Are Carrots Keto-Friendly?
Short answer: Are carrots keto? Yes, in small portions. Raw carrots have about 7.7g of carbohydrate per 100g, so a few carrot sticks fit into a keto day, but they’re higher in carbs than leafy greens, courgette or cauliflower. Keep portions to around 40g–80g and count them.
| Carrots | Carbohydrate per 100g | Per 80g portion |
|---|---|---|
| Carrots, raw (main crop) | 7.7g | 6.2g |
| Carrots, boiled (main crop) | 6.0g | 4.8g |
| Young carrots, raw | 6.0g | 4.8g |
| Young carrots, boiled | 4.4g | 3.5g |
| Carrot juice | 5.7g | 150ml glass: about 8.6g |
Source: McCance and Widdowson’s Composition of Foods (CoFID), UK Government. UK data already excludes fibre from “carbohydrate”, so these figures are roughly the same as US “net carbs”.
Are carrots keto?
Carrots sit in the middle of the vegetable carb scale. They aren’t a starchy vegetable like potato or parsnip, but they are sweeter than most of the vegetables keto eaters lean on, such as salad leaves, cucumber, courgette, broccoli and cauliflower.
On a ketogenic diet, total carbohydrate is usually kept at around 20g–50g a day. A handful of raw carrot sticks with a dip, or a few slices in a stew, fits comfortably. A big bowl of roasted carrots is a different story.
Carbs in carrots per 100g
Most of the carbohydrate in carrots is natural sugar: raw carrots have about 7.2g of sugars per 100g. Boiling lowers the figure per 100g slightly because the carrots take on water, and young carrots are a little lower than large main-crop carrots.
- Carrot sticks (40g): about 3.1g carbohydrate
- One medium carrot (roughly 60g–80g): about 4.6g–6.2g
- 80g portion of boiled carrots: about 4.8g
- 150ml glass of carrot juice: about 8.6g, with no fibre to slow you down
How many carrots can you eat on keto?
That depends on your daily limit and what else is on your plate:
- Strict keto (20g a day): keep carrots to about 40g–80g, roughly half to one medium carrot.
- Moderate keto (30g–40g a day): a full 80g portion fits if the rest of the day is mostly low-carb veg, meat, fish, eggs and dairy.
- Low-carb (50g+ a day): carrots can be a regular side in normal portions.
Watch out for roasted and glazed carrots. Roasting drives off water, so the same weight of cooked carrot carries more carbohydrate, and a honey or maple glaze can add several grams more per serving. Carrot-heavy soups, coleslaw with sweet dressing and carrot cake made with flour and sugar add up quickly too.
Carrots vs other vegetables
| Vegetable (raw unless stated) | Carbohydrate per 100g |
|---|---|
| Cucumber | 1.2g |
| Courgette | 2.3g |
| Celeriac | 2.3g |
| Broccoli | 3.2g |
| Red pepper | 4.3g |
| Cauliflower | 4.4g |
| Swede | 5.0g |
| Carrots | 7.7g |
| Beetroot | 7.6g |
| Parsnip | 12.5g |
| Sweet potato, boiled | 13.0g |
| Potatoes, boiled | 17.5g |
Source: CoFID. For the starchier end of the table, see is sweet potato keto, are potatoes keto and is beetroot keto. For a lower-carb salad staple, see our guide to carbs in tomatoes.
Low-carb swaps for carrots
- In a roast: roasted celeriac, swede or cauliflower instead of a big tray of carrots and parsnips.
- For crunch and dips: cucumber, celery, red pepper strips or radishes.
- In stews and bolognese: use a little carrot for flavour, then bulk out with celery, courgette or mushrooms. Our keto stew shows how.
- In salads: a few ribbons of carrot for colour, with leaves, avocado and seeds doing the heavy lifting.
Keto carrot cake
Classic carrot cake is made with wheat flour and sugar, so it’s the carrot cake rather than the carrots that causes problems on keto. Our Keto Carrot Cake Mix has 1.7g net carbs per slice including the eggs and butter, according to the product page, and makes about 12 slices. To bake one from scratch, try our keto carrot cake recipe.
Carrot cake, the low-carb way
Bake a whole loaf with our Keto Carrot Cake Mix, or make a single portion in the microwave with our Keto Carrot Mug Cake Mix (3.5g net carbs per serving): add an egg and a tablespoon of melted butter, then microwave for a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Are carrots low carb?
Carrots are moderate rather than low carb. Raw carrots have about 7.7g of carbohydrate per 100g in UK data, more than cucumber, courgette or broccoli but far less than potato. An 80g portion of raw carrot is around 6g of carbohydrate, so small amounts can fit a keto day.
Can you eat carrots on keto?
Yes, in measured portions. A few carrot sticks (about 40g) add roughly 3g of carbohydrate, and an 80g portion adds around 5g to 6g. Count them within your daily limit, and keep larger servings, roasted honey-glazed carrots and carrot juice for days when you have more room.
Are carrots high in carbs?
Not compared with starchy vegetables. Raw carrots contain about 7.7g of carbohydrate per 100g, while boiled potatoes have around 17.5g and boiled sweet potato about 13g. Most of the carbohydrate in carrots is natural sugar, so portion size matters more than with leafy greens or cauliflower.
Do carrots have carbs?
Yes. UK food composition data lists raw carrots at about 7.7g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which about 7.2g is sugars, plus a little fibre. Boiled carrots come out lower per 100g, at about 6g, because they absorb water. Young or baby carrots are slightly lower again.
How many carrots can I eat on keto?
On a strict 20g-a-day plan, most people keep carrots to about 40g to 80g a day, which is roughly half to one medium carrot and about 3g to 6g of carbohydrate. On a more relaxed 50g-a-day low-carb plan, a full 80g portion fits more easily.
The bottom line
Carrots aren’t off-limits on keto, but they’re a “measure it” vegetable rather than an “eat freely” one. At about 7.7g of carbohydrate per 100g raw, 40g–80g a day fits most plans. Lean on lower-carb vegetables for volume and keep carrots for colour, crunch and flavour.
Related reading: our keto shopping list for beginners.
