Veggie noodles and fruit noodles are easy to make, but sometimes we don’t have spiralizers on hand and we want to avoid a mess. Instead, turn your favorite vegetables and fruits into delicious, healthy noodles with or without a spiralizer! I’ll show you how – it’s easy!
Replacing Pasta With Veggie Noodles
Almost everyone knows that zucchini noodles make a fantastic gluten-free and low-carb substitute for pasta, but there are SO many other options! You can use almost any hard or firm-fleshed vegetable to make veggie noodles, including:
- Summer squash/yellow squash
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Cucumber
- Broccoli stems
- Winter squash (butternut and acorn are the most popular)
- Beets
- Turnips or radishes
The list goes on, and you can spiralize fruit too! The fruit you select has to have hard flesh too. Good options include apples, pears, and rhubarb.
My point is, eating fruits and vegetables can be fun when you turn them into veggie noodles and fruit noodles!
What Veggies Can You Use In A Spiralizer?
Because of the way a spiralizer works, there are some foods that won’t fit properly. This isn’t a problem, though. Fruit and veggie noodles are easy to make, even without a spiralizer!
Veggies that do work well in a spiralizer are the wide and long varieties with very hard flesh like squash and potatoes.
Kitchen Tools For Veggie and Fruit Noodles
Let’s face it, sometimes using a table top spiralizer can get a bit messy. Don’t get my wrong, I ADORE my spiralizer for making the perfect zoodles in mass amounts, but the clean up part is not my favorite. And sometimes I just want to make a small about of veggie noodles or veggie noodle “shavings.” Instead, these kitchen tools will do the job just as well, and cleaning them is easy!
No spiralizer? No problem. Here are some other tools you can use to make veggie noodles.
- Vegetable peeler
- Paring knife
- Small mandolin slicer
- Dual julienne peeler & vegetable peeler
- Hand spiralizer
10 Fruit and Veggies That Make Great Noodles
Alright, now let me show you JUST how easy it is to make noodles from VEGETABLES and FRUIT.
Spiralized Broccoli Stem Noodles
- Ingredients you need – Large Broccoli stalks with about 1-2 inch thickness
- Kitchen tools you need – Spiralizer, hand spiralizer, or vegetable peeler
- How to make noodles or spiralizer – You can use a stand spiralizer, hand spiralizer. Place large end of the broccoli stem in spiralizer or use hand spiralizer and turn to create noodles. Don’t have a spiralizer? Buy large broccoli stalks and peel into shavings with veggie peeler. Or create broccoli veggie rice (tutorial).
- How to cook broccoli veggie noodles – These are great to use in casseroles in place of pasta or in a pesto stir fry. Saute or steam!
Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodles
- Ingredients you need – Medium sweet potato, peeled
- Kitchen tools you need – Spiralizer, Hand Spiralizer, or Julienne Peeler or Handheld Mandoline Slicer Adjustable Vegetable Cutter.
- How to make noodles or spiralizer – You can use a stand spiralizer, hand spiralizer. Slice the ends off of a peeled sweet potato. Place sliced end of the sweet potato in spiralizer or use hand spiralizer and turn to create noodles. Don’t have a spiralizer? Try using a julienne peeler or mandoline slicer to create sweet potato “noodle” strips or sticks.
- How to cook sweet potato veggie noodles – These are great to use in casseroles or in place of pasta! Bake the noodles first for 15 minutes at 350F to create an al dente pasta!
- Veggie Noodle Recipe Inspo – Sweet Potato Spaghetti Casserole
Asparagus Noodles
- Ingredients you need – Medium to large stemmed asparagus, peeled
- Kitchen tools you need – Vegetable peeler or Julienne Peeler
- How to make – You can use a vegetable peeler to create asparagus shavings in the form of noodles. They are so light and delicate that the shaving will fold and bend quite nicely! Spiralizer, hand spiralizer.
- How to cook asparagus shaving veggie noodles – These are great to use in casseroles or in place of pasta! Bake the noodles first for 15 minutes at 350F to create an al dente pasta!
- Veggie Noodle Recipe Inspo – Shaved asparagus goes great in this the farmers’ market cassoulet
Spiralized Zucchini/Squash Noodles
- Ingredients you need– Veggie noodles from the seeds of larger zucchinis tend to not hold up as well during cooking and eating. A small to medium zucchini or summer squash work best.
- Kitchen tools you can use – You can use a regular spiralizer, handheld spiralizer, a julienne peeler, or a mandolin to make zoodles or lasagna veggie noodles.
- How to cook zucchini noodles or summer squash veggie noodles – Before you cook or if you are eating raw, salt the raw zucchini noodles then let them sit in a bowl to drain excess water. Drain water and press with towel to absorb water. These veggie noodles are great in salads, to replace pasta, or make lasagna veggie noodles. Sauté zucchini noodles over medium-high heat for three minutes until softened.
Carrot and Cucumber Noodles
- Ingredients you need – Medium to large carrot (top cut off). Medium cucumber (seedless works best).
- Kitchen tools you can use – Spiralizer, Vegetable peeler, or Julienne Peeler, Paring knife, or a Mandolin to make flat noodles with the the cucumber.
- How to make cucumber noodles – Adjust the julienne blade on a mandoline to the ⅛-inch-thick setting. Carefully run a cucumber down the blade, slicing the cucumber to form noodles. Also works well with julienne peeler to make the noodles or Mandolin to make flat lasagna-style veggie noodles. You may also use a regular spiralizer, but seedless cucumbers works best and are less of a mess. Best served raw in salads or veggie lasagna noodle roll ups.
- Cucumber Veggie Noodle Recipe Inspo – Asian Cucumber Noodle Salad
- How to cook carrot noodles – These noodles hold up similar to sweet potato noodles. Bake or sauté! Great to use in casseroles or in place of pasta! Bake the noodles first for 10 minutes at 350F to create an al dente pasta!
Cooking Tip: With asparagus, carrots, or any other high-moisture vegetables you treat as a noodle, you may need to pat it dry before you sauté or season it.
Other Vegetables to Noodle!
I would recommend using a spiralizer or simply slice with mandolin for these in particular.
- Onions
- Celeriac
- Turnips
- Beets
Fruits that Make Great Noodles
Apples and Pears – Both apples and pears can go through a spiralizer or hand held spiralizer, but do make sure to remove the stems. For hand-held spiralizer, you will need to slice the apples or pears into wedges first in order to fit in the hand-held spiralizer.
- To make apple noodles without a spiralizer – you can use a vegetable peeler, but it is a little tough to get a lot of noodle with a hand-held peeler. I recommend using an Apple/Potato Peeler Corer. They work great! See, no need to waste the peel when making applesauce. Use thin-skinned apples (such as Gala or Golden Delicious) for handheld spiralizers.
- Fruit Noodle Recipe Inspo – Spiralized Apple Kimchi Salad
- Also great to give texture in baked desserts, like my paleo apple pie!
Rhubarb – Vegetable peeler to create rhubarb “noodles” shavings or julienne peeler. The key is to find thick stalk rhubarb. Shave from one end to other, similar to asparagus. Rhubarb shaving noodles bake fast, so they are great to make and use as a crispy topping. You could also use them in ahot fruit casserole.
- Fruit Noodle Recipe Inspo – Rhubarb chicken with crispy rhubarb noodle shavings.
Some of Our Favorite
Veggie Noodle Recipes
How to Make Veggie Noodles and Fruit Noodles (With and Without Spiralizer)
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: N/A
Description
How to Make Broccoli Noodles; Asparagus Noodles “Shavings”; Sweet Potato Noodles; Zucchini and Cucumber Noodles; Carrot Noodles; Apple & Pear Noodles
Ingredients
- Large broccoli stalks with about 1-2 inch thickness
- Medium sweet potato, peeled
- Medium to large stemmed asparagus
- Small to medium zucchini or summer squash
- Thick top medium to large carrot (top cut off)
- Medium seedless cucumber
- Gala or Golden Delicious apples
- Pears
Instructions
How to make veggie noodles with BROCCOLI STEMS –
- Kitchen tools you need – Spiralizer, hand spiralizer, or vegetable peeler
- How to make noodles or spiralizer – You can use a stand spiralizer, hand spiralizer. Place large end of the broccoli stem in spiralizer or use hand spiralizer and turn to create noodles. Don’t have a spiralizer? Buy large broccoli stalks and peel into shavings with veggie peeler. Or create broccoli veggie rice (tutorial).
- How to cook broccoli veggie noodles – These are great to use in casseroles in place of pasta or in a stir fry. Saute or steam!
How to make veggie noodles with SWEET POTATO –
- Kitchen tools you need – Spiralizer, Hand Spiralizer, or Julienne Peeler or Handheld Mandoline Slicer Adjustable Vegetable Cutter.
- How to make noodles or spiralizer – You can use a stand spiralizer, hand spiralizer. Slice the ends off of a peeled sweet potato. Place sliced end of the sweet potato in spiralizer or use hand spiralizer and turn to create noodles. Don’t have a spiralizer? Try using a julienne peeler or mandoline slicer to create sweet potato “noodle” strips or sticks.
- How to cook sweet potato veggie noodles – These are great to use in casseroles or in place of pasta! Bake the noodles first for 15 minutes at 350F to create an al dente pasta!
How to make veggie noodles with ASPARAGUS –
- Kitchen tools you need – Vegetable peeler or Julienne Peeler
- How to make – You can use a vegetable peeler to create asparagus shavings in the form of noodles. They are so light and delicate that the shaving will fold and bend quite nicely! Spiralizer, hand spiralizer.
- How to cook asparagus shaving veggie noodles – These are great to use in casseroles or in place of pasta! Bake the noodles first for 15 minutes at 350F to create an al dente pasta!
How to make veggie noodles with ZUCCHINI/YELLOW SQUASH–
- Kitchen tools you can use – You can use a regular spiralizer, handheld spiralizer, a julienne peeler, or a mandolin to make zoodles or lasagna veggie noodles.
- How to cook zucchini noodles or summer squash veggie noodles – Before you cook or if you are eating raw, salt the raw zucchini noodles then let them sit in a bowl to drain excess water. Drain water and press with towel to absorb water. These veggie noodles are great in salads, to replace pasta, or make lasagna veggie noodles. Sauté zucchini noodles over medium-high heat for three minutes until softened.
How to make veggie noodles with CARROT and CUCUMBER –
- Kitchen tools you can use – Spiralizer, Vegetable peeler, or Julienne Peeler, Paring knife, or a Mandolin to make flat noodles with the the cucumber.
- How to make cucumber noodles – Adjust the julienne blade on a mandoline to the ⅛-inch-thick setting. Carefully run a cucumber down the blade, slicing the cucumber to form noodles. Also works well with julienne peeler to make the noodles or Mandolin to make flat lasagna-style veggie noodles. You may also use a regular spiralizer, but seedless cucumbers works best and are less of a mess. Best served raw in salads or veggie lasagna noodle roll ups.
- How to cook carrot noodles – These noodles hold up similar to sweet potato noodles. Bake or sauté! Great to use in casseroles or in place of pasta! Bake the noodles first for 10 minutes at 350F to create an al dente pasta!
HOW TO MAKE FRUIT NOODLES WITH APPLES and PEARS – Both apples and pears can go through a spiralizer or hand held spiralizer, but do make sure to remove the stems. For hand-held spiralizer, you will need to slice the apples or pears into wedges first in order to fit in the hand-held spiralizer.
- To make apple noodles without a spiralizer – you can use a vegetable peeler, but it is a little tough to get a lot of noodle with a hand-held peeler. I recommend using an Apple/Potato Peeler Corer. They work great! See, no need to waste the peel when making applesauce. Use thin-skinned apples (such as Gala or Golden Delicious) for handheld spiralizers.
- Also great to give texture in baked desserts, like my paleo apple pie!
Notes
SPECIAL COOKING TIP –> With asparagus, carrots, or any other high-moisture vegetables you treat as a noodle, you may need to pat it dry before you sauté or season it.
- Prep Time: 10 – 15
- Category: prep
- Method: cut
- Cuisine: American
I had thought of using the peeler but I wanted to see if that was a thing. It is, but because I’m a texture eater, I don’t so much enjoy the wideness of the noodles using just a potato peeler so if I’m feeling adventurous, I just slice the pieces in half with a paring knife once they are peeled. I’m the only one who eats the veggie noodles so it’s not a big pain. I need to invest in a spiralizer so I can get adventurous. Also my kids will likely be less intimidated if the noodles look more like the pasta they are used to. In the mean time, this is wonderful! Makes me think of also using a cheese grater to make vegetable “rice”.
Oh I love it! Keep me posted on how the kids like the veggie noodles
I’ll show you how – it’s easy!
I love how you gave instructions for those of us with no spiralizer! Just perfect!
These are such great tips! I definitely never thought of fruit “noodles.” Will have to add them to my list!
I never thought about fruit noodles!!
These are really awesome hacks! Thank you so much!!
Such terrific, comprehensive advice! Now I’m going to be making apple and pear zoodles, too!!
I need to try this with apples and pears! Definitely haven’t used those gems yet as “noodles.”
It’s really good in baked goods too. I think you’d love it Liz!