Gluten-Free Vegan Carrot "Hot Dogs"

Absolutely yes!

Hopefully, everyone already knows what's in traditional hot dogs and if you don't, it's not good:

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Kroger Hot Dog Ingredients:
Ingredients: Mechanically Separated Chicken, Pork, Water, Corn Syrup, Modified Food Starch, Contains 2% or Less of Salt, Flavoring, Potassium Lactate, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Phosphates, Dextrose, Sodium Diacetate, Beef, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Sodium Erythorbate, Sugar, Sodium Nitrate, Sorbitol, Extract of Paprika
Vegan aside, you lost me at "mechanically separated chicken". 
The rest of the ingredients are meat from 3 different animals (chicken, pork and beef), GMO's (corn syrup, soy protein) and several different preservatives.

And even store-bought vegan "hot dogs" are not much better, as they are made with GMO soy ingredients:

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Wegmans Veggie Hot Dog Ingredients:
Ingredients: Water, Soy Protein Isolate, Soybean Oil, Evaporated Cane Syrup, Pea Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Bakers Yeast Extract, Carrageenan, Dried Garlic, Natural Flavor (from Plant Sources), Natural Smoke Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Fermented Rice Flour, Guar Gum, Oleoresin Paprika (Color).
And this last example is even sadder. It is NOT vegan (egg whites, nonfat milk) and NOT gluten-free (wheat gluten) and it contains not only GMO ingredients (soy, corn) but several preservatives and 3 different food colorings!

S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Morningstar Farms Veggie Dog Ingredients:
Ingredients: Water, Wheat Gluten, Corn Syrup Solids, Contains Two Percent or Less of Methylcellulose, Dextrose, Salt, Egg Whites, Natural Flavors, Brown Sugar (Sugar, Molasses), Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Corn Protein, Soy Protein), Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Soy Protein Isolate, Carrageenan, Mustard Flour, Onion Powder, Maltodextrin, Spices, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Autolyzed Yeast, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Soybeans, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Hydrolyzed Torula and Brewer's Yeast, Wheat, Gum Arabic, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Corn Gluten, Soy Protein, Wheat Gluten), Soybean Oil, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Paprika Extract for Color, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Lactic Acid, Nonfat Milk, Red 40, Sunflower Oil, Citric Acid, Blue 1.

If you're vegan and gluten-free and want a clean "hot dog", you're pretty much out of luck in the hot dog department.
Until now!

Yes! And yes!

They are 100% vegan and 100% gluten-free.

This healthy recipe is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, lectin-free (without a bun), soy-free, nut-free and paleo-friendly.

If you chose to buy store-bought veggie dogs, just make sure you read the labels because not all "veggie" dogs are vegan and/or gluten-free, as shown in the two examples above.

So the problem of a gluten-free vegan "hot dog" is now solved by using seasoned carrots, but what about the buns?

I haven't attempted yet to make my Homemade Vegan "Hamburger" Buns gluten-free yet, so the only other alternative I could find were gluten-free hot dog buns.

I have to be honest though; they are not the best buns in the world.

They are not soft and fluffy and the first time I opened the pack of 4, I only used 2 of the buns and stored the remaining 2 in an air-tight container.
A few days later, they were molded...really bad.  So, if you use these, they may taste better and soften a little if they are warmed up and I would use all 4 of them at one time so they don't go bad because they aren't exactly cheap either.

And I know this is a sad situation, but I've even used gluten-free vegan wraps and even gluten-free bread in lieu of a hot dog bun and I was happy just the same.

Both are good options if you need to keep these gluten-free and don't mind not having a traditional "bun" to go with your "hot dog".

Carrot dogs are very versatile and toppings you can use or only limited to your imagination! Feel free to experiment with different toppings but here are some suggestions:

1. Mustard - a classic choice that will give a tangy flavor
2. Ketchup - another classic choice that give a slightly sweet flavor
2. Sauerkraut - its unique flavor goes well with the savory carrots
3. Onions - use small, diced onions (red onions and white onions work well)
4. Vegan Chili - if you have time or have some leftover, this will kick them up a notch
5. Go Gourmet Style - if you want to be really creative, try some of these options for a gourmet style carrot "hot dog": 51 Best Hot Dog Toppings - How to Top a Hot Dog or https://www.eatthis.com/hot-dog-toppings/.

Keep in mind, some of the gourmet style options are not vegan and would need to be vegan-ized.

Yes! The marinade is important because it is what gives the carrots a unique flavor, so they don't taste like plain carrots.

However, feel free to try some other variations to change things up.

Here are some examples:

1. Spicy - add some red pepper flakes
2. Sweet - add some maple syrup
3. Herb-Infused - add some thyme or rosemary

Have fun trying new flavors...there's no right or wrong way to flavor your vegan hot dogs!

No, although most vegan carrot dog recipes use "liquid smoke" as an ingredient, my recipe does not. Instead, I used smoked paprika to give the carrot dogs a "smokey" flavor.

However, if you'd like to add "liquid smoke" to your carrot dogs, I did find the Lazy Kettle brand that has only one ingredient (natural liquid smoke) and is all natural, no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and no MSG.