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    Home » Entrees

    Carrot Dogs

    Published: Aug 12, 2022 Updated: Aug 13, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Carrot Dogs

    These carrot dogs are the best I’ve ever tasted and they really do taste like hot dogs! Cooked in a smoky marinade sauce for the best flavor.

    Carrot dogs with mustard on a gray plate.

    When I was thinking about making this recipe I was wondering if I should call them ‘vegan hot dogs’ or ‘carrot dogs’.

    I decided on carrot dogs because honestly, calling them hot dogs seems a bit misleading.

    They ARE cooked in a way that makes them taste remarkably like hot dog sausages, but…. they’re still carrots. They might be my new favorite way to EAT carrots though.

    We tried lots of different ways of making these carrot dogs, from marinating them for hours, to baking them in the oven, grilling them on a grill pan, but everything we tried still looked and tasted just like a cooked carrot! The ‘hot dog’ vibe was missing.

    We finally hit on a method that works so well, it really does taste a LOT like a hot dog sausage, and better yet, it works really well in a hot dog roll with mustard and ketchup.

    So if you’re looking for a really healthy, and pretty quick way to make hot dogs then these carrot dogs are exactly what you’re looking for.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Ingredients for carrot dogs.

    Ingredient Notes

    • Carrots – should be large carrots so that they can be shaped to look like sausages. It’s ideal if they’re a bit longer than a hot dog bun, so that you can cut them to size.
    • Liquid smoke – really bumps up the smoky flavor. You can usually buy this in the same section of the store as bbq sauce. Or you can get it online.
    • Vegetable stock – or broth are both fine to use.
    Carrot dogs with mustard on a gray plate.

    How To Make Carrot Dogs

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Trim and peel your carrots so that they are roughly the same length as a hot dog bun and an even shape, similar to a sausage.
    Peeling and shaping carrots on a wooden cutting board.
    • Add vegetable stock, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and maple syrup to a measuring jug and whisk together.
    Sauce ingredients added to measuring jug and whisked together.
    • Grease a medium skillet with a little olive oil.
    • Add the peeled carrots and then pour over the sauce.
    Carrots in a skillet with sauce.
    • Heat on medium high heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat, cover and let the carrots simmer until fork tender (about 25 minutes).
    Carrots cooking in sauce in a skillet.
    • Remove from the heat, cover and let it sit, covered for 20 minutes.
    Cooked carrots in sauce in a skillet.
    • Then remove the carrots from the skillet.
    • They’re ready to serve!
    Carrots on a baking sheet.

    Want To Grill Them?

    If you want to get those pretty grill lines on your carrot dogs, then you would still prepare the recipe as written, but as an optional extra step, heat up a grill pan with a little oil and when hot, add your carrot dogs and let them sear on either side to get those lovely grill marks.

    These carrot dogs make a great make-ahead option in this respect as you can make them as usual, but then let them cool and take them along to an outdoor picnic or BBQ and simply reheat and sear them on the grill before serving.

    Carrot dogs with mustard on a gray plate.

    Serving Suggestions

    Serve them in hot dog buns with mustard and ketchup for a classic version. Other great toppings are relish, guacamole, vegan refried beans, vegan chili or vegan baked beans.

    They’re great with salads on the side like vegan potato salad, vegan coleslaw or vegan macaroni salad.

    Carrot dogs with mustard on a gray plate.

    Storing and Reheating

    Keep leftover carrot dogs stored in the fridge in a covered container and enjoy within 3-4 days.

    They’re great enjoyed cold but you can also reheat them in the microwave or in a hot pan.

    Carrot dogs with mustard on a gray plate.

    More Delicious Vegan Recipes

    1. Vegan Burgers
    2. Portobello Burgers
    3. Tofu Steaks
    4. Vegan Kebabs
    5. Grilled Tofu
    6. Vegan Sausages

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Carrot dogs on a gray plate.

    Carrot Dogs

    These carrot dogs are the best I've ever tasted and they really do taste like hot dogs! Cooked in a smoky marinade sauce for the best flavor.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Resting Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 185kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 8 Large Carrots Trimmed and Peeled
    • 2 cups Vegetable Stock (480ml) or Broth
    • ½ cup Ketchup (120ml)
    • 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
    • ½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
    • ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
    • Olive Oil To lightly grease your skillet

    Serving:

    • 8 Hot Dog Buns
    • Mustard and Ketchup or other toppings of your choice.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Trim and peel your carrots so that they are roughly the same length as a hot dog bun and an even shape, similar to a sausage.
    • Add vegetable stock, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and maple syrup to a measuring jug and whisk together.
    • Grease a medium skillet with a little olive oil.
    • Add the peeled carrots and then pour over the sauce.
    • Heat on medium high heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat, cover and let the carrots simmer until fork tender (about 25 minutes).
    • Remove from the heat, cover and let it sit, covered for 20 minutes.
    • Remove the carrots from the skillet and serve in hot dog buns with mustard and ketchup.

    Notes

    1. Carrots – should ideally be the same size or a bit longer than the hot dog buns so that they can be trimmed to fit. 
    2. Grill them: If you want to get those pretty grill lines on your carrot dogs, then you would still prepare the recipe as written, but as an optional extra step, heat up a grill pan with a little oil and when hot, add your carrot dogs and let them sear on either side to get those lovely grill marks.
    3. Storing: Keep leftover carrot dogs stored in the fridge in a covered container and enjoy within 3-4 days.
    4. Nutritional information: Includes hot dog buns but excludes toppings. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Carrot Dog | Calories: 185kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 884mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 12292IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 2mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan

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    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy F. says

      August 21, 2022 at 1:21 am

      These are wonderful, thank you! Can the sauce be frozen and reused? There are just 2of us and I hate to waste it. I am thinking making more ‘dogs’ and freezing them might turn out too mushy after thawing and reheating, but don’t really know. What do you thnk?5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 21, 2022 at 9:51 am

        Hi Kathy, so happy you like the recipe! I agree that freezing the carrots might result in them being too mushy after thawing, however, they do keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days. You probably could freeze the sauce though!

        Reply
        • Kathy F says

          November 05, 2022 at 12:49 am

          I did freeze the marinade and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Just as good the 2nd time. I don’t think I will refreeze it, though. Thanks again for a fun recipe!5 stars

          Reply
    2. Abigail says

      August 15, 2022 at 2:02 pm

      What can I use instead of maple syrup? It is so expensive in South Africa.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 15, 2022 at 2:26 pm

        Maple flavored syrup will be just fine too! You can even just use brown sugar and dissolve that into the marinade.

        Reply
    3. Karla A Strauss says

      August 13, 2022 at 6:53 pm

      Made them today after seeing the post on FB and they are delish! I even served my omnivore friend and she said they were delish also!!! I will be making them again for sure! Such an easy recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 15, 2022 at 11:18 am

        Awesome Karla! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for the great review.

        Reply

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