This Spring Carrot Soufflé Recipe is a fluffy carrot casserole made super quick and easy in the blender, there’s no whipping or folding egg whites involved. It makes the perfect pairing for an Easter ham or just about any spring meal.
While this soufflé isn’t the traditional rush it to the table before it falls type of French soufflé, it’s still light and fluffy, and full of sweet carrot flavor that just about everybody will love.
How is this carrot soufflé different from a traditional French soufflé?
- A classic French soufflé is made with egg whites that are beaten until stiff, and then folded into the base of the recipe. When it bakes the egg whites help it to rise nice and tall. A soufflé made this way will sometimes fall after it comes out of the oven as it starts to cool, so cooks will rush it to the table while it’s still impressively high.
- This ‘soufflé’ is so named because it has a similar fluffy texture, and is made with lots of eggs. But in this case they are beaten into the dish whole. It does puff up a bit as it bakes, and also sinks down a bit as it cools, but not nearly as dramatically as its namesake. The texture is denser, but smooth and creamy, which I love.
carrot soufflé : sweet or savory?
This creamy soufflé is a savory recipe, and I love it with a shower of snipped chives, but there’s no reason you couldn’t sweeten it up like I do with my fall Butter Pecan Pumpkin Soufflé or my Butter Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole. Those two side dishes include the tantalizing addition of a sweet streusel topping. You could substitute carrots for the pumpkin or sweet potato in either recipe for a springtime version if that tempts you.
I love this dish because it’s unexpected, but not crazy in any way, everybody at the table, even the little ones, will love the fluffy texture and the sweet flavor of the carrots. It complements ham perfectly, but will fit right in with so many everyday meals.
I see carrots in a new light each Spring!
Carrots are one of the first things I reach for when I first feel that hint of spring in the air. Sure, they’re always there in the produce aisle, but somehow they take on a new significance as the season shifts from winter to spring.
- Rainbow Carrots with Browned Butter and Sage ~ another carrot side dish that works for any spring meal.
- Rye and Carrot Salad ~ this is one of my favorite salads on the blog, it’s unique and really delicious.
- Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lime ~ a classic with a twist.
- Quick Pickled Rainbow Carrots ~ rainbow carrots are so pretty, and this is a great way to show them off. Use these pickled carrots for quick healthy snacking.
Reader Rave ~
“This was a huge hit!! I doubled it and used a bundt pan it turned out perfect. Light fluffy. Thanks it will definitely be a recipes I will continue to make at many meals!! Thanks, Sue!!” ~ Marcie
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Carrot Soufflé
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into one inch slices.
- 1 cup buttermilk, you can also use regular whole milk
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and lightly butter your baking dish. I used a round 2 quart dish but you can also use an 8×8 square baker.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil with a teaspoon of salt and add the carrots. Gently boil the carrots until they are tender. (Check with the point of a sharp knife.) Drain.
- Meanwhile, I blend the buttermilk, eggs, and salt in my Vitamix (you can also use your food processor.)
- I’ll add the drained cooked carrots, butter, and sugar, and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cheese, flour, and baking powder. Pour into your prepared dish, spreading out evenly.
- Bake for about an hour, or a little longer, until puffed up and just beginning to brown (cover loosely with foil if it seems to be browning too soon.) It shouldn’t jiggle in the center, or look wet inside the cracks.
- Serve while hot, with a shower of snipped chives
Notes
Recipe is lightly tweaked from The Kitchn
Nutrition
Hello Sue,
This recipe was nothing shy of wonderful. It paired beautifully with the oven roasted ham we prepared, and brought a new, lighter flare to our dinner table.
I had never heard of a carrot souffle, nor of a souffle that could be prepared in advance, and I was excited to give it its day in court. The jury is in, and it was the unique, stress free, and epic recipe for which we were in need.
Thank you for sharing you culinary talents with us all.
Be safe, be well, and be happy, Sue.
Hi Sue! This looks amazing! Sadly I don’t have cheese because of COVID19 closures. Is there anything I can substitute for cheese that you would recommend?
That’s a tough one, I can’t really think of a substitute, but I wonder if you could make it without the cheese. I’m afraid I’m not sure on that one, so you’d have to experiment, sorry!
How long can I keep this in the refrigerator?
Because this is a souffle it’s really best eaten right out of the oven, Karen.
This was a huge hit!! I doubled it and used a bundt pan it turned out perfect. Light fluffy. Thanks it will definitely be a recipes I will continue to make at many meals!!
I’m so happy to hear this ~ and I love the idea of using a bundt. I have plans to try this souffle with asparagus and other veggies.
Made this a few weeks ago and love it. I want to make it for Easter dinner on Monday, but need it to feed 8, not 6.
Can I get away with just adding a couple more carrots, or would you increase everything by 1/3? What would that do to the cooking time?
I’m thinking of putting it in my 3 qt oval rather than a 2 qt round dish.
Hmmmm, I would think that the proportions are pretty important in something like this, so I would try to increase everything in the same proportions if you can figure that out, my math brain is not what it used to be, or I’d try to do it for you!
For 8 servings, I increased everything by roughly 1/5 – 1/4 and it worked really well. Other than the fact that I forgot to adjust the time accordingly, but it was okay in the end and everyone loved it.
My mom (who had bronchitis in February, is on her third lot of antibiotics and still isn’t totally better) hasn’t eaten a decent meal in months. Guess who had seconds? Well, okay, we all did, but MOM CAME BACK FOR A SECOND HELPING!
My husband doesn’t care for cooked carrots (we have been married for 26 years and he’s just telling me this now?!?) but he really likes them like this.
It was a TVFTGI kind of meal tonight…dessert was your gluten free tangerine cake. Apparently I am now a full fledged kitchen goddess. Thanks!
I’m grinning reading this…especially the part about your mom 🙂