Carrot Soufflé – Easy and Delicious

The greatest compliment to a baker is not only finishing the offered baked good, but also asking for the recipe. I know there are mixed opinions about sharing ‘secret’ family recipes. Since I write a blog where I share my family recipes, I bet you can guess my stance on sharing recipes. That is part of the joy of baking, to compare tips, tricks, and – especially – all the delicious recipes. One recipe that never fails to spark interest, to delight and then to prompt the inevitable request for the recipe, is Carrot Soufflé.

What is soufflé?

I grew up eating carrot soufflé but never compared what I was eating with the Julia Child’s cheese or chocolate soufflé that seemed so intimidating. Well, probably because they truly are two different dishes with the same name. Okay, besides that fact that I said carrot and she makes cheese and chocolate varieties – yes, thank you, I am aware that is different, as well. 😉

Julia Child’s soufflés require whipping egg whites, carefully folding those whites into the soufflé batter, then baking for a while. Being very careful to not disturb the oven as the soufflé is baking, of course. These soufflés, I’m sure, are light and airy delicious masterpieces, but… let’s get back to reality. I am not at the point in my life where I am trying to make something delicate and praying I follow all the steps precisely, so I end up with a statement piece – no offense Julia.

I want to be able to make or bake food with relative ease, while kiddos are running around, and then enjoy the fruits of my labor. Great news! This carrot soufflé is just that. It is a soufflé in the broadest definition of the term. It has eggs, and it is baked, therefore it is a “baked egg dish,” aka: soufflé. But there is nothing fussy or delicate about it, just plain deliciousness.

What is carrot soufflé then?

This carrot soufflé is all the delicious parts of a cooked carrot dish. It has the sweetness, the earthiness, the bright carrot flavor, and the lovely buttery-ness that everyone loves. However, because this carrot soufflé is more than just any ol’ carrot dish, it is also smooth and almost custard-like.

Carrot soufflé lives somewhere happily between side dish and dessert. In our household, I claim it as a side dish and have no regrets. If you want to lean more towards the dessert end of the spectrum, feel free to add an extra ¼ cup of sugar. You won’t have any regrets with that either.

How to make carrot soufflé

This is where I tell you some fantastic news about carrot soufflé. It is SO easy!! After you cook the carrots, all you do is blend the ingredients in a food processor, pour into a greased dish and bake. Voila, easy-peasy – make this dish!

Okay I guess I can give you my tips and tricks, too, although really, it truly is simple.

How to steam carrots without a steamer

For this recipe, we use cooked carrots. You are welcome to use a steamer to steam your carrots (if you have a steamer and it’s not being used in your kid’s toy kitchen instead.)

Just like my strainers, many spatulas, salad spinner, my favorite whisk, and who knows what else, my steamer frequently ‘visits’ the girls’ kitchen. And I didn’t want to wash it to use it, and then have to wash it again. In all honesty, it is just one more thing to wash, so I frequently skip the steamer and make do without. The girls can keep it. So, I steamed my carrots in a pot without it.

Take about 1 ¾ pounds of carrots and peel and trim off ends; this should leave you with about 1 ½ pounds of carrots. Chop your carrots into about ½”-thick circles. This doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just for cooking. When all your carrots are relatively close in size, place all the carrots in your saucepan and add about ½ c to 1 cup of water, depending on the size of the pot. The water should cover the bottom of your pot so the carrots don’t burn. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your carrot pieces, or until the carrots are fork tender. Drain the water and add the carrots to your food processor or blender.

Order of ingredients

– The only real direction to mixing this carrot soufflé is to add the warm cooked carrots and butter to the food processor (or blender) first and puree until completely smooth.

– Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until completely combined.

– Pour into a greased baking dish and bake until done.

How to know when your carrot soufflé is ready

Your Carrot Soufflé is ready when the top is lightly browned, the edges are browned, the top feels set when lightly touched, or a toothpick or knife comes out mostly clean from the middle.

This is where I feel one of the biggest differences between Julia’s artfully crafted soufflés and this delicious Carrot Soufflé occurs. When you remove Julia’s masterpiece from the oven, no one wants it to deflate – that would be disastrous! However, with this Carrot Soufflé, I’m just going to tell you now, it deflates. You will take out a gorgeously puffed dish, and as you are watching it cool, it deflates before your eyes. But don’t worry! It makes the edges more delicious and the middle more custardy (especially the second day if there are leftovers; don’t even get me started about cold carrot soufflé – mmm).

Edge Caramelization

Here is my tip for you about baking Carrot Soufflé: the caramelization that occurs on the edges is divine! I am normally a middle all the way. An “if it’s browned, it’s almost burnt,” kind of person. With this Carrot Soufflé, give me all the browned edges and I’ll be a happy girl!

Can you take the soufflé out before the edges get so brown? Yes, you can, as long as the center is cooked and set. But you can also leave the soufflé in for an extra 5 minutes and enjoy the flavor that develops as the sugars caramelize. You won’t regret it. This is the one dish in our home that the edges are eaten along with the middle, and no corner is left unclaimed.

With this, and only this, I am team edge! Okay, well really, I am team just give me the Carrot Soufflé already!

More Delicious Recipes to Share

Honeyed Plum Cobbler with Spiced Biscuits

Rhubarb Bread

Butternut Squash Pancakes

Phenomenally Moist Carrot Cake

Great-Grandma’s Oatmeal Cake

‘Four Cups of Zucchini’ Bread

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Carrot Soufflé - Easy and Delicious

Yield: 9 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This carrot soufflé is all the delicious parts of a cooked carrot dish. It has the sweetness, the earthiness, the bright carrot flavor, and the lovely buttery-ness that everyone loves. However, because this carrot soufflé is more than just any ol’ carrot dish, it is also smooth and almost custard-like. Enjoy as a side dish or dessert - there are no rules here.

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Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs peeled carrots (about 1.75 lbs unpeeled), chopped into about 1/2" pieces
• 6 Tbs salted butter*
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar*
• 4 eggs
• 4 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the inside of an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (Or any oven safe dish that is about the same volume - 9x9 works as well).
2. Place chopped carrots in a steamer on the stove or in a pot with water covering the bottom (about 1 cup of water - doesn't need to be precise). Bring water to a simmer and steam carrots until fork tender (about 15-20 minutes).
3. Drain carrots and place carrots in a food processor or blender. Add butter and vanilla and blend until a smooth puree.
4. Add sugar, flour, and baking powder and blend until combined. Add eggs and blend well.
5. Pour mixture into your prepared baking dish. Bake for about 45 minutes or until set/firm. (A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean).
6. Enjoy hot, warm, room temp, or cold - you can't go wrong. Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.** See notes for dessert option.

Notes

*This carrot souffle is fantastic as a side dish, but it can also be enjoyed as a dessert. I would increase the butter to 8 Tbs or 1/2 cup total and add an extra 1/4 cup of granulated sugar for a total of 1 cup. Before serving, sprinkle the top of the soufflé with powdered sugar. Delicious!

**The soufflé has a more custard like texture after cooling in the fridge, it's fantastic hot or cold!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 218mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 2gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g

This information was obtained using an ingredient calculator to provide an idea of nutritional value. To obtain the most accurate numbers for nutrition information of any recipe, you should figure the nutritional information with the ingredients you used in the recipe. Each individual user is responsible for making sure that any nutritional information used is correct.