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A cozy bowl of Mashed Carrots is an easy and fast weeknight side dish. They’re a delicious potato-free option that goes well with so many main dishes.
Like most people with tastebuds, I love a big bowl of cream cheese mashed potatoes as much as the next person.
But sometimes, a new side dish needs to be added to the mix. And that’s where these comforting and delicious mashed carrots come in.
Life is short. Try new things. Especially when they’re delicious.
Ingredients
This recipe uses:
- Carrots (surprise!)
- Smoked paprika
- Dill – fresh or dried
- Garlic – always and forever
- Salt & pepper
- Broth/stock – use your favorite
- Butter or ghee – if you’re vegan or dairy-free, use olive oil or your favorite plant-based butter.
To make this carrot mash come together even faster, I love to use carrots that I canned (related: canning carrots) and frozen carrots from my tutorial on how to freeze carrots.
Here’s How to Make Carrot Mash
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
You have two options for cooking the carrots: steaming or roasting. And the good news is that both are delicious!
To steam: place a metal steamer insert into a saucepan and add ~1.5 cups of water. Add the carrots, put the lid on, and cook over medium heat until you can easily pierce a knife into a carrot (~15 minutes). Pro tip: they will steam faster if cut into smaller pieces.
To roast: roast on a baking sheet at 400˚F until you can easily pierce a knife into a carrot (~20 minutes). If you don’t want to use your oven, check out our post on air fryer carrots. That recipe includes oil and seasonings. You can use a tiny drizzle of olive oil before roasting, but you don’t need to use all the seasonings.
For making the mashed carrots, I have used both a potato masher and a mixing bowl, and a food processor. Both methods work well; it just comes down to which works best for you.
With the potato masher, you get a dish that isn’t as smooth but has more texture. With the food processor, you get a dish that is very smooth and has a creamy, buttery texture.
However, you choose to mash the carrots, combine all the ingredients, and mash (or process) until it reaches your desired texture. Garnish with fresh dill and parsley. If you like some spice, a sprinkle of cayenne on top takes this next level.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT
Storing Leftovers: Allow the carrot mash to fully cool before storing it in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating Leftovers: You can reheat the mash for 1-3 minutes in the microwave.
Freezing: Allow the mashed carrots to fully cool before transferring them to freezer-safe containers. I prefer using 1-cup Souper Cubes and then transferring them to reusable freezer bags.
Just a head’s up that the overall texture of the mash does change upon thawing. It will still be delicious but visually and texturally it will be altered. You can run the thawed mash through the food processor, or just stir vigorously before serving.
What to Serve With This Recipe
Mashed carrots are a great veggie dish to pair with main dishes like Instant Pot Chuck Roast, Instant Pot Beef Tips, or Dry Brine Chicken. You can also double this recipe and use it as part of this Turkey Shepherd’s Pie.
And, of course, carrot mash is delicious alongside other holiday classics like Sausage Stuffing, Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, and Orange Cranberry Sauce.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Try adding other roasted or steamed veggies like parsnips, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes alongside the carrots.
- Want a sweeter option? Add honey, brown sugar, orange juice, or orange zest.
- Spice it up with a pinch of nutmeg and fresh ground ginger.
- Use Air Fryer Roasted Garlic or Instant Pot Roasted Garlic if you don’t want to deal with cooking the garlic with the carrots.
More Easy Weeknight Side Dishes
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 1 WW Freestyle Smart Points
Mashed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 cups carrots {peeled and cut into chunks}
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp butter {sub in ghee, olive oil, or vegan butter}
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- To steam: place a metal steamer insert into a saucepan and add ~1.5 cups of water. Add the carrots and garlic, put the lid on and cook over medium heat until you can easily pierce a knife into a carrot (~15 minutes).2 cups carrots, 2 cloves garlic
- To roast: roast carrots and garlic on a baking sheet at 400˚F degrees until you can easily pierce a knife into a carrot (~20 minutes).2 cups carrots, 2 cloves garlic
- Combine all the ingredients and using a potato masher or food processor, mash (or process) until it reaches your desired texture. If desired, garnish with fresh dill.2 cups carrots, 1/4 cup vegetable stock, 1 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp dried dill, 2 cloves garlic
Notes
- If you’re short on cooking time, cutting the carrots into small pieces will allow them to steam or roast more quickly.
- Try adding other cooked veggies like parsnips, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes alongside the carrots.
- Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How did your boys do with this side dish? I’m not sure what my kids would think of it. But definitely worth a try…
They both always prefer raw veggies to cooked. When I roast broccoli, I set some uncooked for them. When I cook things like this, I just give them the raw version and have them try a few bites of cooked.
That’s probably not a helpful answer. I’m sorry!
My favourite is carrots and swede (rutabagas) mashed together.
Mmmmmmmm, that sounds so good! Do you roast your rutabaga?
Don’t roast any root veg when doing a root veg mash. Favourites carrot and swede, swede and potato or potato and celeriac. Or just whatever the fried he yields. But always with butter and in the Instant Pot.
*fridge