Roasted Carrot Dip

This vegan roasted carrot dip is creamy, flavorful and absolutely delicious! It's perfect to spread on crackers as an afternoon snack, on a sandwich, or to serve as part of an appetizer spread at a holiday party. It's easy to make and only requires 10 ingredients.

🥕 Why We Love This Recipe

• Smoky and sweet: We included chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to add a smoky, complex flavor to this carrot dip. The spices perfectly with sweet roasted carrots for a super satisfying dip.
• Roast and blend: This recipe is pretty easy once you've peeled and chopped the carrots. Just roast the carrots and blend the rest of the ingredients. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes, with maybe 5-10 minutes of active cooking/hands on time.
• Perfect for prepping ahead of time: like most dips, this carrot dip is easy to make days before serving, which is why it's a favorite for the holidays around our house. Nothing better than crossing something off of your cooking to-do list for a big dinner party, right?
• Great alternative to hummus: Look, we love hummus as much as the next person. But sometimes, it's nice switch things up. This roasted carrot dip is reminiscent of hummus (especially with chickpeas added for a super creamy texture), but it has a bit more 'oomph'.
• Naturally vegan, gluten and nut free: great for any dietary restrictions!

🥗 Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients in this roasted carrot dip:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Chickpeas: no need to rinse your chickpeas for this recipe – you'll actually need to keep some of the liquid from the can! You can also sub with white beans if preferred.
• Aquafaba: This is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. We use a little bit of it in the dip to help it blend better. Without the aquafaba, your dip might be a bit more chunky (which some prefer), but we like ours smooth as can be!
• Carrots: We used regular carrots in this recipe. Rainbow will work as well, but will definitely alter the color of your carrot dip. Make sure to wash thoroughly and peel the carrots before chopping.
• Smoked paprika: This is slightly different than regular paprika and adds a complex, smoky flavor that the regular version can't provide. Of course, regular paprika can be substituted and it will still taste great.
• Lemon juice: freshly squeezed is always best!
• Garlic: if you're sensitive to raw garlic, feel free to leave it out.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Wash and peel carrots and roughly chop.

(1) In a mixing bowl, add the carrots, 1 tablespoon of oil, the salt, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Stir well until carrots are evenly coated in spices.

(2) Spread carrots evenly on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until fork tender.

(3) Add the roasted carrots, 2 tablespoon of olive oil, chickpeas, ⅓ cup of aquafaba, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add more olive oil or chickpea liquid if you need to thin it out.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Make sure to rotate the pan halfway through roasting the carrots to ensure they cook evenly. You can also give the carrots a quick stir with a spatula to prevent burning.
• If the dip is too thick after blending, add more olive oil or aquafaba (1-2 tablespoons at a time) to the blender to loosen it up.
• Blender versus food processor: I personally prefer using a blender to make this carrot dip, as it tends to turn out much creamier. Our blender comes with a tamper that helps keep everything well mixed. A food processor is a great alternative to a blender, but the dip may turn out a bit more grainy and not as smooth. It still tastes fine, we just prefer ours on the creamier end.
• Serving suggestions: This dip is great with crackers, pita chips or fresh chopped vegetables like cucumber, radishes and more. We love serving it around the holidays as an appetizer. You can even serve it on crostini or as a dipping sauce for a grain bowl/roasted vegetables. It's so versatile!
  • If serving plain as a dip, we love topping it off with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and fresh herbs.
• Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 3-5 days.
• Extra spice: for an extra spicy carrot dip, add more chili powder or a dash of your favorite hot sauce. Cayenne is also a great addition, but a little goes a long way.

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