You Should Consider Eating Parsnips For Dessert. Here's Why

Though vegetables aren't usually the first thing that comes to mind when you bring up dessert, it's not an absolute contradiction. Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is a sweet and tangy combination that's filled up with vegetables. But carrots aren't the only root vegetable you should turn from a side dish into a dessert course. Though there are distinct differences between carrots and parsnips, it turns out that parsnips make a delightful sweet treat.

If you aren't already familiar with parsnips and what they taste like, The Kitchn describes them as "similar to carrots" and "sweet, but they contain more starch and have an earthier, nutty taste."

This sweetness can be brought out even more in desserts. Food52 makes the case for parsnips as dessert and explains that most recipes for roasted vegetables add savory ingredients, like herbs, but you can also switch it up and bring out the sweeter taste. Food52 suggests adding caramel and sour cream to roasted parsnips, and we expect this to have the same sweet yet slightly tangy taste of carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.

Convinced that parsnips are the perfect way to add a twist to your desserts and bring something new to the table? If you're ready to combine more vegetables and desserts, you might need some inspiration. While you can keep it simple with Food52's roasted sweet parsnips, you can also do something more elaborate.

Like with carrots, parsnips make a great cake. James Beard shared a recipe for parsnip cake from pastry chef Rosiana Tong. Yet, if you'd prefer a recipe that includes frosting, a parsnip spice cake can be made with cream cheese frosting. One great option is a parsnip spice cake from Weekend at the Cottage that's topped with a lemon cream cheese frosting. If you're feeling extra adventurous, there is a recipe from Veggie Desserts for maple parsnip cake with sweet potato frosting, which sounds like the ultimate fall treat (though it would be delicious any season). 

There are many ways to enjoy vegetables even if you don't usually like them, and some are even great for dessert.