Shredded Carrots with Homemade BBQ Sauce! If you love pulled BBQ then you're going to love this healthy and delicious recipe.
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Hi there! Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!
The good news, they’re all plant-based recipes, so you don’t need to feel guilty eating them. Now sit back, relax, and eat happy. 🙂
Also, in case you didn't know, we're published cookbook authors. We've written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don't even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.
Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL
and THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK
.
A VEGAN BARBECUE RECIPE THAT MEAT EATERS WILL LOVE
Pulled BBQ carrots. You think I’m kidding? I’m not. But before we start talking about this DELICIOUS recipe, let’s dish.
January first was my fifth vegan anniversary! That decision has been life changing.
I feel great, I’ve saved so many animals, Alex and I founded Veganosity, We've written two cookbooks and I've run two marathons, I’ve met an amazing group of vegan blogger friends, and this little blog is thriving.
All of that because I made the conscious choice to go vegan. Life is good! Pun totally intended. 😉
How Many Animals Does a Vegan Save Each Year?
According to Animal Equality, “Over 56 billion farmed animals are killed every year by humans. More than 3,000 animals die every second in slaughterhouses around the world.” 56 BILLION!
In two years Alex and I have saved approximately 800 animals combined. Just a speck when you look at the astronomical number of animals killed every second, but I bet those 800 animals are grateful.
ADOPT DON'T SHOP
We're also pro-adoption when it comes to adding a furry friend to the family. There are so many beautiful animals sitting in cages right now just waiting to be loved. Please adopt.
WHY THIS BBQ CARROT RECIPE WORKS
Y'all, won't believe how incredibly chewy roasted shredded carrots are. When you cook a whole carrot for too long it can get mushy, but when you shred them and roast them, they get a little crispy on the edges and super chewy.
This is what makes them the perfect vegetable for making pulled vegan barbecue.
We also add some shredded onion to the pan when we roast the carrots because it adds a great flavor.
Y'all, you just don’t know how fabulous carrots are until you turn them into chewy, meaty, slightly spicy, pulled BBQ deliciousness.
WHERE THE INSPIRATION CAME FROM
I thought of the idea of making pulled BBQ carrots during a visit to The Wonderland Express exhibit at The Chicago Botanic Garden.
There was a spirits and wine tasting at the event and I needed to eat. Unfortunately, and true to the Standard American Diet, everything had meat, cheese, or cream in it.
They had a beef sandwich with slaw on the menu, so I got creative and asked if I could have a slaw sandwich, which gave me the idea to create a pulled BBQ veggie recipe.
Carrots seemed like the obvious vegetable because they shred easily, they’re the color of BBQ sauce—more or less—and they have a sweetness that would rock with the spicy sauce.
HOW TO MAKE BBQ PULLED CARROTS
This is sooooo good. And it’s easy to make. If you have a food processor it’s even easier.
STEP ONE
Make the Carrots and Onions.
- Shred four or five large carrots and thinly slice a large red onion.
- Spread evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle the tiniest amount of olive oil on them, toss to coat.
- Cover the pan with foil, and roast for approximately thirty minutes. Make sure you shake the carrots and onions in the pan every ten minutes so they roast evenly.
- Take the foil off during the last 10 minutes so the edges get crispy.
- Put them in the pan of BBQ sauce and simmer for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the carrots and onions are roasting—it smells so good—make the BBQ sauce. Or, if you’re feeling lazy you can use a vegan sauce, such as Amy’s or Stubbs.
- Once the carrots and onions are roasted to a soft texture and are slightly caramelized, you can put them in a medium sauce pan with a cup of barbecue sauce and simmer for ten minutes.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE
Our sauce is the best! We rarely make those kinds of statements, and we're making an exception this time.
Our readers love it, our friends and family love it, and we love it. Enough said. 🙂
STEP ONE
Add the BBQ sauce ingredients to the blender and blend until fully combined.
STEP TWO
Put the sauce in a pan and bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and let it cook for about 15 minutes.
HOW SHOULD I SERVE WITH VEGANOSITY PULLED BBQ CARROTS?
We're so glad you asked. Here is a list of some of our favorite side dishes to serve with this vegan BBQ sandwich.
Vegan Southern-Style Creamy Potato Salad
Greg's Lemon & Dill Potato Salad
Smoky Baked Beans from our cookbook, Great Vegan BBQ Without A Grill
Make this and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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Pulled BBQ Carrots
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 Oven
- 1 stove
Ingredients
- 5 large carrots – peeled and shredded
- 1 large red onion – peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon of olive oil
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
For the BBQ sauce:
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of dark molasses
- ¼ cup of brown sugar See Note
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper see note in instructions
- ¼ teaspoon of white pepper
- 1 tablespoon of lime juice
- 1 pepper from a small can of peppers in adobo sauce – remove the seeds the pepper is optional, this will make the sauce extra spicy, if you use it, make sure to remove the seeds
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 385°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. If you don’t have parchment paper you can line it with lightly oiled aluminum foil or lightly grease the bottom of the pan to avoid sticking.
- Shred the carrots with the shredder attachment of your food processor or with a box or hand held grater.
- Thinly slice the onion.
- Put the carrots and onion in the baking pan and drizzle the olive oil over them. Toss well to coat and then spread them evenly in the pan. Sprinkle ground sea salt and ground pepper evenly over the top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for twenty minutes (shake the pan every ten minutes to ensure even roasting), remove the foil and roast for ten more minutes. The carrots and onions should be nice and soft, and lightly caramelized.
- NOTE: If you are sensitive to spicy food blend the BBQ sauce without the cayenne pepper first, then add it slowly until you find the heat that's good for you. Also, if you don't tolerate spicy food, skip the pepper in adobo sauce
- While the carrots and onions are roasting, put the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until fully combined and smooth. Pour into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for twenty minutes, stir occasionally to avoid scorching the sauce.
- Add the roasted carrots and onions to the sauce and stir well to coat. Simmer for fifteen minutes.
- Enjoy!
Alyssa says
Hi,
I would love to know how to convert this to a slow cooker or pressure cooker recipe, because it's too hot to turn my oven on in Los Angeles. Have you tried it one of these ways? I'd love to know how!
Thanks!
-Alyssa
Linda Meyer says
Hi Alyssa! We haven't tried this in either one, but I think a pressure cooker would probably work best because it would most likely work to crisp up the ends of the carrots and onion. The key is to roast the carrots until they are just starting to caramelize, then simmer them in the BBQ sauce so they soak up the flavors. Let us know how it works out and stay cool! My son lives in LA and has been going to the beach as often as he can during the heatwave. 🙂
Jackie says
Hello. I made this today. I love pulled bbq chicken, but would love to have a way to get more veggies in my diet.
I used store-bought bbq sauce to save time. It was delicious. I didn't even have bread to eat it with, but I wanted to use up my shredded carrots and red onion before I go on vacation, and your recipe was perfect. I'll try the recipe again with your bbq sauce when I return from vacation.
By the way, my aunt sent me the recipe. She said she served it at a church potluck and it was a big hit.
A++
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jackie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know how much you enjoyed our recipe! We're so happy you liked it. 🙂 Our BBQ sauce is really good, and so much healthier because it has a lot less sugar than store bought. We really hope you try it. Please thank your aunt for sending you the recipe and let her know that we're thrilled to hear that it was a hit at the church potluck. Music to our ears!
Bonnie says
I'm a new vegan i started 1 June cold turkey and i love it how we vegans save all those sweet animals.
The whole day i am looking for recipes tips and tricks.
And i was soo craving for something with bbq sauce, and i saw your recipe.
This was soooo goood 👌.
I saw it and immediately wanted to make it so i did but i didn't had the buns and neither the cole so i put it on French bread with lettuce it was really really good !! Thanks for the recipe 👍😆😄
I'm sorry for my English 🙈
X bonnie
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Bonnie! We're so happy that you decided to go vegan and that you took the time to let us know how much you enjoyed our recipe. 🙂
And, your English is just fine.
Debbie says
I've made this 3 times and won over meat eaters. It really is the best BBQ sauce! I need to make 5 batches for party and wonder if it is OK to freeze it for a week or so, then reheat for the party?
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Debbie!! That's so nice to hear. 🙂 Yes, it should be fine to freeze it, I'd let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and heat it up when you're ready to serve it. Have you pre-ordered our cookbook and entered the giveaway? If you love BBQ, you're going to love the book.
Izabella says
Made this the other day! I'm newly vegan and enjoyed this recipe so much! Ran out of buns for leftovers, so I put the pulled carrots on tator tots and put fresh spinach on top, and tasted amazing! 🙂 thanks for a great recipe that I plan on using often!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Izabella! Thank you so much for letting us know. We love your creative combination of tator tots and spinach with the carrots. That sounds SO good!
Barbara Alfeo says
I love this! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Barbara! Thank you so much for asking. Would you mind sending us an email at alvegans@gmail.com? Thanks so much!
Jennifer Hess says
Did you make a slaw for on top? I've had a hard time finding a good vegan slaw recipe
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jennifer! We have a wonderful slaw recipe in our cookbook, you can pre-order it for the March 20 release date. See our most recent post for details. In the meantime, finely shred some cabbage and carrots and whisk some white vinegar, a bit of maple syrup, Dijon, and salt and pepper together and toss the dressing in the vegetables. It's super easy and quick. Add the amount of vinegar according to how much you're making. For example, if you have four cups of vegetables, start with a 1/2 cup of vinegar and then add the rest of the ingredients slowly and adjust according to your taste. I hope this helps. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Wendy says
I was wondering how 'carroty' these taste. My son and I are trying but not big cooked carrot fans. I was curious how strong the carrot flavor was. Thank you! Looking forward to trying this recipe, if nothing else for the other members of the family 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Hi Wendy, the BBQ sauce is the big flavor in this dish. I've served it to a lot of veggie haters and they loved it. Let me know what you think if you make them. 🙂
Ian says
This was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten!
I'm a vegetarian living in a household of carnivores, so when I found out that pulled pork sandwiches were on the menu, I had to come up with a substitute fast. To be honest, I was a little skeptical of a carrot sandwich, but I went for it anyway. I ended up using the barbecue sauce and coleslaw (not vegan) that we already had at home, but I used your technique with the shredded carrots and onions and WOW was I impressed! I couldn't wait to let it simmer the full 15 minutes because it smelled so amazing! SO satisfying, MUCH more filling than I expected, just all around AWESOME!
Thank you so much for this recipe, it has just become one of my favorites!!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much Ian! Your comment totally made my week. 🙂 We're so happy you enjoyed the recipe, and if you like BBQ, you're going to love our cookbook that's being released in March.
DeeDee says
Some people may not know sugar isn't vegan, unless you buy raw or coconut sugar.
I can't wait to try this recipe!
Linda Meyer says
True, thanks for the comment. I'll make a note in the recipe. Note, Imperial and GW sugars don't use bone char to refine their sugars. 🙂 Let me know what you think of the recipe. We've had great reviews on it and it's a favorite among family and friends.
MARY MILLER says
Made this tonight after finding your blog this weekend. It was fabulous! My husband who is not veggie agreed, said that he hopes I make it again. Looking forward to making more recipes from here, everything looks so good!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Mary! Your sweet comment just made my Valentine's Day even sweeter. I'm so happy you and your husband enjoyed the BBQ carrots. 🙂
CuringVision says
This looks perfect! I grew up in the south and have fond memories of pulled pork and the swimming hole. The jackfruit recipes look intriguing, but it's not easy to purchase jackfruit where I live. Can't wait to give your recipe a try!
Linda Meyer says
Love that memory! Jackfruit is hard to find, I order mine on Amazon, but the carrots are amazing so I don't order it too often. Let me know what you think!:)
Kelly says
Hi, how many cups of carrots does that make because I have organic shredded carrots in a bag so I'm thinking I can use those:)? Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kelly, five shredded carrots makes approximately 3 1/2 cups. The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust it to suit your needs. Just save the leftover sauce for later. 🙂 Let me know what you think.
Jayne says
Made this tonight. Was really good but a bit too spicy for me. Even my husband who does spicy thought it was too much. If you don't like spicy I'd cut out or cut down on cayenne pepper. Will defi rely make again and make this change.
Linda Meyer says
Hi Jayne! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I'm sorry the sauce was too spicy, I've put a note in the recipe for those who might not like as much heat as I do. I'm happy to hear that you'll make it again! 🙂
Melanie says
My children who are reluctantly coming along with me on my vegan journey loved this recipe!! My son in particular LOVES pulled pork and he declared, "It tastes just like it, but it doesn't stick in my teeth!" Thanks for the great idea.
Linda Meyer says
LOL! That's awesome, Melanie! Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much your family enjoyed this recipe, you totally made my day. 🙂
Heather Davis says
Made this tonight for part of our dinner - YUM! Can't wait to make it again and try it with a bun and cool, crunchy slaw. I ate a lot of BBQ growing up in Eastern NC and since going vegetarian have missed the nostalgia of BBQ, not anymore! Thanks for the great idea, I've shared it with a Vegans & Veggies group here in Charleston, SC and people were very excited to try it as well 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Hi Heather! Thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed my recipe. My mom is from the South and I loved our summer vacations in SC because of the BBQ. I had to create this so I could enjoy a good, cruelty free BBQ sandwich to eat on game day. 🙂 Thank you for sharing it with the Vegans & Veggie group, I appreciate it.
Katie Moseley says
I made these and they're absolutely delicious! Thank you for the AMAZING recipe!!!!! even my meat loving brother who DESPISES vegetables loved this!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Katie! I'm so happy to hear that you and your veggie hating brother liked my recipe. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Aya says
I think I over cooked the carrots, but it does taste great! Never thought of "pulling" carrots before, but now my mind is spinning with ideas! Tinga, maybe do Cuban pulled carrots, oh the possibilities! I think this will be my new go-to BBQ sauce!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Aya! Oh no! Sorry you overcooked them, but at least they taste good. 🙂 Tinga is a great idea. I have a mushroom tinga recipe on the blog if you want to check it out. Thanks so much!
Rachel Kern says
I made this over the past week - we had a day or two of semi-chilly weather and this was PERFECT! So delicious, very easy - a great BBQ substitute!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for letting me know, I really appreciate it, and I'm so happy you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Trish says
I was going to take a photo, honest, but these were gone in our belly before I had a chance! Delicious and healthy meal. Quick to put together. I was going to use a ready-made bbq sauce and I thought better. Glad I did!! This sauce was fab! I've never made bbq sauce before so I was quite the proud mama that I had hee hee hee. No more store bought bbq sauce from now on for me!! Thanks, once again, for a super easy meal, Linda 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Yay! Thanks, Trish, you made my morning! Actually, you made my day. 🙂 I love that BBQ sauce too, I'm thinking that I should bottle it and try and sell it-haha! I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe.