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Carrot Butter: A Guest Post & Recipe from Canned Time

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Poolside

Kel and I are back home after a lazy week in Florida where I gave myself permission to break most of my eating and exercise, um, guidelines.  I ate what I wanted, when I wanted and in whatever quantity appealed.  My pace never broke the stroll barrier and I got in some high quality pool-time where a crossword puzzle, a good book, and a bottomless soy latte were never too far out of reach.  Wait a sec – - let me loosen my belt buckle.  Okay.

So while I detox from my overindulgences – including waaaay too many hours in front of the TV watching the Jodi Arias trial on HLN (she is so freakin’ guilty) – Angela from Canned Time covers today’s post.  If you haven’t visited Canned Time yet, please head over there after you’ve enjoyed her beautiful Carrot Butter recipe (look at those carrots!).  Her photos are stunning and her recipes are healthy and creative.  Thanks, Angela!

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Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

First up, my sincere thanks to Annie for helping me so much since last fall. She is truly an inspiring, good soul who can make me laugh at life….the perfect combination.

Thanks Annie ♥

So let me premise this post by confessing that I don’t like carrots. Cooked or raw, they’ve never been a veggie that I seek out, crave or otherwise munch on. And knowing what good things are packed into these little jewels, I’ve decided to change that old habit starting today!

Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

Carrots are one of the best sources of carotene, a strong antioxidant, but carrots also contain other phenolic compounds that are antioxidants. Most people do not realize that numerous phenolic compounds are located in the skin of fruit and vegetables, many of which are removed by peeling prior to processing. And Carrot greens, something rarely mentioned even in the Vegan world, are rich in vitamin K, we love that right?

So I needed to find a way to not just

include carrots in my diet, but find a way to enjoy these little lovelies!

Enter: Carrot Butter

Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

I made my Carrot Butter discovery very innocently last month while chatting with Somer at Vedged Out. I’d never even heard of it before and in an on-line search, I found there are as many recipes for Carrot Butter as there are Carrot colors. Sweet, Savory, Spicy. So I’d advise to pick your favorite flavor and here’s mine:

1 Cup of Sliced Carrots, 1 Cup of Sunflower Seeds, 1/2 Cup of Agave, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. of Ginger, pinch of Sea Salt, Nut milk (up to 1/2 Cup for smoothing)

Vegan Carrot Butter - spread the nutrition, from Canned-Time.com

Steam the carrots to fork tender. Drain. Combine everything in a blender or food processor and blend, blend blend. Add in more milk if it seems too thick. I used about 1/3 cup to smooth the paste out and I let it blend for over 5 minutes until really smooth. My first batch was a little too bumpy for my taste. Transfer the butter into a sealed container and refrigerate until cool. Serve as a dip for veggies, fruit, crackers or breads. Store sealed in the fridge for a week or so.

Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

I think I could learn to LOVE carrots now. My next batch I’ll try a savory version with some garlic and a little tumeric. The sky is the limit here.

Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

I’ve found an easy and inexpensive way to add in veggies to even more of my meals with dehydrated veggie salts. Just dry out some veggies, carrots, celery, beets, onion (my favorite on fries) grind up the dried veggies and mix them into a coarse sea salt with about a 3:1 ration salt to veggie. If you’re trying to limit salt, make a 50:50 blend. Not only does this sneak more nutrition into plain ‘ole salt but it’s a great way to use up those overly ripened, maybe not so pretty veggies that still hole so many nutrients. Dry them out and grind ‘em up!

Dehydrated Carrot Sea Salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I think my dislike of the wonderful Carrot is over. An inexpensive, flavorful way to boost any meal’s nutrition and taste! Thanks for the idea for the butter Somer. And much gratitude to Annie and An Unrefined Vegan for sharing and caring ♥

Vegan Carrot Butter - for sandwich spread or a veggie dip - from Canned-Time.com

You might also enjoy some similar ideas like these:
Sweet Potato Pecan Butter from Kristy at Keepin’ It Kind
Homemade Cookie Butter Peanut Butter from Averie at Averie Cooks
Carrot Crackers from Carmella at The Sunny Raw Kitchen
  1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says:

    What a bright, vibrant and gorgeous post. Nature and the rainbow in full effect here. Love it!

    Thanks for linking up my Cookie Butter/PB!

    • Angela @ Canned Time says:

      Cookie Butter rules! Especially when you can make it up yourself and not have to wait for Trader Joe’s inventory ;) I got a message about your book being delayed…boooooo. Was so looking forward to getting to all those PB recipes next month! Thanks Averie ♥

  2. mindyourfoods says:

    This sounds so tasty – and with so many possibilities for variations! I will try to use other veggies as well.

    And the veggies salts! Such a good idea – i will get my dehydrator to good use again :-)

  3. tearoomdelights says:

    Those carrots are absolutely beautiful! Unlike you, Angela, carrots are one of my favourite vegetables, but I’ve never heard of carrot butter before. I will definitely be making this, it looks like a great sandwich spread. I only wish I could get my hands on such a range of wonderfully coloured varieties as yours.

    And Annie, your trip to Florida sounds like utter bliss. As I look out of the window here at a blizzard and lying snow, thinking of sitting in the sun with endless lattes and a good book sounds like paradise. I’m glad you had such a lovely break. :-)

    • Lorna, I have one small complaint about my trip. It was cold! Okay, not snow-on-the-ground cold, but in the 40s in the morning and 60s in the afternoon. Not exactly perfect for soaking up the sun. We struggled through, however ;-)!

  4. The Healthy Flavor says:

    Yum, I love carrots. I’ve made a sweet potato/carrot butter before. Sooo good. I love the beautiful colors of all these carrots and I love the savory garlic idea.

  5. alexanderwillowharvey says:

    Mmmmm! I love carrots! Specially rainbow carrots OwO they are sooo beautiful

  6. Ally says:

    I am keen to try this. Big carrot fan here! I adore purple carrots.
    Beautiful photos :)

  7. athursdayschild has a long way to go and much to be thankful for. says:

    Hi I have awarded you The Very Inspiring Blogger Award. For rules see my today’s blog post. You really deserve this award! :)

  8. biggsis says:

    Great idea! Even though I do like carrots, a new way to eat them is welcome – and this sounds so very tasty. Thanks!

  9. mycookinglifebypatty says:

    Very creative photos and love the idea of the vegetable salt!

  10. Somer says:

    I still can’t believe how gorgeous those carrots are! And that veggie salt! One more reason to bemoan the fact that I haven’t purchased a dehydrator yet. Funny coincidence that I had carrot butter at Sage’s over the weekend! I love your version Angela! It’s so yummy looking!

    Oh, and Annie, I’ve been following that trial online….She’s SO guilty!

    • Carrot butter is now sweeping the nation ;-). Totally want to try the veg salt – great idea!

      If that jury doesn’t convict her…

      • Somer says:

        I might have to make some with some of Anne Sture Tucker’s flax crackers.

        We could make our OWN spike!

        Oh man, If the jury pulls a Casey Anthony, I’m gonna die…..

  11. Angela @ Canned Time says:

    Thanks everyone. Whole Foods has those carrots here in DC. The veggie salts are too easy not to try. So far I’ve done jalapeno celery carrot and onion. Onion mixed with salt and chili pepper is fantastic on fries!
    Thanks for the comments Annie O:-)

    • The onion is what got me – on oven fries?! Wow.

      • Angela @ Canned Time says:

        Its awesome. We had just a big plate of fries for dinner and ended up dipping them in the onion pepper it was so good (I have low blood pressure luckily).
        For the celery, I use the leaves and they dry out in less than a day.

  12. Brittany says:

    Welcome home Annie!! Detox away, and oh my goodness these carrots are so pretty I want to hang them in my house..but then they would rot. So I think I will just try the carrot butter! HA!

  13. annesturetucker says:

    Wow thank you for introducing me to Carrot Butter – what an amazing invention! Love it all and the photos are so beautiful! Thank you Angela!
    Annie I am so glad you enjoyed your time away!
    XXX to you both :-)

  14. Sarah says:

    Liking the salt!

  15. Richgail Enriquez says:

    Yum. This is such a fresh idea. Very interesting. I love organic carrots from the Farmers market so I’ll grab some of those and make this recipe soon.

  16. Guest Posting on ‘An Unrefined Vegan’ today! | Canned Time says:

    [...] a special treat!! I’m ‘guest posting’ over at An Unrefined Vegan today! Check out my Carrot Butter post and then be thrilled with all the wonderful ideas, recipes [...]

  17. tinykitchenstories says:

    Garlic and turmeric added? Yes please!

  18. Celine Bags says:

    And Carrot greens, something rarely mentioned even in the Vegan world, are rich in vitamin K, we love that right?

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