Rich, fluffy, and oh-so-yummy CARROT SOUFFLE is an elegant crowd-pleasing side dish any time of the year. It literally melts in your mouth and is a perfect alternative to those who aren’t fans of sweet potatoes as a side especially on Thanksgiving. You’ll totally live for this simple indulgence!
If there’s one thing I love most about holiday side dishes, it’s that they fill you with different flavors right at the first bite; almost taking away the spotlight from the main courses.
This is especially true with this carrot soufflé because it doesn’t matter which piece you get, it’s always indulgent. Trust me, this recipe won’t be as daunting as it sounds.
What is a Soufflé?
A soufflé is super light and fluffy French baked dish made from beaten egg whites and yolks. This fluffy treat can be served as a savory side dish or as a sweet dessert depending on your preference. It’s a really fun dish to watch especially as it rises while being baked.
Carrot Souffle Recipe Ingredients
The simple ingredients for this carrot soufflé recipe can be easily found in your grocery store. Even better, these are no-fuss ingredients. It comes as wholesome as possible. Here’s a short list of what you’ll need.
Carrots – our recipe superstar comes as naturally as possible. Make it farm to table for an added rustic vibe.
Brown sugar – for just the right amount of sweetness that doesn’t dry out the whole dish.
Baking powder – all soufflés must rise. This does the job quite perfectly.
Vanilla extract – a flavor base that smoothens out the flavor blend. (Check out my Homemade Vanilla Extract HERE.)
Cinnamon spice – This mild spice adds natural sweetness to this dish. It also gives us that distinct holiday feeling in every bite.
All-purpose flour – serves as the body of our carrot soufflé which, when baked, grows in volume.
Eggs – the ingredient that binds our mixture together and makes our consistency firm and not crumbly.
Evaporated milk – The source of the rich and smooth flavor of the dish as a whole. It also balances out any overwhelming spices in the mixture. Try making your own with this Homemade Evaporated Milk recipe.
Melted unsalted butter – This keeps our dish moist. The mild unsalted flavors don’t affect the mixture much so we still get the authentic taste of the carrot souffle.
Making Ahead Instructions
To make this ahead, you can cook the carrots and refrigerate them a day ahead. Then let it come to room temperature before blending it with the rest of the ingredients.
Another way to make it in advance is also to bake it a day ahead, let it cool, and cover it with aluminum foil before placing it in the fridge. Once you’re ready to serve, simply reheat it in a preheated oven at 350 F for 6-8 minutes.
Can You Freeze a Souffle?
Oh yes, you can! This is actually a great way to make them ahead of time. You can make them a day before by simply holding the baking process. Instead, cover and freeze these bad boys until you’re ready to use them.
When you’re ready, leave it to cool down to room temperature before baking. Now, you might see a difference in volume between frozen and immediately baked carrot soufflé but that’s totally alright. The difference is too little to notice especially when the texture is so good!
What to Serve with Carrot Souffle?
You can serve almost anything with this carrot soufflé because of its wholesome flavors. What I suggest is to think about what kind of meal you want to serve. If it’s for lunch or dinner, you can try it as a side dish to the following:
Alternatively, this carrot soufflé recipe goes well with Homemade Whipped Cream if you plan to serve it as a dessert. Add some Crème Anglaise or this Caramel Sauce to make it even more decadent!
Other Baked Side Dish
How to Make Carrot Souffle
Peel and cut the carrots into chunks, then add carrots into a medium saucepan. Water should cover the carrots at least an inch. Cook until soft about 15-20 minutes. Drain water from the carrots and return the pot back to the stove, on low heat. Let the moisture dry out from the carrots.
Place in a large bowl while carrots are still hot, then add brown sugar, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Followed by flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg spice.
Thoroughly mix using a masher. Whisk in eggs, milk, and melted butter. Continue mixing using a wooden spoon or spatula, until fully combined. Pre- heat oven to 350 Degrees F or 177 Degrees C. Spray an 8×8 casserole pan or oven-safe dish. Pour mixture into a baking dish- about ¾ full. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
Watch How To Make It
Carrot Souffle
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453.59g) carrots
- ½ cup (99g) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (12g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4.2g) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (31.25g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (1.3g) cinnamon spice
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5g) nutmeg , optional
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (120ml) milk or evaporated milk
- ¼ cup (56.75g) unsalted melted butter
Instructions
- Peel and cut the carrots into chunks, then add carrots into a medium saucepan. Water should cover the carrots at least an inch. Cook until soft about 15-20 minutes. Drain water from the carrots and return the pot back to the stove, on low heat. Let the moisture dry out from the carrots.
- Place in a large bowl while carrots are still hot, then add brown sugar, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Followed by flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg spice. Thoroughly mix using a masher.
- Whisk in eggs, milk, and melted butter. Continue mixing using a wooden spoon or spatula, until fully combined.
- Pre- heat oven to 350 Degrees F or 177 Degrees C.
- Spray an 8x8 casserole pan or oven-safe dish.
- Pour mixture into a baking dish- about ¾ full.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
Tips & Notes:
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
JD says
Can this be made dairy free? I have serious dairy allergy
Imma says
Yes you can. Replace the milk with full fat coconut milk and coconut oil. If you don’t like coconut, try almond milk and a neutral-flavored oil.
Michelle S says
OMG! This came out sooo good! Im going to include this carrot soufflé at all my holiday dinners.
Amina says
woohoo!!!, I am happy that you like it. We gave a sweet Potato Souffle recipe too. I guess you should try it to have another great experience. Thank you
Tamara Davis says
Easy and delicious. I was worried that it would be too sweet but it wasn’t. (I used coconut sugar.)
imma africanbites says
I’m glad you like it, Tamara. Thank you for stopping by.
Gwen says
This was just incredible. The most comforting casserole imaginable. The spices and vanilla make it feel like Thanksgiving, but it’s light and airy, and so sweet. I accidentally left out the flour and it still came out wonderfully, so hey! Gluten free, and I wasn’t even trying! LOL! I cut back just a bit on the brown sugar and it was still wonderful sweet. Next time I’ll try with a stevia blend so I can feel a little less guilty about eating the whole thing myself!!
Immaculate Bites says
That’s great, Gwen! Thank you for sharing! At least now we know that accidentally leaving out flour still turns out good 😀
Ashley White says
Loved this recipe! Wanna make it for thanksgiving tomorrow, I saw instructions for boiling carrots a day ahead…would I mash them also before refrigerating?
ImmaculateBites says
yes that would work.
Mary Dooley says
Do you have any recommendations on cook time and dish size if I double this recipe? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
A 9×13 baking dish would work out just fine . Keep the same cooking time .
Hope this helps!
Jen says
I know this is alternative to sweet potatoes, but could I sub sweet potatoes instead of carrots for a sweet potato souffle? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Jen!
It might not have the same consistency but it will work out . Happy Cooking !!!