Carrot Ginger Juice Recipe (Juicer or Blender)

To make carrot ginger juice, juice 6 medium carrots, 1 apple, a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger and 1/2 lemon. You get about 12 ounces (350 ml) of sweet, bright orange juice with a warm, spicy kick. No juicer? Blend the same ingredients with 1/2 cup of cold water and strain. Either way, it takes about 10 minutes.

Carrot ginger juice is one of the easiest and most popular homemade juices. Carrots are cheap, available all year and naturally sweet, and ginger adds just enough heat to make it interesting. Below you will find the full recipe, both methods, how to adjust the ginger, and beet and turmeric variations.

Ingredients

For one large glass (about 12 oz / 350 ml):

• 6 medium carrots (about 1 pound / 450 g)
• 1 medium apple (sweet, like Gala or Fuji, or tart, like Granny Smith)
• 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

Optional add-ins: 1 orange (peeled), 1/2-inch fresh turmeric, a pinch of black pepper, a few mint leaves.

For the blender method, also have 1/2 cup cold water and a nut milk bag or fine sieve.

Choosing Your Ingredients

• Carrots: firm, bright orange carrots give the sweetest juice. Large “juicing carrots” sold in big bags are cheaper and work just as well. Skip soft, bendy carrots.
• Ginger: look for firm, smooth ginger with shiny skin. Wrinkled or dry ginger has less juice and a duller flavor.
• Apple: a sweet apple makes the juice smoother; a green apple makes it brighter and less sweet.
• Lemon: peel it first. The white pith is bitter.

How to Make Carrot Ginger Juice in a Juicer

1. Wash and scrub the carrots, apple and ginger under running water. There is no need to peel carrots if they are well scrubbed; trim off the green tops and ends.
2. Prep. Cut the apple into pieces that fit your juicer chute. Peel the lemon. Ginger can go in with the skin on if it is young and thin-skinned; peel older ginger with a spoon.
3. Juice the ginger first, then the lemon, then the carrots and apple. The firm carrots push any ginger fibers through the screen.
4. Stir and taste. Add more lemon for brightness or a little more ginger if you want more heat.
5. Serve right away, over ice if you like.

A centrifugal juicer handles carrots very well. A slow juicer works too, but cut carrots into shorter pieces. Our guide to masticating vs centrifugal juicers explains the difference.

How to Make Carrot Ginger Juice in a Blender

1. Chop the carrots into thin rounds (about 1/2 inch). Core and chop the apple. Peel and slice the ginger thinly.
2. Add to the blender: 1/2 cup cold water, lemon, ginger, apple, then carrots.
3. Blend on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Carrots are hard, so give them time to break down completely.
4. Strain through a nut milk bag or fine sieve, then squeeze or press the pulp firmly.
5. Taste and adjust with lemon or a splash of water.

Blender carrot juice is a little lighter in flavor because of the added water, but it is still delicious. For more on this method, see how to make juice without a juicer.

How Much Ginger Should You Use?

Ginger is strong, and fresh juice concentrates its heat. Start small and build up.

If you add too much, stir in more carrot or apple juice, or top the glass up with cold water or sparkling water.

Variations

Carrot orange ginger

Swap the apple for 2 peeled oranges. Brighter, tangier and very refreshing.

Carrot ginger turmeric

Add a 1/2-inch piece of fresh turmeric and a pinch of black pepper. The juice turns deep gold with a slightly earthy, peppery taste. Turmeric stains, so rinse your juicer and cutting board right away.

Carrot beet ginger

Replace 2 carrots with 1 small beet. Sweet, earthy and a gorgeous ruby-orange color.

Carrot pineapple ginger

Swap the apple for 1 cup of pineapple. Tropical and extra sweet.

Carrot celery ginger

Add 2 celery stalks for a fresher, less sweet juice.

Carrot ginger lime

Use lime instead of lemon and add a few mint leaves. Zesty and cooling.

Tips for the Best Carrot Ginger Juice

• Chill the carrots. Cold carrots make cold juice with no need for ice.
• Do not skip the acid. Lemon balances the sweetness of carrots and keeps the flavor fresh.
• Use fresh ginger. Ground ginger does not work in a juicer and tastes dusty in fresh juice.
• Stir before drinking. Carrot juice separates quickly; a stir brings it back together.
• Add a little fat if you like. Some people enjoy carrot juice alongside a meal or a handful of nuts. It is a matter of taste.

How Many Carrots for a Glass of Juice?

As a rough guide, 1 pound (450 g) of carrots, about 6 medium or 3 to 4 large, gives about 8 ounces (240 ml) of juice in a juicer. Yield depends on how fresh and juicy the carrots are and on your machine. A 5-pound bag of juicing carrots makes roughly 4 to 5 glasses.

How to Store Carrot Ginger Juice

Carrot juice tastes best fresh. If you need to keep it:

• Pour it into a glass jar, filled to the top, and seal it tightly.
• Refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or colder and drink within 24 hours.
• Freeze extra juice in ice cube trays and thaw in the fridge.

See how long fresh juice lasts for full storage times and signs of spoilage.

Using the Leftover Carrot Pulp

Carrot pulp is the most useful juice pulp there is. Fold it into muffins, carrot cake or pancakes, stir it into soups and pasta sauce, or bake it into crackers. Our guide to juice pulp recipes includes an easy carrot apple pulp muffin recipe.

Serving Ideas

• Pour it over ice with a sprig of mint for a weekend brunch.
• Mix half carrot ginger juice with half sparkling water for a light spritzer.
• Serve small glasses alongside breakfast, with eggs and toast.
• Freeze it into ice pops for kids (use less ginger).

Making Carrot Ginger Juice for a Crowd

Carrot ginger juice is easy to scale up for brunch or a family breakfast. For about 4 glasses (48 oz / 1.4 liters), use:

• 4 pounds (1.8 kg) carrots
• 3 to 4 apples
• a 3 to 4-inch piece of ginger
• 2 lemons, peeled

Juice the ginger and lemons into a jug first, then the carrots and apples, and stir well. Taste before serving; large batches sometimes need a little more lemon. Serve in a chilled pitcher, and stir again before pouring because carrot juice separates as it stands. If you are juicing a big batch in a centrifugal juicer, empty the pulp bin halfway through so the machine keeps running smoothly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Too much ginger. Fresh ginger juice is much stronger than ginger in cooking. Start with 1/2 inch.
• Leaving the lemon pith on. It makes the juice bitter. Peel the lemon with a knife first.
• Using old, rubbery carrots. They give less juice and a flat, woody taste.
• Not scrubbing. Carrots grow in soil, so scrub them well even if you do not peel them.
• Making it days ahead. Carrot juice darkens and loses its fresh taste within a day.
• Feeding long carrots into a slow juicer. Cut them into 3 to 4-inch pieces so the auger can grab them easily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to peel carrots before juicing?

No. Scrub them well and trim the ends. Peeling is only needed if the skin looks very dirty or damaged.

Do I need to peel ginger before juicing?

Not if it is fresh and thin-skinned. Older ginger with thick, papery skin is better peeled with the edge of a spoon.

Can I make carrot ginger juice without a juicer?

Yes. Blend chopped carrots, apple, ginger and lemon with 1/2 cup of cold water for about 2 minutes, then strain through a nut milk bag.

Why is my carrot juice foamy?

Fast centrifugal juicers mix air into the juice. Let it settle for a minute and skim the foam, or pour it through a fine strainer.

Can I use baby carrots?

Yes, but they are usually more expensive and a little less sweet than whole carrots. Large juicing carrots give the best value.

Is carrot juice very sweet?

It is naturally sweet. Lemon, ginger and celery all help balance it if you prefer a less sweet juice.

Once you have this basic recipe down, try one variation each week. Carrot ginger juice is cheap, quick and one of the most reliable juices you can make at home.