This light and fluffy cinnamon ginger carrot soufflé is a pretty, perfectly-spiced side dish for any holiday celebration. Lightly sweetened and made with less butter than traditional versions, it's a little healthier while just as delicious! (vegetarian, gluten-free option)
Super simple side dishes like basic mashed potatoes and broiled asparagus are just perfect for busy weeknights, but when it comes to holidays and Sunday suppers, I love side dishes that are just a little bit more sophisticated. Sides like green bean casserole or this carrot soufflé add a nice touch to slow and special meals shared with family or friends. If you've never had carrot soufflé, you're in for a treat!
Why You'll Love This Carrot Soufflé
This carrot side dish is a little bit like a sweet potato casserole, but extra light and fluffy and not too sweet. With warming spices that bring out the natural sweetness in carrots, it's got just enough butter and brown sugar to be called Southern, but not so much that it moves into dessert territory. Perfectly paired with whatever you've got on the menu - turkey, ham, beef, or even fish - this carrot soufflé is sure to be a hit! It is a must-make when you have a bunch of carrots to use.
The Ingredients
- Carrots - Large and baby carrots both work!
- Egg Whites - Use fresh egg whites, not the kind in the carton. Carton egg whites will not whip into fluffy peaks like we want here.
- Cream of Tartar - Helps to stabilize the beaten egg whites.
- Brown Sugar
- Flour - I use white whole wheat, but all purpose is great too. For gluten-free, use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon, Ginger, and Nutmeg - A trio of delicious warming spices!
- Butter - Not too much, just enough for a rich taste. I like to use salted butter.
- Greek Yogurt - Adds a creamy texture and a hint of protein.
How To Make It
- Peel and slice the carrots, then add them to a pot and cover with water.
- Boil the carrots until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the carrots are boiling, whip the egg whites ad cream of tartar in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Drain the carrots and add them to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, butter and yogurt. Blend again until smooth.
- In the bowl you whipped the egg whites in, gently fold the carrot mixture into the egg whites, trying to retain as much volume in the egg whites as possible.
- Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes or until puffed up and the top is golden.
- Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon (optional).
Make Ahead Instructions
- You can cook the carrots up to three days in advance and store them in the refrigerator.
- Alternately, you can do all of the steps up until baking one day in advance. Store the unbaked soufflé in the refrigerator, tightly covered. You may need to add a little more time to the baking if you're cooking it from the refrigerator.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Recipe Variations
- Gluten free: Use your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
- Fresh ginger: Use ½ teaspoon of fresh grated ginger.
- Whole eggs: You can use 3 whole eggs in place of the egg whites. You can add them straight to the blender with the brown sugar and other ingredients. The resulting dish won't be as fluffy as with egg whites, but it will taste delicious!
- Dessert: To make this a desert dish, add an additional ¼ to ½ cup of brown sugar and serve with whipped cream!
More Delicious Holiday Sides
- Healthy(ish) Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Healthy Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
- THE Best (Healthyish) Southern Cornbread Stuffing Recipe
- Maple Rosemary Roasted Acorn Squash
- Southwest Creamed Corn Casserole with Cornbread Topping
- Roasted Pumpkin Spinach Salad
- Healthier Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Lower Sugar Cranberry Sauce
If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintHealthyish Cinnamon Ginger Carrot Soufflé
This light and fluffy cinnamon ginger carrot soufflé is a pretty, perfectly-spiced side dish for any holiday celebration. Lightly sweetened and made with less butter than traditional versions, it's a little healthier while just as delicious! (vegetarian, gluten-free option)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: side dish
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 6 cups carrots (about 1.5 lbs)
- 6 fresh egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp white whole wheat flour (or ap flour or gluten-free alternative)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish. (I used a deep 9-inch square dish).
- Peel carrots and cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces. Add to a large saucepan and fill with enough water to cover carrots completely. Bring to a boil and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
- Add drained carrots to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients except for beaten egg whites. Blend until smooth.
- Gently spoon carrot mixture into the bowl with egg whites and fold in until completely incorporated, trying to retain as much volume in the egg whites as possible.
- Gently spoon the mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden on top. Remove from oven and dust lightly with powdered sugar and/or cinnamon before serving (optional).
Notes
- Use fresh egg whites, not the kind in the carton. Carton egg whites will not whip up to form peaks like we want here. Alternately you can use whole eggs (see variations below).
Recipe Variations
- Gluten free: Use your favorite cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
- Fresh ginger: Use ½ teaspoon of fresh grated ginger.
- Whole eggs: You can use 3 whole eggs in place of the egg whites. You can add them straight to the blender with the brown sugar and other ingredients. The resulting dish won't be as fluffy as with egg whites, but it will taste delicious!
- Dessert: To make this a desert dish, add an additional ¼ to ½ cup of brown sugar and serve with whipped cream!
Make Ahead Instructions
- You can cook the carrots up to three days in advance and store them in the refrigerator.
- Alternately, you can do all of the steps up until baking one day in advance. Store the unbaked soufflé in the refrigerator, tightly covered. You may need to add a little more time to the baking if you're cooking it from the refrigerator.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Keywords: cinnamon carrot soufflé, healthy carrot soufflé
Lauren says
This looks wonderful, thank you for posting. I have a question regarding the recipe: "6 cups of carrots chopped" is approx how many carrots or what is the weight measure of carrots used for this recipe? Thank you! Lauren
Kaleigh says
Hi Lauren,
It's approximately 6-8 large carrots. Enjoy!
CB says
Yum! I’m making it! Can it be made a day ahead and reheated to serve?
Kaleigh says
I haven't tried making it ahead, but I'm sure it's just as delicious reheated!