Candied Carrots
Candied carrots make a really whimsical garnish for your carrot cake or cupcakes while adding the perfect crispy texture to your dessert! This unique crunchy topping is sure to impress even your most sophisticated guests! Candied carrots are as much fun to make as they are to eat! These candied carrot curls make a beautiful decoration that will take your baking to a whole new level! Because the carrots have a mild flavor, they could be used to embellish almost any cake, cupcake, muffin, or sweet bread. How to make candied carrots Using a vegetable peeler, and peeling away from yourself, shave long strips from 2 carrots. You should be able to get about 10 strips from each carrot, for a total of 20. The wider the strips, the wider the carrot curls will be, and the more narrow the strips, the more narrow the carrot curls will be. I like to have a variety of sizes for decorating, however, sometimes the thinner strips will break easily. Pro Tip: Make more candied carrot curls than you think you will need because some of them are sure to break apart. Make a simple syrup by bringing 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to a boil. Add the carrot strips. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Watch them closely so that the simple syrup doesn’t burn. Drain the carrots and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. On a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking oil, lay out the carrot strips in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch or they will stick together. Bake at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and one at a time, remove the carrot strips and wrap each one around the handle of a wooden spoon. Slide it off onto a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with sugar. If the carrots start to stick to the handle of the spoon, spray it with cooking spray. You will need to work quickly or the carrot strips will dry out and they won’t be pliable. By removing them one at a time from the oven, it buys some time before they all dry out. Allow them to cool completely, about 30 minutes. STORAGE Layer your candied carrots between wax paper and store them in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Use these adorable decorations to elevate the presentation of your next dessert! If you like this recipe, you might like: Carrot Cake Cupcakes Be sure to subscribe to Artzy Foodie to get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox! And, follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to stay updated! Use the slider over the number of servings on the recipe card to adjust the recipe for more or less candied carrot curls. Candied carrots make a really whimsical garnish for your carrot cake or cupcakes while adding the perfect crispy texture to your dessert! This unique crunchy topping is sure to impress even your most sophisticated guests! ,