11 Tasty And Healthy Carrot Recipes For Toddlers

Image: Shutterstock

Your carrot recipes for toddlers’ hunt ends here. These recipes are easy to cook yet healthy, sumptuous, and delicious. Carrot is a nutritious root vegetable rich in dietary fiber and bioactive compounds like carotenoids. It also has riboflavin, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, and iron, which play a role in healthy growth and development (1).

Quick fact

Besides being packed with vitamins, carrots are also a good energy source. One baby carrot (15g) can provide about 5.25 kcal of energy, 4.5mg calcium, and 35.6 mg potassium (7).

You can include these easy-to-digest dishes in your toddler’s diet to add variety to their meals. Since most of these vegetable recipes contain various healthy ingredients, adding these dishes can contribute to your toddler’s nutritional needs.

11 Carrot Recipes For Toddlers

There are several health benefits of carrots for babies and toddlers. But a little one should reap these advantages through cooked carrots since raw carrots increase the risk of choking (2). Raw carrot sticks can be a potential choking hazard for toddlers as old as two years (3). Therefore, only serve cooked carrots or incorporate cooked carrots in various toddler food recipes.

Below are some delicious carrot recipes that are easy to prepare and safe for your toddler.

1. Honey glazed carrots

Image: Shutterstock

This recipe is one of the ideal snack ideas for toddlers. It is laden with nutrients and could help with baby-led weaning. Besides, honey adds a sweetness that your toddler is likely to enjoy.

Note: Do not feed honey to a baby younger than 12 months since it may cause a health problem called botulism (4). When serving honey to a toddler, keep the intake low to prevent overeating.

You will need:

• 1 ½ cups of water
• 3 tbsp parsley (chopped)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 cups of carrots (sliced)
• ½ tbsp grated orange rind
• Salt and pepper as per taste

How to:

1. Boil the water in a pan and add the carrots. Cook until they turn tender. Drain the water.
2. Place the carrots in a bowl, add the remaining ingredients and toss well.
3. Serve with a glass of fresh lemonade and hummus.

2. Carrots and peas

Image: Shutterstock

Carrots and peas are a good combination for babies as it adds variety and color to the plate. Besides, this combination is relatively wholesome as it provides all the essential nutrients in the right amount for healthy eating.

You will need:

• 6 cups of water
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 12 ounces of baby carrots
• 4 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 cups spring onions (chopped, only white parts)
• 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
• 2 cups pea tendrils
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pepper as per taste 

How to:

1. Boil the water and add carrots. Cook them until tender. Drain and let it cool. Now, rub off the carrot peels.
2. Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the spring onions. Add the carrots, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the tarragon and pea tendrils. Cook for ten minutes on low heat and serve.

3. Roasted carrot soup

Image: Shutterstock

Soup is a soulful and delicious addition to your toddler’s diet. This roasted carrot soup provides nutrition, is easy to eat, and also soothes the little one’s tummy. This recipe makes a good choice for the toddler’s dinner.

You will need:

• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ tbsp black pepper powder
• ½ tbsp cumin powder
• 1 ½tbsp honey
• 2 pounds of diced carrots
• 1 ½ cups of water
• 2 tbsp chopped oregano
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 cans of vegetable broth
• Cooking spray
• Salt

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. Grease a baking tray with cooking spray. Add carrots, pepper, and butter in it. Bake until the carrots turn tender.
3. Add the baked carrots, oregano, and water in the food processor. Blend to make a puree.
4. Melt butter in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Let it simmer for a minute then add the carrot puree, honey, lime juice, pepper, salt, and vegetable broth. Let the mix boil for ten minutes.
5. Once done, switch off the flame and serve. 

4. Cream of carrot soup

Image: Shutterstock

This is another version of carrot soup that you can try for your toddler. You add more vegetables to this recipe to enhance its nutritive value.

You will need:

• 2 cups of carrots
• 1 clove of garlic
• ¾ tbsp salt
• ¼ tbsp grated lemon rind
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• ¾ tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 2 cups of milk
• Nutmeg powder

How to:

1. Add the broth, carrots, garlic, and thyme in a pan. Let it all boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for ten minutes.
2. Cool the mix and then put it into a blender. Blend until it retains the texture of smoothies.
3. Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir. Now add the milk. Add the nutmeg powder and carrot puree. Let it all boil.
4. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for another five minutes. Remove from the heat and add some thyme, lemon rind, salt, and butter.

5. Baked carrot and potato

Image: Shutterstock

Baked carrots and potatoes are nutritious and easy to digest for toddlers. You can serve this recipe as a snack or an accompaniment with soup. In every way, it will provide a variety of nutrients, which are essential for a toddler’s growth.

You Will Need:

• 3 potatoes (peeled and diced)
• 6 carrots ( peeled and diced)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• ½ cup of grated cheese
• ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt

How to:

1. Steam the carrots and the potatoes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
3. Mash both the vegetables together. Add the egg, milk, onion, salt, and parsley.
4. Spread the mix on the bottom of a baking dish.
5. Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese. Add it on top of the mix.
6. Bake until the top turns golden.
7. Once done, serve as an evening snack with a warm cup of milk.

6. Carrot and apple salad

Image: Shutterstock

This is a salad recipe that your toddler would enjoy. It has the crunchiness of the carrot and apple along with the sweetness of raisins. Besides, the recipe is quite wholesome nutritionally. Serve it to your toddler in the midday or as an evening snack.

You will need:

• 1 cup carrots (grated)
• 1 green apple (thinly sliced)
• Handful of raisins
• 1 cup unsweetened plain yogurt
• Mayonnaise
• Lemon juice

How to:

1. Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and yogurt in a bowl.
2. Add the carrots and the apple in the bowl. Toss the mix well.
3. Top with raisins and serve chilled.

Did you know?

Besides orange and red, carrots also come in yellow, white, and purple colors (8).

7. Carrot and raisin quick bread

Image: Shutterstock

As the name suggests, it is one of the best finger foods that your toddler would love to have as an evening snack. It is an ideal addition to a picky eater’s diet to break the monotony of regular soups and salads.

You will need:

• 1 tbsp baking soda
• ¼ tbsp baking powder
• ¾ tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of raisins
• ½ cup of whole milk
• ⅔ cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of grated carrots
• ¼ tbsp salt
• ¼ tbsp nutmeg powder
• ¾ cup of whole wheat flour
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• Cooking spray

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
2. Mix the flour with cinnamon powder, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg powder, and salt.
3. Mix the carrot with egg, raisins, butter, milk, and brown sugar. Add the flour mix and stir well.
4. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray and add the mix. Bake until the mix sets. Let it cool for ten minutes. Remove from the pan and serve.

8. Beetroot and carrot soup

Image: Shutterstock

This preparation combines the goodness of the two root vegetables. This blender recipe is easy to digest and also highly nutritious for toddlers. You can add more vegetables, such as peas, green beans, and spinach to this recipe to intensify its nutritional value further.

You will need:

• ⅓ cup cubed carrot
• ¼ cup cubed beetroot
• ¼ cup cubed mushrooms
• ¼ cup of water
• Salt as per taste

How to:

1. Pressure cook all the ingredients.
2. Churn the vegetables in a blender until smooth.
3. Heat the vegetable soup and add salt as per taste.
4. You can also add fresh oregano, thyme, and basil if your toddler is comfortable with their taste. Ensure to check for food allergies before you add any new ingredient to the recipe.

Quick tip

Add some lemon juice and dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, and basil, to enhance the soup’s flavor and nutritional value.

9. Carrot and brown rice

Image: Shutterstock

This is one of the most nutritious meals recipes for toddlers. You can prepare this recipe in many ways. For instance, you can add vegetables to enhance their nutritional value. Brown rice provides carbohydrates and essential minerals, while carrots provide Beta-carotene and vitamin A for your toddler’s growth.

You will need:

• 1 cup carrot (grated)
• ½ cup of brown rice
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• ¼ tbsp turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• Coriander seeds and cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp oil
• Some curry leaves
• ¾ tbsp urad dal
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (chopped)

How to:

1. Cook the brown rice and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil and sauté the cumin and coriander seeds. Remove from heat and crush to make a fine powder. Keep it aside.
3. Heat some more oil and add mustard seeds. Add dal and curry leaves. Add onions and sauté.
4. Add grated carrots and stir.
5. Add the spice powders, salt, and turmeric. Sprinkle a little water. Cover and cook until tender.
6. Add brown rice and mix. Add roasted peanuts. Garnish with coriander leaves.

10. Carrot yogurt

Image: Shutterstock

A combination of yogurt and carrot makes for a delicious snack for a toddler. This recipe is easy to prepare, easy to feed, and easy to digest as well. Regular consumption of this recipe could help you enhance your toddler’s gut health in the long run.

You will need:

• 2 cups carrot (grated)
• 1 ½ cup plain unsweetened yogurt
• ½ tbsp roasted cumin powder
• Salt as per taste
• Mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil

How to:

1. Mix the carrot, yogurt, and salt in a bowl.
2. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Sprinkle over the curd and top with cumin powder.

11. Carrot poha kheer

Image: Shutterstock

This is a tasty and nutritious kheer made with poha (flattened rice), carrot, milk, black raisins, and cardamom powder. It is good for babies because it is easy to digest and high in nutrients.

You will need:

• 4-5tbsp poha
• 2 medium-sized pureed carrots
• 2 cups whole milk
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Jaggery
• 1 tbsp homemade ghee
• 3-4 black raisins

How to:

1. Wash the poha.
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan, then add the poha and keep stirring.
3. While that’s heating, add ghee to another pan and then add pureed carrots.
4. Turn off the heat after stirring up the carrots for some minutes.
5. Once the poha is cooked, add the carrots and then you can stir for a few minutes.
6. Sprinkle in the cardamom powder, mix well, and remove from the heat.
7. In a pot, bring some water to a boil and dissolve the jaggery in the boiling water.
8. Mix the melted jaggery into the kheer.
9. After the kheer has cooled down a little, place it in the freezer for some time (5 minutes), and then top it with a few black raisins.

Infographic: Toddler-Friendly Carrot Recipes

Now that your baby has entered toddlerhood and is rapidly growing, giving them healthy and nutritious food is essential. But toddlers can be picky about food. So, check out the infographic below for sweet and savory carrot recipes that are healthy and also tickle your little one’s tastebuds.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Indulge in the delicious and nutritious joy of Carrot Pancakes, a perfect delight for your children! Learn the simple and appetizing method to prepare this dish by watching this video.

Was this article helpful?

Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Dr. Sonal DhemlaPhD

Dr. Sonal Dhemla, a gold medalist with four years of experience, is working with a pediatric hospital as a consultant dietitian/clinical nutritionist. She founded ‘Dr. Sonal’s Nutrittude’, a diet clinic specializing in child nutrition, complementary feeding, juvenile diabetes, celiac disease, autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, growth issues among children, different deficiencies, and much more.

Read full bio of Dr. Sonal Dhemla

Swati PatwalM.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), MBA

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

Read full bio of Swati Patwal

Rohit GarooBSc, MBA

Rohit Garoo is a writer-turned-editor with over 9 years of experience in content writing, editing, and content marketing. He did his bachelors in Science at St. Xavier's College, Hyderabad, and masters in Business Administration at Osmania University.

Read full bio of Rohit Garoo

Ghazia ShahMSc, MA, BEd

Ghazia is a scientist-turned-writer with three years of research experience in Cancer Biology. She did her masters degree in Biotechnology at the University of Kashmir and bachelors in Education at the same university. Ghazia then delved deeper into the science of language with a masters in English.

Read full bio of Ghazia Shah