This easy carrot soufflé is a sweet, buttery Southern-style carrot side dish with a light texture and a golden top. It is a good choice for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Sunday dinner, and you can prep it ahead to make holiday cooking easier.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
This carrot soufflé is one of my favorite ways to serve carrots for a holiday meal. It is sweet, buttery, and soft in the middle, with a lightly browned top. I usually make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Sunday dinner when I want a side dish that is a little different from the usual roasted carrots or glazed carrots.
It tastes closer to a lightly sweet carrot casserole than a regular vegetable side dish, but it still works with turkey, ham, dressing, and other savory foods. Some people call it carrot fluff or carrot puff, but carrot soufflé is what I call it.
Be sure to try my Air Fryer Carrots and Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes too!
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Carrots: I use fresh whole carrots for this recipe. Cook them until they are very tender, then drain them well before blending. If the carrots are not soft enough, the mixture will not be smooth. Too much water can make the soufflé loose.
- Eggs: The eggs help the carrot soufflé set as it bakes and give it a lighter texture.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and flavor to the carrot mixture.
- Brown sugar: This gives the soufflé its sweetness. It is meant to be a sweet vegetable side dish, similar to a sweet potato casserole.
- Flour and baking powder: The flour helps the mixture set, while the baking powder helps it puff slightly in the oven.
- Vanilla and nutmeg: These give the carrot soufflé its classic sweet flavor.
How to make carrot soufflé
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 1.5-quart soufflé dish or an 8x8-inch baking dish and set aside.
Step 2: Peel the carrots and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place the carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the carrots are very tender and mash easily with a fork. Drain well.
Step 3: Add cooked carrots, eggs, light brown sugar, melted butter, all-purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, and ground nutmeg to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the carrot mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until puffed, lightly browned around the edges, and mostly set in the center. A slight jiggle in the middle is fine, but it should not look wet. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Can you make carrot soufflé ahead of time?
Carrot soufflé is best served shortly after it comes out of the oven, when it is light and fluffy. You can make the carrot mixture one or two days ahead, cover it, and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake.
How to store carrot soufflé
Let the carrot soufflé cool, then cover the dish tightly or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat, warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, covered loosely with foil, until heated through.
What do you serve it with?
Carrot soufflé is usually served with turkey, ham, chicken, or other holiday mains. Try it with:
It also goes well with savory sides like Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Giblet Gravy too!
Tanya's Notes and Tips
- Your carrots should be fork-tender when cooked so that they combine easily with the other ingredients.
- To make this dish gluten-free, you can swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free 1:1 flour.
- Make sure that the carrot mix is well blended and smooth. If you don't have a powerful blender, you may need to scrape the sides down a few times.
- I recommend using regular medium-sized carrots rather than baby carrots in this recipe, as their flavor is more pronounced.
- A toothpick will not come out clean like it does with cake. You want a thick, pudding like coating on it, not raw liquid. Keep in mind that poking the center may make the soufflé deflate a little.
More Vegetable Side Dishes
- Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts
- Marinated Air Fryer Vegetables
- Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Mushrooms
- Creamed Corn
Carrot Soufflé Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 1.5 quart souffle dish or an 8x8 pan and set aside.
- Place carrots in a medium sized pan and cover with water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Once tender, drain the carrots and set aside.
- Add cooked carrots, eggs, light brown sugar, melted butter, all-purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, and ground nutmeg to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the prepared dish and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until the souffle is puffed, lightly browned around the edges, and mostly set in the center; it should not look wet...
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar at this time if you like. Enjoy.
Nutrition
Notes
- Let leftovers cool, then store them covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheating: warm in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, covered loosely with foil, until heated through.
- Make sure that the carrot mix is well blended and smooth. If you don't have a powerful blender, you may need to scrape the sides down a few times.
- I recommend using regular medium-sized carrots rather than baby carrots in this recipe as the carrot flavor is more pronounced in medium sized-carrots.
- The powdered sugar as garnish is optional in this recipe. It will make your soufflé a tad bit sweeter.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!This post was originally published October 4, 2021. It has been updated with new information.
Jan Reither says
I haven't tried this, but I was thinking of using it with butternut squash instead. Thanks for giving me a great idea.
Jean Staffeld says
I made it with Swerve. It was delicious. I will definitely make it for holidays and potlucks. Thank you for the fantastic recipe. I am going to pass this recipe to my friends.