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I’ve made these vegan carrot hot dogs dozens of times for friends, and they never knew they weren’t the real deal! They don’t just look like the BBQ classic — they actually taste like it, too! Made with easy-to-find ingredients, this recipe is just what your summer cookouts need.
save this recipe!These Will Blow Your Mind
Nothing screams summer quite like a delicious, juicy hot dog. So, what a great time of year to try out vegan carrot hot dogs for a meat-free option!
Now, the real secret is in the marinade. When I was developing this recipe, I relied heavily on my food science background to help “trick” the brain into thinking these are, in fact, hot dogs.
It turns out that when you marinate, boil, and grill carrots, their texture and taste are nearly identical to pork-based hot dogs. If someone tried one of these blindfolded, they would have no idea that it’s a carrot!
Reader rating
“I gotta say, these are actually ACTUALLY delicious! My partner and I made them last night and will most likely add them to our rotation of meals since they are just so easy.” —Tiffany
Grab These Ingredients
Transform humble carrots into crave-worthy vegan carrot hot dogs with the following ingredients.
- Carrots: We can’t make carrot dogs without carrots! For the best results, aim for carrots that are no more than ¾-inch thick.
- Vegetable Broth: We’ll use veggie broth as the bulk of the marinade. (Make your own veggie broth to save money and reduce food waste!)
- Apple Cider Vinegar: A bit of good old apple cider vinegar works wonders to give the marinade a kick.
- Soy Sauce: We’ll use soy sauce for its extra salty, umami flavor. If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, you can sub tamari.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard packs in more flavor and spice.
- Smoked Paprika: We’ll need just 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika for the perfect amount of smoky flavor.
- Liquid Smoke: Finally, the last ingredient in the marinade is liquid smoke. This is a must on the flavor front, giving these carrot dogs that distinct smoky hot dog flavor.
- Hot Dog Buns: It’s not a hot dog without a bun! Use your favorite kind.
Topping ideas
The most exciting part of a hot dog (or carrot dog) is always the toppings. If you can put it on a hot dog, you can put it on a carrot dog! A few of my favorite toppings include:
- Sauces: Ketchup, mayo, mustard, barbecue sauce, Sriracha, or romesco.
- Pickled Things: Think pickled jalapenos, pickled red cabbage, relish, or pickled onions.
- Onions: Fresh diced white onions or caramelized onions.
- Deluxe Toppings: Chili, cheese sauce, pico de gallo, or sauerkraut salad.
P.S. These also make great pigs in blankets!
For a fun twist on these carrot hot dogs, use baby carrots and turn them into vegan pigs in blankets!
Pair these vegan hotdogs with our chewy roasted BBQ chickpeas–they’re packed with smoky BBQ flavor!
Vegan Carrot Hot Dogs (The Best Vegan Hot Dogs!)
Ingredients
- 6 carrots, each about the same size, aim for no more than ¾ inch thick
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 120 mL
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce, can sub tamari for gluten-free, 60 mL
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 6 hot dog buns
Instructions
- Prep: Peel 6 carrots and trim off the ends, cutting them to fit into the bottom of your large pot.
- Boil: Stir together 2 cups vegetable broth, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp liquid smoke in a large pot.Add carrots, cover, and bring to a simmer over medium/high. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until carrots are cooked through. You should be able to pierce them with a fork, but they should not be so soft that they break easily.
- Marinate: Let carrots rest in the cooking liquid for 30 minutes.
- Serve: At this point you can serve the carrots, or you can sear them on a well-greased grill (or grill plate) to char the outsides. Serve on a hot dog bun with your favorite condiments!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
These are amazing — my vegetarian husband loves them! (Incidentally, the leftover marinade also makes the best beans we’ve ever had. After cooking and draining a pound of beans, I added the marinade and a half cup of barley, simmered the beans until the barley was soft and the liquid absorbed, and garnished each bowl with chopped sweet onion and a dollop of sour cream.)
So happy to hear it, Mary!! I’ll have to try that with the beans and barley, sounds amazing! 😀
I gotta say, these are actually ACTUALLY delicious! My partner and I made them last night and will most likely add them to our rotation of meals since they are just so easy.
I didn’t change anything about the marinade except added a dash more liquid smoke since I just love that stuff. While they were boiling afterwards, my partner commented they it really did smell like hot dogs. We ate them on buns with the traditional toppings (plus sauerkraut on mine cause it’s delicious!) and were super pleased! My partner gave them a solid 8/10 simply because she says nothing can best an all beef hot dog haha. She’s really looking forward to using the left over marinade for beans or rice.
The only thing I might do different in the future is to soak them overnight for even MORE delicious goodness, but everything was spot on and tasty as per usual.
So happy to hear it, Tiffany! I’ve heard of a few people reusing that marinade for other tasty things. Love that you’re not wasting all that flavor! 😀
Really delicious!! Smelled like hot dogs as it was boiling, and tasted VERY good! and just as easy as the recipe says! (I let it marinade for aboutt to an hour and a half, and I didn’t have liquid smoke so I just doubled the smoked paprika).
Question…how do you reheat the “dogs” after being boiled and refrigerated? Thanks!
So happy to hear it, Christina! I eat them just like hot dogs – on a (brioche) bun with all the fixin’s!
Can you freeze these?
I haven’t tried freezing these, but I think it wouldn’t do great things for the texture.
These were fantastic! I actually tried making them in my pressure cooker since I was short on time for dinner tonight, but I was amazed at how delicious they were. I haven’t found any vegan hot dogs that I like even a little bit, but this was an amazing alternative. My husband and I were so happy with our chili-“dog” dinner. Thank you so much. I will definitely be adding this to the regular line up!!
I’m so happy to hear it, Cat! Enjoy!
I have made these 8-10 times. The key is to top them with chili or of ketchup as tricking your eyes is important even though they really don’t taste like carrots. They also come out good if you nuke them first instead of boil. I put them in small dish with water, covered, nuked until soft then marinated and grilled.
This is a great recipe.
Awsome
Sounded great but too much sodium and potassium for me.
No one cares. Move on.
I’m Jewish, and grew up on (and love!) cream cheese and lox on a bagel. I’ve made lox (smoked salmon) using carrots. Pretty much the same ingredients as this marinade. Let me tell you, when I bit into my bagel loaded with cream cheese, carrot lox, tomato and onion, I was kvelling (swooning with pleasure)! So I know this recipe will be equally as satisfying.
I tried these because after I read it I couldn’t get it out of my head! So I bought a 4lb bag of organic whole carrots and cooked them for my wife and mom and dad. Everyone liked them. I have to say that it seemed the hotter they were the more hot doggy the taste was, bottom line, we were all pleasantly surprised and we all ate more than one!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear it! Enjoy 😀