How To Make Caribbean Style Carrot Punch (Juice)

By Chris De La Rosa
Culinary Specialist

Carrot punch, or carrot juice, as it’s also called in the Caribbean, is one of those rich and creamy drinks you’ll find being made throughout the region.

Recipes may differ, but the base ingredient of freshly-grated (or food processor as in my case) carrots is constant.

Chilled with a few cubes of ice on a hot Caribbean day, this drink is both filling and very refreshing.

You’ll Need…

3 lbs carrots
6 cups water
1 can condensed milk (sweetened)
1/4 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash and peel the carrots. I find that peeling the carrots with a peeler causes a lot of wastage, so I scrape the side of it with my knife under cool water. This way, only a thin layer is removed.

Then you have the option of either cutting each carrot into small pieces and using a food processor or blender to puree everything; or you can certainly go old-school, as my dad would, and use a box grater.

In two batches, place half the carrots and half the water into your food processor and let it run, on high, for a few minutes, until you have pureed pulp. Empty into a large bowl and do the other batch.

It’s now time for some manual labor. Strain the pulp/liquid into another bowl (use a fine strainer or cheese cloth), then squeeze the remaining pulp to get every drop of juice out. If you use a cheese cloth you’ll find that you can wring out a lot more juice than if it’s just with your hands. Give the remaining juice another strain to remove any remaining pulp.

It’s now time to spice things up and sweeten the punch, as it’s traditionally done. Whisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, then pour in the sweetened condensed milk. Start off with 1/2 a can and add more as needed. I use the entire can! Whisk well, chill and serve.

There’s enough carrot punch here for about 8 people and, if you’re impatient like me and can’t wait for it to chill in the fridge, you can drop in a few cubes of ice and enjoy! You can also add a few shots of rum to the mix, if you want to serve as a sort of cocktail to the grown folks.

This recipe is courtesy of Gourmand Award winning cookbook author and founder of CaribbeanPot.com, Chris De La Rosa. With over 450 printable recipes with step by step cooking instructions and demo videos, PLUS over 1 million social/fan connections globally every month, CaribbeanPot.com is the world’s #1 resource of Caribbean Culinary Culture. Connect with Chis on Instagram: www.instagram.com/caribbeanpot/.