into sticks that are uniform in size, especially thickness. We recommend about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
• Add cornstarch: The key to the crisp is cornstarch. However, if you’d like to keep this recipe grain-free or Whole30 compatible, you can omit it. However, after testing the recipe we found that the cornstarch is the key ingredient that really helps make these fries perfectly crisp.
• Spread them out: You will want to use 2 pans to bake the carrot fries so that you can really spread them out. Overcrowding the carrots will essentially cause them to steam.
• Flip them halfway through: this will ensure even baking.
• Allow to bake until edges are noticeably crisp and brown: Towards the end of the baking time, watch the carrot fries closely, checking every 1-2 minutes until the edges are nice and crisp, golden brown (almost black).
• Add salt at the end: We also found that adding salt after the baking time helps add to the crispness as salt is known to pull moisture out of foods.
• Serve right away: Serve the fries as soon as they come out of the oven for optimal crispness.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make this Baked Carrot Fries Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrot sticks, oil, cornstarch, garlic, onion, thyme, and pepper (not the salt). Toss to combine well.
3. Spread carrot fries out in a single layer over the two baking sheets. Make sure they are not touching one another. 
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes, flipping the carrots at the 15-minute mark. After flipping, return carrots to the oven, swapping shelf placement. Check the carrots every 5 minutes until nice and golden brown with a crisp edge (or done to your liking). Season the roasted carrots with fine salt immediately after coming out of the oven.
5. While the carrot fries are baking, make the aioli by combining the mayo, dijon, thyme, garlic onion, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir well. 
6. Carrot fries are best when served right out of the oven. Finally, garnish with flakey salt and fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
7. Dip carrot fries in the Dijon-Thyme Aioli.

Don’t forget the dip!

This dip! We know you’ll love it. Not only does it make for an incredibly tasty dip for carrot fries (or any type of fries for that matter), it’s also great as a condiment! We recommend spreading it on a sandwich, adding it to lettuce wraps, or using it as a dressing to make a creamy chicken or tuna salad.

What to serve with these Crispy Carrot Fries

We love to serve the carrot fries alongside a burger, or as a simple side dish for a weeknight meal. This recipe also makes for a great topper on our Easy Burger Bowl recipe. No matter what you choose to serve it with, carrot fries add a tasty and nutritious boost to your plate.

Nutrition facts and health benefits of carrots

This root vegetable offers a lot in the health department, including a few highlights:

• Rich in beta-carotene: Beta carotene is an antioxidant carotenoid that can be converted to vitamin A, which is an essential nutrient your body needs to keep your immunity and vision strong as you age. The good news about beta carotene is that you get more from cooked carrots than raw carrots, and you absorb it quicker when it’s digested with a source of fat. Therefore, this baked carrot recipe that includes healthy fats from avocado oil is an excellent way to boost the beta-carotene absorption from carrots.
• High in lutein: When you hear that carrots are good for your eyes, it’s also because of a plant compound called lutein. This carotenoid antioxidant is found in the retina of your eyes, and the more lutein you get from your diet, the more natural protection you have against harmful blue light. Also known as the type emitted from smartphones and laptops!
• Great source of pectin: Pectin is a type of soluble fiber found in high amounts in carrots, and it is especially helpful for feeding the good bacteria that live in your gut. Those bacteria use pectin and other soluble fibers by breaking them down for fuel that aids digestion and also protects you against the growth of harmful bacteria.

Carrots are a very nutrient-dense food, which means that they pack a lot of beneficial nutrients per calorie. For more information on the nutrition facts of carrots and health benefits, check out this article.

Other oven-baked veggie fries you’ll love

• Garlic Roasted Root Vegetable Fries
• Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.