Carrot Souffle (Easy Recipe)

If you’ve never heard of or tried carrot souffle, you’re in for a treat! This fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth dish will be your new holiday favorite!

This recipe proves that carrots can be more than just a support ingredient and can shine on its own.

Made with just pureed carrots, sugar, butter, eggs, and spices, this souffle is perfectly sweet, creamy, and loaded with fall flavors.

It’s a cross between a side dish and a dessert, which allows you to serve it either way.

You can have it with roasted turkey or glazed ham, or enjoy it as a palate cleanser after a heavy meal. That’s how versatile it is.

Can’t wait to try something new? Let’s get cooking.

Easy Carrot Souffle Recipe

Carrot souffle is a decadent yet light dish perfect for the holidays. It’s not technically a souffle, but a baked casserole made primarily of pureed carrots. 

Think sweet potato casserole, but lighter, fluffier, and more delicate.

And because it’s not a real souffle, you don’t have to worry about the recipe being super complicated. It’s so easy, it’s foolproof.

What is carrot souffle made of?

• Carrots – This recipe is for a carrot souffle, after all! Peel and cut them into pieces beforehand to cook them faster.
• Margarine – Butter works, too. If using salted butter, skip the salt.
• Vanilla Extract – Just a splash is enough to brighten up the souffle’s flavor.
• Eggs – For a rich and fluffy souffle.
• All-Purpose Flour – Just a small amount to create a bit of a cake-like consistency.
• Salt – Only add it if you’re using unsalted margarine or butter.
• Granulated Sugar – For sweetness. This dish can be served either as a side or dessert. Adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
• Brown Sugar – I like to use a combination of granulated and brown sugar for this recipe because it creates the perfect balance of flavor and texture. The brown sugar has a deeper flavor that pairs wonderfully with fall spices. It also contains molasses which helps moisten the souffle. The souffle will be way too sweet, though, if you only use brown sugar, which is why you’ll mix it with equal parts granulated sugar to balance it out. 
• Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg – For that classic, holiday flavor.

How to Make Carrot Souffle

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and greasing a 2-quart casserole with butter.

2. Cook the carrots by boiling or steaming. Either way, you’ll want to chop the carrots so they’ll cook faster. Cook the carrots until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes.

3. Combine the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Start with the carrots and liquid ingredients first – the margarine, vanilla, and eggs. Blitz them until well-blended. Sift in the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blitz again until you get a smooth mixture.

4. Pour the mixture into the casserole and bake. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Carrot Souffle

• You can use either fresh or frozen carrots for this recipe.
• Other recipes call for an electric mixer to combine the ingredients, but if you want a smoother souffle, use the food processor. It will blend the ingredients into a smooth and silky mixture in no time.
• If you want a coarse puree with chunks of carrots here and there, it’s better to mash them by hand using a pair of forks.
• Lessen the sweetness by reducing the sugar by 1/8  cup.
• On the contrary, if you want more sweetness to the casserole, garnish it with a dusting of powdered sugar.
• This souffle is best served fresh from the oven when it’s nice and puffy. It’ll start to deflate over time, but don’t worry, it’ll still be just as tasty.
• You can serve carrot souffle either as a side dish or dessert. 
• If served as a side, carrot souffle pairs wonderfully with roasted turkey and baked ham. That’s why it’s such an ideal holiday side!
• Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 to 3 days. Reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

Recipe Variations

This carrot souffle is perfection as it is, but there are ways to make it your own. Try any of these variations and let me know how it turned out!

• Add more cozy holiday flavors with a pinch of ground ginger, orange zest, or pumpkin spice.
• Amp it up with toppings. Whether it’s brown sugar streusel, chopped pecans, or mini-marshmallows, toppings will make the souffle more spectacular.
• Make individual carrot souffles – because miniature versions are always so much more adorable. Grease 8 ramekin with butter. Pour the carrot puree over and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and jiggly.
• Want to make them ahead? Boil the carrots a day in advance and puree them in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients when ready.

More Holiday Side Dish Recipes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Paula Deen’s Green Bean Casserole

Jiffy Cornbread Casserole

Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots