Deliciousness from my childhood: Crispy Savory Carrot Balls.
Today I wanna share with you the recipe for my mom’s famous Savory Carrot Balls. You’ll absolutely love this recipes, because these carrot balls are not only super easy and quick to make, but also very cheap, and they taste phenomenal. Carrot balls are flavorful, sweet-savory, mildly spiced, and they have the perfect texture: soft on the inside, and crispy on the outside. It’s also a very versatile recipe. Savory Carrot Balls make a great snack with a dip, but you can also use them as a salad topping, as ‘meatballs’ for spaghetti, or when shaped as a patty it’s superb in burgers.
Oh boy, it’s weird to be back to blogging again. To be honest it felt really amazing to have a little time away from blogging and social media, but I also missed being here.
In the past month I had a very relaxing holiday in Barcelona, and I do my best to not stress on work, but I have to admit that I still struggle with anxiety a lot. It’s getting better slowly, but I feel it’s not something that will magically disappear from one day to another…it’s going to take a while. I don’t know yet when my posting schedule will be back to normal…until that I will just post, I guess, every now and then…so please, bear with me, friends ❤️
On a happier note, we have to talk about this recipe, because I’m actually really excited to post this one! It’s a veganized version of one of my childhood’s favorites, and now that I re-discovered it, it’s a new staple in my kitchen.
It’s basically just a simple mixture of grated carrots, oats, and whatever spices you fancy. You can make it spicy with hot chili powder or sauce, mediterranean with fresh or dried herbs, or Middle Eastern style with cumin, coriander or allspice. This mixture works well for small, falafel-like balls, and larger patties as well. I like to bake them, but you can also deep fry them (as my mom used to do), if you prefer a crunchier, more indulgent version. Serve them with your favorite dip, on salads, pasta, or with potatoes.
If you try this recipe, let me know! I would highly appreciate if you could leave a comment and rate it. Also don’t forget to take a picture and tag it on Instagram (use the hashtag #greenevi) or post it on Facebook! I love seeing what you come up with! ♥︎
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Easy Savory Carrot Balls
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 25-30 balls 1x
Ingredients
- 300 g/10.5 oz grated carrots (about 3 cups)
- 100 g/3.5 oz oats (about 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 1.5 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 2–3 tbsp bread crumbs (use GF if needed)
- salt, pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing flax egg: in a small bowl whisk together ground flaxseeds with about 8 tablespoons of water. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Add flax egg and rest of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix well together. If you prefer a smoother finish, you can also add the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times. Adjust seasoning if needed, then cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF. Form mixture into small balls with wet hands (use about 2 tablespoons of mixture per ball), and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Alternatively, fry them in hot oil until crispy, about 3-3 minutes each side. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Vegan
They look seriously delicious. You didn’t use oil baking them?
Thanks, Angie! The ones on the salad are baked without oil, and the ones in the little bowl are fried. Had to try both version, to make sure they work 😀
Hello, is it okay to shred the carrots?
Yes, that should work too 🙂
My end mixture was too runny; would not make a ball. I researched “flax egg,” and it indicated to use only 2.5 tablespoons of water, rather than the 8 tablespoons in the recipe.
I added more breadcrumbs to firm up the mix. Came out fine!
Hi Cindy,
For me 4 tablespoons of water works well for 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds (8 tablespoons are used for 2 flax eggs here). But of course it can be different sometimes – the more coarse the flax meal, the less water it needs.
I’m glad to hear you saved the recipe with some breadcrumbs though! 🙂
I admire you garnishing skills you know. These carrot balls look so delish..
Thank you so much, Priya 🙂
I love simple and delicious recipes like this – thank you very much for sharing! Gorgeous photos too 🙂
Thank you, Maria 🙂
The carrot balls look amazing, they must be delicious too. I’m saving the recipe. xx
Thanks, Anca! 🙂
Hoping your anxiety will gradually go away. After all, it’s summer which is a legit time to take the blogger’s life easy 😉 Anyway, I’m glad you’ve posted this recipe. I honestly have never tried anything like that, but the combination of flavors is just phenomenal…like you said!
Thanks, Ben! Actually you are totally right, summer is for holidays 😀
Very very tasty!! I will definitely bake them again! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe, Ági!
I grew up eating these all the time, it’s an absolute family favorite 😉
What is the orange dressing you show on the salad? What are some of your favorite dips for the carrot balls? I’m thinking a sriracha would be tasty.
Hi Jennifer! It is sriracha mayo on the salad, sriracha goes really well with these balls. My favorite way to eat them is probably with a simple tahini dip (something like this), but things like hummus, guacamole, pesto, tzatziki, a cashew cream, or salsa are all pretty good too 😉
Hi, thanks for this recipe…I have been looking for a carrot recipe for a while now. The addition of oats is interesting and I can’t wait to try!
One question: why leave to rest for 30 mins? What does it help with? As you can probably tell I just want to make this as quickly as possible!
Hi, I let it all rest, so the oats can soak up the wet ingredients and all the flavors. I think the recipe would also work without the resting time, however the texture will be a lot better with it 😉
Let me know how you liked the recipe!
Hi there! Will it alter the recipe too much if using a real egg instead of a flax egg?
Hi Kelsey,
I don’t eat eggs, so I have no idea about that. However if you don’t like flax seeds, you could use for example ground chia seeds here. 🙂
Hello ! I’m definitely trying these soon, it looks so yummy ! But do the carrots balls freeze well ? I’d like to make a big batch and keep it for later.
Hi Jess,
I actually never tried to freeze these balls, but I would guess you could do that. Maybe prebake them first.
Let me know if you try to freeze them, I’m curious if it works 🙂
Hello, I’ll do it next time for sure. I made them today but they were so yummy there wasn’t any left to be frozen ^^;
I’m so happy to hear your liked them 🙂
Wow these look divine! I have a feeling these will be a new fave of mine. I will use millet flour or walnut flour instead of breadcrumbs as I avoid wheat due to IBS. I love oats and have 2 bags of ground flax seeds in my cupboard- love both oats and flax.
Hi Matilda! Millet and walnut flour sounds like a great addition here. Let me know how they worked in the recipe 🙂
These are amazing! Couldn’t stop eating them. Mom left for pics
Hi Alisa! I’m so glad you liked the recipe ❤️
These are addictive! I decided to bake them instead of frying and was a little afraid that they would be dry – but they turned out perfectly moist and scrumptious.
Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.
So happy to hear that, Jana ❤️
Hi, just wondering what sort of mustard you used?
Hi Sarina,
You can use here whatever mustard you like actually. I usually use dijon for the recipe (that’s what I always have at home), but it also works with yellow or whole grain mustard. 🙂
Let me know if you try the recipe 🙂
Could you use normal egg instead of flax?
Will they freeze
I don’t know, never made this with eggs. Chia egg should work though, if you don’t like flax 🙂
I eat a lot of meat but as I want to help with climate change, me and my family decided to try these, they are super tasty and really filling. I also love how crunchy they get on the outside when you just bake them. Definitely be making theses again. We have left overs in the freezer.
Hi Lily,
Thanks for your feedback, I’m glad you liked these. 🙂
I stumbled upon the recipe a couple of years ago and the carrot balls have been a staple at our house ever since. We make them at least once a month. They pair beautifully with so many side dishes and they’re also a great snack for in between. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Jana! I’m glad you like these carrot balls 🙂
No way did I get 25 – 30 balls out of this. Got almost half that amount.
I did change the flaxseed for 1 egg and put white rice (same amount) instead of breadcrumbs. Same amounts.
Did you use heaping spoonfuls for making the balls? 😉