Healthy Mashed Carrots
Healthy mashed carrots make a great low carb substitute for mashed potatoes. Creamy, velvety texture that is full of flavor & low in calories.
Our Christmas trip to Mexico is now officially 1 month away! But there’s a small problem. Do you know how many starchy, sugary, carby foods are going to be served up between now and then!? Between Thanksgiving next week, and many holiday parties in December, I’m not sure how great Shawn and I are going to be looking in our swim suits by the end of December. It’s like temptation central!
In order to combat this, we are currently off sugar, and trying to avoid carbs. That way, when we indulge at Thanksgiving and holiday parties we won’t feel so guilty. It’s all about balance, right?
For dinners we’ve been eating lots of lean protein and vegetables. One of my favorite side dishes are these healthy mashed carrots! Extremely low carb, and sugar free. They’re a great substitute for mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. I’ve made mashed cauliflower in the past, and while they taste great and certainly look like mashed potatoes, the texture has never been the smooth and velvety texture of mashed potatoes. Solution? Mashed carrots. You cook them exactly like you would mashed potatoes, and by using an immersion blender they get perfectly smooth and creamy. Just the texture you want.
Unlike bland potatoes, carrots already have a ton of flavor. I just season them with a little butter, chicken stock, salt and pepper and they taste amazing. Plus, you don’t even need to peel the carrots, which was my least favorite part of making mashed potatoes. Just give the carrots a good scrub under the sink, and they’re good to go.
Healthy Mashed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, about 12 large carrots, scrubbed
- 4 tablespoons butter, or more to taste (substitute Earth Balance for vegan)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, substitute vegetable stock for vegan
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Chop the carrots into even sizes, about 1" pieces. Boil in the water for about 15-20 minutes, or until a knife can easily be inserted and removed from the carrots. Drain the water, and add the carrots back to the pot. Add in the butter, chicken stock, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mash the carrots using a hand masher until evenly mixed. To get the carrots extra smooth, puree the carrots using an immersion blender or food processor. Taste to see if they need more butter or salt. Serve warm.
43 Comments on “Healthy Mashed Carrots”
I love this idea for a side dish. I love cooked carrots so I’m sure this will become a quick favorite of mine and it is a great substitute for mashed potatoes. Well, at least sometimes! Have a great weekend!
Nat, I’ve never had mashed carrot. Looks so nice and of course healthier than mashed potato. Thanks for this recipe. Pinned!
Mashing Carrots, what a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing.. so many ideas what to do with it :)
Mashed carrots…what a great idea, Natalie!! I’ve never even thought about that before but it’s a brilliant healthy side I need ASAP. Especially with all the festivities this time of year! :)
Oh man. I’d love to be heading off to Mexico but I’m not sure about putting on a swimsuit for the next 6 months or so. Lol. These carrots looks incredible!
Love that video Natalie. And carrots…I would have never thought of them. I love them in soups, raw, and roasted so mashing them is a no brainer. Great photos!
Definitely healthy! Carrots are always in my kitchen, I use them very often:)
These sound delicious! I have never tried mashed carrots, but I think I will now! Love the color!
Oh my gosh, why have I never thought of this?? These sound so good! I can’t believe you guys are going to Mexico for Christmas. SO FUN!! My entire family is staying a few days in SF. It’s going to be awesome! Yay for the holidays!
You are going to hav such a great time in Mexico and since there is so much delicious food in your near future don’t even stress about the bathing suit thing, just enjoy :). We booked a cruise for March and I told Kurt that after the holidays are over we are eating like birds.
These mashed carrots are a must make for me. I can eat carrots in any form but have never tried them mashed. Sounds like a good idea.
This is such a great idea for a healthy spin on mashed potatoes. I can’t even imagine if I were trying to be swimsuit ready in a month’s time! I need 6 more months still….You’ve got some serious self-control. I hope you have a fabulously relaxing time on the beaches of Mexico!
these look great, welcome change from mashed potatoes!
I’ve never mashed carrots! Well, except when they were babies. I will try this soon. I’m sure I’d love it!
I need to jump on board with less sugar and less carbs but hmm…thinking I’ll wait til January. :)
Happy Thursday Natalie!
This is such a great idea, Natalie! I love that you mashed carrots, that’s such a nice change and makes a healthier side dish! They look so creamy and the color is gorgeous!
Swimsuits in the winter are hard to pull off — it’s comfort food time! These carrots would be a great way to eat healthy and not feel like you’re missing out. They sound delicious, Natalie, and that trip sounds so fun! :)
Yum! I love carrots, these look so creamy and perfect! Great idea! I need to be pumping my body up with some of these healthy carrots to make up for the turkey, wine, stuffing, and more wine that I’ll soon be inhaling :-(
This sounds great! I never would think to mash carrots, but these look creamy and delicious! Definitely a heathy sub for mashed potatoes :) pinned!
Super clever idea! I’ve never tried the mashed cauliflower, never sounded that good to me and quite frankly – a potato is a vegetable. Comes from the earth and I’m okay with eating them – just as long as they are not soaked in butter I suppose :)
Loved the video too – you two are quite a team!
Kathi
I love the idea of mashed carrots, Natalie! I’ve never thought to do that, so I’m loving this recipe! Sounds like such an easy way to make these, and the flavor sounds incredible!
Haha! I totally here ‘ya on the swimsuit thing. My family and I are going to a resort waterpark practically RIGHT after Thanksgiving next week of all times!
That being said, I’m pretty sure I could LIVE on these gorgeous carrots until then! Loving how smooth and creamy they look—such a nice change from the usual mashed sweet potatoes. ;) Pinning!