Can you air fry baby carrots? Yes! Learn how to make savory air fryer baby carrots with this simple recipe. This low-calorie side dish is gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30, vegetarian, and vegan friendly. You’ll love how delicious roasted baby carrots in the air fryer are, making it easy to eat your veggies. This air fryer recipe takes less time than roasting them in the oven!
I’ve had carrots on the brain ever since making a delicious oven roasted carrot recipe that came in my HelloFresh box. The carrots were baked with paprika, a surprisingly tasty combo that I knew I wanted to make again soon.
But (of course) I wanted to put my own spin on the recipe for this healthy root vegetable. And so, I’ve created this recipe on how to air fry baby carrots for you.
Baby carrots are so great, aren’t they? You don’t have to peel them, and you don’t have to chop them. You can eat them cooked or raw.
I feel like baby carrots make it into my shopping cart most weeks. They’re one of my favorite veggies to add to my Butcher Block Dinner.
If you haven’t had baby carrots in a while, I hope my air fryer baby carrots recipe inspires you to pick up a bag. They’re a veggie that is great to buy in any season!
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📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of Air Fryer Baby Carrots has 148 calories, 10.8 grams net carbs, and 1.9 grams protein. They’re also an excellent source of vitamin A!
⭐ Benefits
Why make baby carrots in an air fryer? Here are a few of the benefits of these air fried baby carrots:
- Special diets: This simple recipe is compatible with most special diets: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30. Baby carrots will also fit into most low carb diets (but perhaps not keto diets, as discussed in the tips section).
- Nutritious: Carrots are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, especially the antioxidant provitamin A. They’re also rich in fiber.
- Fast: As mentioned above, you don’t have to peel or chop baby carrots- they're ready for air frying and eating! You can air fry roasted baby carrots in only 25 minutes. It takes longer to preheat and roast baby carrots in the oven.
- Easy clean up: Your non-stick air fryer tray or air fryer basket is likely much easier to clean than a baking pan.
- Delicious: This is a kid-friendly recipe, as even picky eaters tend to like carrots. Air frying baby carrots is a tasty way to help boost your intake of veggies.
🥘 Ingredients
To make baby carrots in the air fryer, you need:
- Bag of baby carrots (1 lb./454g)
- Avocado oil (or olive oil)
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper
- Cooking oil spray (choose a non-aerosol cooking spray free of propellants)
I used regular orange baby carrots for this recipe. You could use fresh rainbow baby carrots for a more colorful side dish.
If you don’t mind a little extra work, you could also use regular carrots for this recipe. Simply peel them and cut them into baby carrot-sized carrot sticks.
🍽 Equipment
I develop my air fryer recipes with a 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven. You can air fry baby carrots with a Ninja Foodi, Cosori, Philips, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Power Air Fryer, or other air fryer. However, you may need to adjust the cook time.
If you have a small air fryer, you may need to cook your baby carrots in batches. I was able to fit the entire bag of baby carrots in a single layer on one air fryer tray.
🔪 How to Make Air Fryer Baby Carrots
Put the fresh baby carrots in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle them with avocado oil and sprinkle on the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir so that the spices are evenly distributed amongst the carrots.
Mist your air fryer tray or air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Put the carrots in a (mostly) single layer on the tray. It’s fine if they touch, you just don’t want them piled on top of each other.
Place the tray of carrots in the top rack position (if you have an air fryer oven). We’re ready to air fry!
️⏲ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long to air fry baby carrots? What temp to cook baby carrots in air fryer? Air fry baby carrots for a total of 25 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190C).
Start by air frying the baby carrots for 15 minutes. Then flip them and arrange them back into a (mostly!) single layer. Mist them with cooking spray if they are beginning to look dry. Air fry an additional 10 minutes.
This recipe will get you carrots that are similar to oven roasted baby carrots. You would need to cut them thinner and roast longer to get air fryer crispy carrots (like carrot fries).
I garnished the cooked carrots with a little parsley before serving.
🥗 How to Serve
What to serve with baby carrots? Baby carrots go with a variety of entrees, from a simple hamburger to a holiday roast. Here are a few main dishes for baby carrots:
- Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Rotisserie Chicken in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pork Roast
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Baby carrots are a low calorie, high volume, non-starchy veggie that are packed with nutrients. I would consider carrots a healthy side dish that aligns well with most dietary patterns and health goals.
Baby carrots are naturally sweet and need little to enhance their flavor. If you don’t like smoked paprika, feel free to flavor them up with different spice and herb combinations. For example, you could make air fryer ranch baby carrots with dill, thyme, and parsley.
Since most Americans are exceeding the recommended limits for added sugar intake, I wouldn’t add sugar to the carrots. Added sugar includes the following:
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup (for a maple glaze)
- Honey
- Coconut sugar
Some exceptions may be if you’re trying to encourage a picky eater to eat more vegetables, or help someone to eat more calories overall. “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the [veggies and more calories] go down,” to put a twist on Mary Poppin’s sage advice.
🥕 Are baby carrots keto?
Baby carrots are considered a non-starchy veggie, and (as long as you don’t add sugar) should fit most low carb diets. However, per Cronometer, baby carrots provide about 8-10g net carbs per ⅓ lb (151g). This air fryer roasted carrots recipe may not be a good fit for very low carb (i.e., keto) diets.
FAQs
According to the Food Network, baby carrots were originally invented as a way to use up ugly big carrots, preventing food waste. To make baby carrots, large carrots are cut into sections and peeled (this is how the rounded ends are created). “Baby carrots” in the U.S. are really “baby-cut carrots.”
In terms of general nutrition, baby carrots are good for you. They’re low calorie, fairly low in net carbs, and rich in fiber, vitamin A, and potassium. I would consider baby carrots to be a healthful addition to the diet of most individuals.
Air fry frozen carrot slices following the directions for Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli. Mix 1 lb. (454g) of frozen carrots with 3 tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon seasoning. Spread the carrots on two air fryer racks and air fry for 20 minutes at 400F (200C), switching the position of the trays in the air fryer after 12 minutes.
Air fryers are best at roasting, crisping, and drying foods rather than steaming. To steam your baby carrots, sprinkle them with water and try air frying at a lower temperature (such as 350F/175C). You’ll want to take them out of the air fryer when they are fork-tender but not browned.
To make air fryer dehydrated baby carrots (i.e., air fryer baby carrot chips), slice the carrots as thin as possible. Air fry at a very low temperature (180F/82C) until dried and crispy. This may take as long as an hour. To brown, toss them with a little oil and turn the heat up towards the end of the air frying time.
👩🏻🍳 Other Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
Want more recipes for cooking veggies in the air fryer? Try these air fryer side dish recipes next:
- Air Fryer Carrots with Herbs, Tahini, and Pomegranate Seeds
- Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
- Squash in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Baby Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb baby carrots (454 grams fresh carrots)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cooking oil spray (non-aerosol)
Instructions
- Put fresh baby carrots in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle on the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir so that the spices are evenly distributed amongst the carrots.
- Mist an air fryer tray or air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Put the carrots in a (mostly) single layer on the tray. It’s fine if they touch, you just don’t want them piled on top of each other. Place the tray of carrots in the top rack position (for air fryer ovens).
- Air fry the baby carrots at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes. Then flip them and arrange them back into a (mostly!) single layer. Mist them with cooking spray if they are beginning to look dry. Air fry an additional 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C) (top rack position).
- Fully cooked carrots should be fork tender and slightly browned. Add more cooking time as needed. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup (for a maple glaze)
- Honey
- Coconut sugar
Geri says
Interesting recipes look forward to trying them. I'm 78 and I just got my first air fryer. Cooking for one is not easy. Do I put cornstarch on carrots? Thanks for your support. 😊
Summer Yule says
Hi Geri, so happy you're here! I think you're really going to like air frying for cooking for one 🙂 There's no need to add cornstarch to the carrots for this recipe. They turn out more like roasted carrots than boiled carrots in the air fryer.