Chantenay Carrots: What They Are, Whether You Can Eat Them Raw, and How to Cook Them

By Linda Garrould · Updated 16 August 2026

Chantenay is a variety of carrot, not a baby vegetable — short, blunt-ended and naturally sweet, and small enough for a child to eat whole. Yes, you can eat them raw. No, they are not the same thing as the trimmed “baby carrot” snacking sticks in the supermarket chiller. Here is everything else worth knowing, then three ways to cook them.

What are Chantenay carrots?

Chantenay carrots are a named variety, bred to grow short and stump-ended rather than the long tapering shape of a maincrop carrot — that is the whole difference, and it is a genetic one, not a matter of picking them young. They stay small even fully grown, which is why they turn up whole on the plate rather than sliced. The tender skin does not need peeling, and their mild, sweet flavour is what makes them such an easy sell to children.

You will also see them written as “Chantenay” misheard or mistyped — “Chantilly carrot” and various spelling slips are the same vegetable. And a note on cost for anyone comparing: loose Chantenay carrots from the vegetable aisle are almost always cheaper by weight than the pre-washed, pre-trimmed “baby carrot” snacking packs — worth knowing if you are feeding a crowd of small people.

Are Chantenay carrots the same as baby carrots?

No, not technically. “Baby carrot” is used two ways in the supermarket, and Chantenay is neither of them precisely: it can mean a maincrop carrot harvested young and small, or — more often, for the snack-format bags — a standard carrot cut and shaped down into miniature batons. Chantenay is a variety that grows small on its own, at full maturity. In practice the three often sit side by side and get treated the same way in the kitchen, which is presumably why the confusion persists, but if you are asking specifically: Chantenay is its own thing.

Can you eat Chantenay carrots raw?

Yes. Chantenay carrots are perfectly safe to eat raw, and their natural sweetness and tender skin make them one of the better crudités options — whole, on a platter, with hummus or a soured-cream dip. Rinse them well and trim the green tops; peeling is optional, not necessary.

Quick reference

• Boil: 8–10 minutes in salted water until fork-tender
• Roast: 20–30 minutes at 190°C (170°C fan), tossed in oil and seasoning
• Honey-glazed: roast 20 minutes, then toss in warm honey and butter and roast a further 5–10 minutes
• Raw: yes — rinse, trim the tops, serve whole with a dip
• No need to peel unless you prefer to; cut larger ones to a similar size to the rest for even cooking

How long to boil Chantenay carrots

Boiling is the quickest method, and because Chantenay are already small you can leave them whole. Rinse them, trim the green tops (about 1cm from the carrot), and drop them into a pan of salted, rolling-boiling water. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes until a fork goes through easily — test the largest one, as they cook slightly faster than a standard carrot because of their compact shape. Drain well.

A useful variation: add a bay leaf to the cooking water, or, in its place, the smallest pinch of ground cumin — it amplifies the carrots’ own sweetness without tasting of cumin itself, provided you go easy. Serve hot with a knob of butter, salt and black pepper.

Cooking time: 8–10 minutes | Serves: 4 as a side dish

How to roast Chantenay carrots in the oven

Roasting brings out the natural sweetness and gives a caramelised, golden-brown edge while the inside stays tender. It is a five-minutes-of-effort method — toss, tray, oven, done.

Ingredients:

• 500g Chantenay carrots (roughly 16–20 small ones)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or parsley (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)
2. Rinse the carrots and pat dry with kitchen paper — moisture stops them caramelising
3. Trim the green tops and leave whole, or halve any that are noticeably larger than the rest
4. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and any herbs
5. Spread in a single layer on a roasting tray, with space between each carrot
6. Roast for 20–30 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden and fork-tender

Cooking time: 20–30 minutes | Serves: 4 as a side dish

Tip: Chantenay carrots roast faster than standard carrots because of their stubby shape — start checking from 20 minutes. If they still feel firm after 30, they were probably crowded on the tray rather than genuinely large; give them another five minutes with more room.

Chantenay carrots with butter and honey

The honey creates a glossy, caramelised glaze; the butter adds richness. It is the side dish that gets asked for again.

Ingredients:

• 500g Chantenay carrots
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g butter
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley or thyme to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan)
2. Rinse the carrots, pat dry and trim the green tops
3. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Spread in a single layer on a roasting tray and roast for 20 minutes
5. Meanwhile, warm the honey and butter together gently in a small pan — do not let it boil
6. Remove the carrots, pour over the honey-butter mixture and toss to coat
7. Return to the oven for 5–10 minutes until the glaze is thick and caramelised
8. Serve immediately, scattered with herbs if using

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cooking time: 25–30 minutes | Total time: 30–35 minutes

Serves: 4 as a side dish | Recipe category: Side dish | Cuisine: British

Chicken and Chantenay Carrot Bang Bang Salad

A recipe developed for us by Rachel Green, Yorkshire TV’s Flying Cook, using sliced Chantenay carrot alongside shredded chicken and rice noodles in a peanut-and-sweet-chilli dressing. Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a starter.

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp smooth or crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp rapeseed or vegetable oil
• ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• Juice of 1 lemon
• A good dash of light soy sauce

For the salad:

• 100g dried vermicelli rice noodles, pre-soaked and drained
• ½ cucumber, cut into long shreds with a potato peeler
• 250g cooked chicken breast, shredded (no skin)
• 2 spring onions, trimmed and cut into long shreds
• 150g sliced Chantenay carrot
• A handful of coriander, chopped
• Toasted sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix. If it is too thick, loosen with a little warm water, then set the bowl over a pan of just-boiled water until it warms to a spoonable consistency.
2. For the salad, put all the ingredients in a separate bowl, pour over the dressing and toss lightly to combine.
3. Serve on plates, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Tip: poach the chicken in stock for about 20 minutes, or use leftover roast chicken.

Can you freeze Chantenay carrots?

Yes. Rinse and trim them, then blanch in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, plunge into iced water to stop the cooking, and drain thoroughly before freezing flat in a bag — blanching is what stops them turning soft and grey in the freezer. Frozen Chantenay carrots are best used within three months, straight into a pan of boiling water or a roasting tray from frozen; there is no need to defrost first.

Where Chantenay carrots come from

Chantenay is a UK-grown crop available for most of the year, because growers harvest it in different regions at different times to keep the supply fresh. According to the growers’ own trade site, the winter crop is typically left in the ground and covered with straw through autumn and winter to protect it from frost until it is lifted — a traditional storage method rather than anything specific to this variety.

Frequently asked questions

Are Chantenay carrots baby carrots?
Not technically. Chantenay is a variety bred to grow short and stubby at full maturity; “baby carrot” in the supermarket usually means a carrot picked young, or a standard carrot cut down into snacking batons.

Can you eat Chantenay carrots raw?
Yes — they are perfectly safe raw and work well as a crudité with hummus or a dip. Rinse and trim the tops; peeling is optional.

Is “Chantilly carrot” the same as Chantenay?
Yes — “Chantilly carrot” is a common mishearing or misspelling of Chantenay; it is the same vegetable.

Do you need to peel Chantenay carrots?
No. The skin is naturally thin and tender, so they can be cooked and eaten whole. Rinse well and trim the green tops; peel with a vegetable peeler if you prefer, but it is not necessary.

Why are my Chantenay carrots still hard after roasting?
Usually uneven sizing or overcrowding on the tray. Cut larger carrots down to match the rest, spread them in a single layer with space between each one, and check your oven temperature is accurate — roasting time depends on size, so aim for fork-tender rather than a fixed number of minutes.

How long do cooked Chantenay carrots keep?
Up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently in the oven at 160°C for about 10 minutes, or serve cold as a salad topping.

What’s the best way to store fresh Chantenay carrots?
Remove the green tops — they draw moisture from the root — rinse gently and keep in the fridge in a plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.

More family-friendly recipes

• Nigella’s Spanish chicken traybake
• Jamie Oliver’s easy family lasagne
• Jamie Oliver’s weekend shepherd’s pie