Today we’re going to take a look at the best carrot substitutes across a range of scenarios in cooking, baking, grilling, snacking, and roasting.
This article covers quite a bit, to be sure to use the table of contents to jump around to what you need.
If you have a carrot allergy, be sure to check out this article for more information.
What are Carrots
I always say, the best way to choose a substitute is to start by understanding what you’re trying to replace. When you know the taste and texture, it’s much easier to select an alternative.
A carrot is a root vegetable that’s part of the Apiaceae family, alongside other vegetables including celery, parsnip, anise, and dill. It’s often called the carrot family, celery family, and/or parsley family. Root vegetables are plants that are grown and have edible roots.
Carrots have an edible thin skin that’s usually peeled away before cooking or eaten, and they can be consumed raw (without tasting horrible).
The most common carrot is the orange variety, however, you can purchase heirloom carrots in red, white, and purple.
Known for their rich beta carotene content (which converts to Vitamin A), carrots are available year round and are also a good source of potassium and fiber. Fun fact: carrots are generally classified as wild carrots or domestic carrots.
Taste & Texture of Carrots
Typical orange carrots have a natural sweetness that allows them to pair well with a wide range of foods, and makes them very kid friendly. Their natural texture is very hard and firm. When eaten raw, they require quite a bit of chewing due to this hardness.
Carrots can be cooked in pretty much every way imaginable: boiled, braised, roasted, grilled, steamed, fried, and more. Each cooking method will alter the texture and your end results will be anywhere from mushy, to soft, to al dente, and beyond.
Other Carrot Varieties
If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating rainbow carrots, I want to encourage you to hit your local farmer’s market in hopes of finding some quality rainbow carrots, especially if you don’t LOVE the taste of orange carrots.
Red and purple carrots tend to have a typical carrot flavor, but a little milder. White carrots on the other hand have a very mild carrot flavor and should be your go-to if you want a whisper of carrot flavor.
Foods That Grow Together, (Tend to) Go Together
This is a culinary saying that some chefs lean into when pairing flavors in recipes. However, this also helps us in the world of food allergies, swaps, and substitutions. Foods that grow with carrots include:
- Beet
- Celeriac (also called Celery Root)
- Kohlrabi
- Radish (daikon radish, red radish, watermelon radish)
- Rutabaga (also called Swede)
- Salsify (also called Oyster Plant)
- Turnip
Whilst this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a great starting point, as these particular ingredients are going to be some of the best carrot substitutes for us to work with.
Top Go-To All Around Carrot Substitutes
If you need a quick carrot replacement and don’t want to think too hard, the top two veggies you can always count on are sweet potatoes and parsnips. These alternatives work well in place of carrots in almost all recipes.
You’ll want to avoid using sweet potatoes in dishes with a short cook time, as they won’t have enough time to soften. You’ll also want to avoid recipes where there’s an extended cook time (soup, stew, chili, etc.) as the sweet potatoes can become too soft.
Now, if you don’t mind the extra step of oven roasting small diced sweet potatoes and folding them into your dish at the end of cooking, you can still use them.
Parsnips will be easier to shred, so use them for baked goods including muffins, cookies, and cake.
By weight, sweet potato and parsnip are a 1:1 substitute for carrots.
Best Carrot Substitutes in Cooking & Grilling
Now let’s take a deeper look at individual dishes where carrots may need to be replaced. I’ll let you know some of the best produce you can lean into each time, and account for overall taste, texture, and eating experience.
Best Carrot Substitutes for Grilling
The best substitutions for carrots on the grill are going to be other firm root vegetables. Parsnip will be the top pick, and other good choices include golden beets, watermelon radish, and Tokyo turnips.
If you want something that holds up well to a range of spices, stick with the parsnips and turnips, as these have the most neutral flavour of the three options.
Best Carrot Substitute for Broth, Stock, & Vegetable Stock
I’m sure you know how a well developed broth can absolutely elevate your home cooking. From chicken to beef to pork, most broth recipes will call for carrots alongside other aromatics like onion and celery.
Parsnips and white yam are going to be the best two substitutes for carrots in your homemade broth or stock.
One reason is because you want to pick ingredients that will pair well with your rosemary, thyme, and other classic base ingredients. Some vegetables (beets are a great example) will start to clash with some savory ingredients, especially yellow beets. Parsnip and white yam have the advantage of being closer to neutral on the flavour front.
Carrot Substitute for Vegetable Stock
A classic aromatic vegetable stock will usually start with a diced blend of carrots, onions, and other vegetables. It’s not uncommon to see ingredients such as shallots, leeks, root vegetables, and fresh herbs in vegetable stocks as well.
When vegetable stocks call for carrots, it’s usually a small dice of carrots. These are great carrot substitutes:
- Parsnip
- Celeriac (also called Celery Root)
- Rutabaga (also called Swede)
- Salsify (also called Oyster Plant)
- Tokyo Turnip
You can dice each of these options and use them as a 1:1 substitute in your vegetable stock during the first step, which is usually to sauté your vegetables.
Carrot Substitute in Curry
There are so many different types of curry recipes out in the world from Indian to Japanese and everything else in between. If you’re making a basic curry, here are some suggestions when it comes to replacing carrots.
Basic Curry Carrot Substitute
For a curry recipe that calls for sliced or diced pieces of carrot, you can use parsnips in a 1:1 ratio as your first line of defense.
For an interesting flavor profile, use half salsify (root vegetable in the parsley family) + half parsnip, or half beet + half parsnip.
King trumpet mushrooms can also make an interesting addition to your curry, as they have a meaty texture and will hold up pretty well during an extended simmer.
Tomato Based Curry Carrot Substitute
This type of curry is usually loaded with ripe tomatoes, coconut milk, sesame, a range of spices, and additional vegetables.
If your recipe calls for diced or sliced carrots, the best carrot substitutes are butternut squash, parsnips, lotus root, and Tokyo turnips. Each of these options will bring something a little different to your meal, but will meld very well with the tomatoes and other spices.
Japanese Curry Carrot Substitute
In a Japanese curry, onion, carrot, and potato are the core vegetables. It’s also common to see ingredients such as apple, ginger, and garlic. When choosing a carrot substitute in a Japanese curry, it’s important to keep that in mind.
Personally, I’d suggest Tokyo turnips, red beets, or parsnips to replace the carrots in a Japanese curry. With al three options, you’ll want to add a touch of caster sugar or maple sugar to your curry to make up for the lost sweetness. Chopped dates or date paste can also be a good stand in for the granulated sugar.
Jamaican Curry Carrot Substitute
If you love a spicy tropical curry and need a carrot alternative to pair with your scotch bonnet and other wonderful flavours, here are the best carrot substitutes:
- Celeriac (also called Celery Root)
- Kohlrabi + Jicama
- Rutabaga (also called Swede)
- Salsify (also called Oyster Plant)
- White Yam
Carrot Substitute in Mirepoix
You have a few solid choices for replacing carrots. Here are my top suggestions:
- Parsnip (1:1 substitute)
- 2/3 Diced Zucchini (courgette) + 1/3 Diced Daikon Radish + Handful Chopped Parsley
- 1/2 Tokyo Turnip + 1/2 Celeriac (also called Celery Root)
- 1/2 Daikon Radish + 1/2 Salsify (also called Oyster Plant)
Each of these combinations will bring flavor and texture to your mirepoix. Fennel can also be used, but in limited amounts. Too much fennel can overwhelm your mirepoix, and I wouldn’t use more than 150g.
More About the Classic Mirepoix Trio
Across the globe, most cuisines have some version of a mirepoix, a mixture of aromatic vegetables that are cooked as a base for a recipe (usually a soup or stew, but can be for other dishes and sauces).
In French cuisine, mirepoix is a mix of onions, celery, and carrots. Here are a few other global variations of interest:
Cajun Cuisine: Holy Trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers)
Italian Cuisine: Caponata (eggplant, onions, celery tomatoes, capers, vinegar, carrots, spices). There’s also Battuto (onions, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, butter/olive oil)
Moroccan Cuisine: Chermoula (onions, cilantro, parsley, garlic, and several spices)
Spanish Cuisine: Sofrito, also spelled soffritto (onions, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil)
This short list barely scratches the surface, and if you’d like to expand on your home cooking, I want to encourage you to look online for “different versions of mirepoix” and you’ll see a whole host of articles ready to educate you on how to take your cooking in a different direction.
Best Carrot Substitute in Soup
From Instant Pot to slow cooker, soups come in all types of flavor profiles, and lean into different cooking methods. Let’s take a look at the different carrot substitutes for soup, based on the type of soup you’ll be making.
Creamy Soup & Chowder Carrot Substitute
Lots of creamy soups and chowders call for small diced carrots. In this form, the best carrot substitutes are (in order from best to so-so):
- Parsnips
- Tokyo Turnips
- Celeriac
- Salsify
- Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans
- Beets
- Fresh Green Peas
Carrot Substitute for Soup (Broth-Forward Soup)
For broth forward soups like chicken noodle soup, the best carrot substitutes are:
- Parsnips
- Tokyo Turnips
- Celeriac
- Beets
- Orange Flesh Sweet Potato**
- Winter Squash**
Note: Only use the last two options if your cubes will be just fork tender. Past that and they’ll eat like mush in your soup, which you don’t want. Alternatively, you can oven roast them separately until just ready, then add to the bowl when serving.
Also, you don’t want to store that style of veg in water/broth in your fridge, or it will continue to soften. Instead, store separately, reheat separately, then add them to your bowl of leftovers.
If you’re making an Asian style, broth forward soups such as pho, the best carrot substitutes are:
- Breakfast Radish
- Jicama
- Lotus Root
- Parsnips
- Salsify
Carrot Substitute for Creamy Soup, but Without Milk
This type of soup is usually made by blending potatoes with other ingredients. The potatoes give your soup a creamy mouthfeel, and this method is regularly used for vegan soups. These are the best vegetables to replace carrots in this form:
- Acorn Squash
- Butternut Squash
- Parsnips
- Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato
- White Yam
This ingredients will contribute towards the richness of your soup, and bring a nice flavour to the table as well. I don’t suggest pumpkin, as it can clash with the other seasonings.
Carrot Substitute in Stew
Many stews call for diced carrots or large slices of carrots. These will be the best carrot substitutes for stew:
- Parsnips
- Tokyo Turnips
- Celeriac
- Rutabaga
- Breakfast Radish
- Kohlrabi
These vegetables can be diced or sliced, used as a 1:1 substitute, and added directly to the stew where you would have added the carrots.
For vegetables that are considerably softer when cooked for an extended amount of time, such as squash and sweet potatoes, you can still use them in your stew. For these types of vegetables, you’ll want to oven roast them separately until they’re just fork tender, and set aside. When your stew has finished simmering and you’re ready to serve, fold in the oven roasted vegetables.
Best Carrot Substitute for Stir-fries
Most stir-fry recipes that call for carrots use shredded carrots. You can replace carrots with:
- Shredded Parsnips
- Thin Sliced Bell Peppers
- Thin Sliced Kohlrabi
- Thin Sliced Watermelon Radish
In a pinch, you can also use something like mung bean sprouts which will add a fresh crunch to your meal.
Carrot Substitute for Spiralized Carrots
If you’re a fan of spiralized veggies taking the place of pasta and noodles, there are quite a few ways you can recreate that texture, but without carrots. These vegetables can all be spiralized, however, some should be sautéed before serving, which I’ve noted.
- Celeriac (sauté)
- Kohlrabi (sauté)
- Daikon Radish (sauté)
- Rutabaga (sauté)
- Salsify (sauté)
- Tokyo Turnip
- White Yam (sauté)
- Zucchini/Courgette
Oven Roasted Carrot Substitutes
Oven roasting is a fantastic cooking method and can draw out more of the natural sweetness found in carrots as they caramelize.
Once roasted, carrots tend to be soft, with just a little bite left, so it’s OK to choose vegetables that are on the softer side, so long as they pair well with your seasonings.
Best Vegan Carrot Hotdog Substitute
Interestingly, both salsify and hearts of palm will be a good option for replacing carrots in this application. The reason: they’ll give you a cool hotdog illusion experience.
In this particular case, it’s not about replacing the flavour of the carrots, but the final texture. King trumpet mushroom stem is the other awesome option for this application.
All three of these vegetables can stand up to the seasonings and sauce you’ll inevitably end up using on your meat free hotdog.
Carrot Substitute for Oven Roasted Vegetables
It’s common to have meat dishes call for a range of vegetables to be roasted underneath them in a large roasting dish. Roasted vegetable medleys are also a popular dish that can call for carrots (and they’re a great way to get more veg into your diet).
In this scenario, technically, any root vegetable will serve you well, however, some will be better than others. The best vegetables to use in place of carrots are:
- Parsnips
- White Yam
- Japanese Sweet Potato
- Rutabaga
- Breakfast Radish
These veg are going to stand up well to a range of spices including louder options like curry powder, BBQ seasoning, and Middle Eastern spice blends.
You’ll want to avoid vegetables such as cauliflower, mushrooms, and asparagus, as they my not have the desired texture in the in. Additionally, their flavor can be polarizing, which you’ll want to avoid, unless everyone in your family LOVES said vegetable.
Best Carrot Substitute for Side Dishes
If you’re making classic mixed vegetables (corn + carrots + green beans), for ease, frozen peas are a great carrot alternative. The taste is pretty different, but the effort is low, so you can focus on the other dinner elements.
When a recipe calls for carrots as the standalone star, like in this recipe, parsnips are going to be the best 1:1 substitute. After that, any of these vegetables can work, however, you have to think about your audience and flavor profile. I’ve listed the vegetables in order from best to so-so.
- White Yam
- Zucchini
- Breakfast Radish
- Tokyo Turnips
- Rutabaga
- Celeriac (also called Celery Root)
- Kohlrabi
- Salsify (also called Oyster Plant)
All of these vegetables can be diced or sliced, and used in the same manner as carrots. However, the cook time may change, so keep an eye on your dish the first time you make it.
Raw Carrot Substitutes
When selecting a raw carrot substitute, it’s important to pick something that is safe to consume raw. Vegetables such as taro root shouldn’t be consumed raw.
Additionally, you’ll want to pick vegetables that have a pleasant taste when raw, as some really don’t (looking at you beets).
Be sure to lean into vegetables that are refreshing, and if possible, have a little sweetness.
Carrot Juice Substitutes
Carrot juice is somewhat sweet, a little starchy, and has earthy flavor notes that you’ll need to think about when choosing an alternative.
Butternut squash juice and orange fleshed sweet potato juice can both bring in some of those same notes. They will be more starchy though. I suggest adding a small fresh apple when juicing to bring in natural sweetness as well.
In a pinch, cucumbers could be used, however, you’ll be shifting the flavour profile dramatically. Only do this in a cold pressed juice you plan to drink, not a juice you’ll be cooking with.
Best Carrot Substitute for Salads
When carrots aren’t on the menu, don’t worry, there are plenty of other vegetables to choose from. Generally, carrots are used as a raw element in salads as a topping, alongside tomatoes, berries, protein, carbs, and more.
When you choose a carrot swap, it’s all about making sure it doesn’t clash with the other flavors in your salad, but also, that you choose something that’s safe to eat raw. For example, taro can sometimes be a good carrot substitute, but can’t be eaten raw.
These are the most suitable carrot substitutes for salad, taking into account the freshness they’ll bring (along with great health benefits):
- Celery
- Daikon Radish
- Jicama
- Mung Bean Sprouts
- Tokyo Turnips (thinly sliced)
- Watermelon Radish
- Shredded Zucchini (courgette)
No matter which of these plants you choose, with the exception of mung bean sprouts, I suggest thinly slicing, shredding, or cutting into matchsticks for the best eating experience.
Carrot Substitutes for Snacking & Dipping
Baby carrots are a popular snack food, but they’re incredibly firm and require lots of chewing. By contrast, many of the carrot alternatives I’ve listed aren’t nearly as firm, yet, they’ll provide you with a lovely dipping experience. I’d serve these fresh options alongside a range of dips:
- Apples (a less sweet variety such as Cortland or McIntosh)
- Bell Peppers (sliced with a medium width)
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Jicama (matchsticks and absolutely with a dip, not standalone)
- Zucchini (courgette)
Best Shredded Carrot Substitutes for Slaw
Slaws are such a great side dish, and topping for sandwiches and more. They can bring much needed relief to meals that have a high fat content (such as a fried sandwich), but also bring some antioxidants and nutrients to the table in addition to the crunch.
The nice thing about slaw is that it’s super versatile and since the vegetables get mixed together and covered in some kind of sauce, it’s really easy to replace the carrots. You can use any fresh vegetable that tastes good raw in place of carrots in a slaw.
Ideally, you want to be able to thinly slice it, or shred it with your grater. These would be my top choices for substituting carrots:
- Celery
- Jicama
- Kohlrabi
- Mung Bean Sprouts
- Parsnips
- Radishes
- Tokyo Turnip
Note: Remember, not all vegetables can be eaten raw. This list reflects not only good carrot alternatives, but items that can be eaten raw whilst also tasting good.
Carrot Substitutes for Asian Recipes (spring rolls, egg rolls, bánh mi, etc.)
Many delicious Asian meals call for shredded carrots. Part of what you need to substitute for is the freshness that carrot can bring to the table, along with a little sweetness, earthiness, and crunch. These vegetables would all work really well:
- Celeriac (also called Celery Root)
- Daikon Radish
- Jicama
- Kohlrabi
- Mung Bean Sprouts
- Tokyo Turnip
Substitute for Carrot Top Garnish
Flat leaf parsley is the best carrot top substitute where garnish is concerned. If you happen to be making a carrot top pesto or carrot top chimichurri, use a combination of baby spinach and arugula instead.
Parsley will have a similar taste, and very similar texture to carrot tops.
Carrot Substitution for Smoothies
Carrots in a smoothie?! Absolutely! In fact, one of the best smoothies I ever made leaned into carrot as the main ingredient ,and it was legit the most delicious winter ice cream you never knew you needed in your life.
When carrots are in a smoothie, at least when I make them, you oven toast them first so they’re nice and soft, then you freeze them. Eventually, you’ll use your carrot ice cubes in a smoothie and it’s so dang delicious.
Butternut squash is the best carrot replacement in smoothies, as you’ll get that starchy sweetness and velvet texture. The key again is to pre-cook the squash, cool, then freeze. Use your cooked frozen squash and it’s *chef’s kiss*.
To make your life easier, you can purchase cubed frozen squash, roast that, and refreeze (it’s sold raw & frozen).
Best Carrot Substitutes in Baking
Now, let’s take a look at baking! It’s critical to think about the water content of vegetables as you go about choosing a carrot alternative. When the ratios are off, you can absolutely ruin your baked goods.
Carrot Substitute in Carrot Cake
The number one, hands down, absolute best carrot substitute for carrot cake is parsnip. In terms of performance and water content, they’re going to be nearly identical.
You’ll peel and grate or shred your parsnip the same way you would carrots. There’s no need to squeeze out any liquid, unless your cake recipe calls for the carrots to be squeezed out first.
Parsnips won’t clash with traditional carrot cake ingredients including the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, raisins, and possible walnuts.
Second place goes to butternut squash. You’ll have to use some elbow grease to get it shredded, but it can also hold up to the traditional carrot cake flavours. A respectable third place goes to orange fleshed sweet potatoes.
Carrot Substitute for Muffins
Muffin recipes that call for carrots usually call for shredded carrots. The top two substitutes will be parsnips, and zucchini (courgette).
Parsnips are a simple 1:1 exchange for shredded carrots. Zucchini on the other hand, you’ll need to wash, shred, then squeeze the daylights out of it to remove the excess water.
Once well squeezed, you can use your shreds as a 1:1 replacement (pre-squeeze, the ratio will be wrong, so weigh the zucchini after the squeeze).
Shredded Carrot Substitutes for Cookies
Some oatmeal cookie recipes will call for shredded carrots. The top substitutes will be zucchini (courgette), apples, butternut squash, and parsnips.
Parsnips are great for function, but they’ll lack the flavour you may want to have in your cookies. Butternut squash will be difficult to peel and shred, but it’s still a decent choice.
Both zucchini and apples will bring a lovely texture to your cookies, however, the water content is high. These will need to be well squeezed before you can use them. Additionally, apples, depending on the variety, will contain a good amount of natural sugar. Keep that in mind as you make your choice.
Other Orange Foods to Replace Carrots (for Visual Presentation)
If you’re working on a rainbow food platter or need an orange food for visual reasons, you have a variety of orange fruits and vegetables to choose from. Here are a few to get you started:
- Orange Bell Pepper
- Butternut Squash
- Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato
- Peaches (the color is orange-yellow, but could work in most situations)
- Pumpkin
- Sweet Potato
Check out this article on orange fruit, orange vegetables, and orange ingredients for more options.
Answering Your Carrot Substitute Questions
Would shredded cassava be a good shredded carrot alternative?
No, I don’t think so. First, cassava needs to be prepared properly to make sure it’s safe to consume. Second, the starch content is considerably higher than carrots, and there’s a decent difference in their water content as well.
Daikon radish would be a good substitute for shredded carrot, as would parsnip.
Is fennel a good carrot substitute in a mirepoix?
Maybe. First, how much fennel are we talking about? 100g of fennel for carrot is fine. 450g of fennel for carrot is not fine.
In large amounts, fennel can absolutely overwhelm a recipe, and you’d be better off using something in conjunction with the fennel to balance the overall flavour.
Fennel has strong notes of licorice and anise, and generally, you can get away with up to 150g in a base such as mirepoix. Over that amount, I’d pair it with something like celeriac, rutabaga, or Tokyo turnips. This allows you to have body, earthiness, and a nice amount of flavour.
How can I color food orange without carrot powder?
Turmeric is going to be your easy answer, especially because it’s available at most grocery stores.
My top three tips for you: Start with a small amount to make sure you like the color. Start with a small amount to ensure you like the flavor profile, as some people really don’t like the taste of turmeric. Also, know that it can stain cooking utensils (even if they go thru the dishwasher).
Would cassava or taro be a good shredded carrot alternative?
If we’re talking about raw applications, neither cassava or taro should ever be used as a shredded carrot substitute since they can’t be eaten raw, safely.
If we’re talking cooked, taro root could be a good shredded carrot substitute, but personally, I’d pass on the cassava.
Is tofu a good carrot substitute in a stew or curry?
Possibly! Tofu, and even soy free tofu can add a delightful firm texture to soups and stews. However, it’s not the same as carrots. Even if you were to season the tofu with something like mushroom powder, a touch of sugar, and a dash of smoke to make it reminiscent of carrots, it still won’t be the same.
However, if YOU like the taste of tofu, and this idea excites you, I say run with it. There’s no right or wrong answer here. My only suggestion is to cook the tofu separately, then add it to the curry or stew at the end of cooking. This retains the integrity of the texture.
