Sweet and Savory Carrot Souffle Recipe - Easy Side Dish Idea! (2024)

If you love sweet potato casserole, you’ll love this sweet and savory carrot soufflé! Serve this easy carrot recipe as a holiday side dish or as a dessert.

Easy Carrot soufflé

Carrots? In a soufflé? You bet! If the idea sounds a bit odd to you, hear me out. I felt the exact same way when I first discovered this side dish! One bite of this sweet and savory carrot soufflé, however, and you won’t be disappointed. Cooked carrots have so much flavor and natural sweetness. Combined with cinnamon, ginger, sugar, and butter and baked to perfection, a soft, fluffy carrot soufflé is an unquestionable winner. Dessert or side dish, you decide, but either way, the carrots shine!

Why You’ll Love This Carrot soufflé Recipe

• Flavorful. This carrot soufflé is carrots like you’ve never eaten them before. This recipe is rich, vibrant, flavorful, and fluffy, like a cross between a carrot cake and a sweet potato casserole or pumpkin pie. Every bite melts away, leaving behind subtle spice and earthy carrot sweetness.
• Simple ingredients. There’s a very good chance that you have what you need to make a carrot soufflé in your fridge and pantry already.
• Lightened up. I make this carrot soufflé with less butter than similar recipes you’ll find out there, but it still has plenty of flavor to make it a delicious treat.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a short and sweet overview of what you’ll need to make this carrot soufflé. Check out the recipe card below the post for a printable ingredients list.

• Carrots –You’ll need about 2 pounds of peeled carrots, chopped into ½ inch chunks.
• Brown Sugar –Light or dark brown sugar, whichever you have on hand. Granulated white sugar also works in a pinch.
• Butter –I recommend unsalted butter, melted in the microwave.
• Dry Ingredients –Flour, baking powder, and salt. Make sure it’s baking powder and not baking soda, they aren’t the same!
• Eggs and Vanilla –Use real vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla.
• Spices –Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. You can also replace these individual spices with homemade pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice, as the ingredients are very similar.
• Powdered Sugar –Optional, for topping.

How to Make Carrot soufflé

Who can say no to an effortless side dish? Below is a quick overview of the steps to make this soufflé. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable instructions.

Cook the carrots. First, boil the carrots until they’re tender, then drain and set them aside.

Blend the ingredients. Blend the remaining ingredients in a food processor, then add the cooked carrots, continuing to blend everything into a smooth batter.

Bake. Spread the carrot batter evenly in a greased 8 x 8-inch casserole dish. Bake the soufflé at 350ºF for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the center comes out clean.

Finish and serve. Take your soufflé out of the oven, dust the top with powdered sugar, and serve!

Tips for Success

Follow these handy tips when making this fluffy carrot soufflé:

• Use fresh carrots. If you don’t have fresh carrots, feel free to substitute frozen carrots instead. Make sure to thaw and drain them well before pureeing.
• Blend the carrots well. You can do this using a food processor, blender, or even an immersion blender. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work to mash the carrots by hand for this recipe. You’ll end up with a chunky consistency instead of a smooth and silky batter.
• Grease the baking dish. This prevents the soufflé from sticking. Don’t skip this step!

Make This Carrot soufflé Recipe Your Own

You’ll be surprised by the number of ways that you can adapt this soufflé to suit. Try these ideas:

• Less sweet. If you prefer a more savory side dish, reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe to taste.
• Make this carrot soufflé with a pecan topping. Top your baked soufflé with toasted pecans or spiced pecans for extra crunch. Another option is to crush or chop the pecans and combine them with butter and brown sugar to make a streusel.
• Add a marshmallow topping. Top this souffle with mini marshmallows before baking (like you would sweet potato bread pudding).
• Roast the carrots. For more depth of flavor, make roasted carrots instead of boiling them. Leave off any seasonings, and once the carrots are soft, blend them with the other ingredients as directed. The color of the soufflé will be slightly darker.
• Use another veggie. In place of carrots, make this soufflé recipe with chopped butternut squash or sweet potato.
• Make individual servings. Transfer your carrot soufflé batter to individual ramekins for a single-serving dessert recipe. Keep an eye on them while they bake, as the cooking time will vary.
• Gluten-free. Swap regular flour for your preferred 1:1 gluten-free flour to make this carrot soufflé gluten-free.

Serving Suggestions

This easy carrot soufflé is perfect for the holidays. Serve it at Thanksgiving alongside classics like green bean casserole and crock pot stuffing. It’s also delicious next to an Easter ham.

If you’re serving this carrot soufflé for dessert, top slices with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A dollop of whipped cream cheese also gives this soufflé some serious carrot cake vibes!

Make Ahead Ideas

To make this recipe ahead, prepare the soufflé batter and then cover and refrigerate it up to a day in advance. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time if the batter is chilled.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

• Fridge: Store the cooled soufflé in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Reheat: To reheat, warm this carrot soufflé in the oven (350ºF for 10 minutes or so should do it), until it’s puffed up and hot throughout. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
• Freeze: Let the baked carrot soufflé cool completely, then store it in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost the soufflé in the fridge before reheating.