Easy Cauliflower Tots
These easy Cauliflower Tots are a delicious and fun spin on a childhood favorite. Plus, they’re perfect for baby-led weaning, toddlers, kids, and even adults! For ages 9+ months and up.
Baked Cauliflower Tots
Looking for an easy weeknight dinner? That is full of veggies? AND something that your kiddos will devour? 🤔
Then let us introduce you to these easy Cauliflower Tots. They come with a simple ingredient list, they’re packed with nutrients from cauliflower, and they bake up perfectly soft on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside. Watch these cauliflower tots quickly become one of the most requested recipes from the whole family.
If you are looking for more easy and healthy meal ideas for your kid, then be sure to check out my Chicken Parmesan Meatballs, Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce, Easy Broccoli Mac & Cheese, or this scrumptious Salmon Pasta with Peas recipe. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Cauliflower Tot Video
Watch this video to see just how easy it is to make these healthy tots!
Reasons to Love These Cauliflower Tots
- Packed with nutritious cauliflower
- Simple ingredient list
- Perfect finger food for baby-led weaning, toddlers, and older kids too
- Freezer-friendly
- 30-minute meal
- Easy to include additional veggies based on your family’s preferences
- Bite-sized pieces are perfect for dipping
- Makes a quick side for lunchboxes
- Meal for the entire family – baby, toddler, kids, and you!
Ingredients
Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!
- Cauliflower – Riced: fresh or frozen, wrapped in a paper towel or towel to get rid of any excess moisture. I used a frozen rice cauliflower medley with cauliflower, carrots, peas, green onions, and onions. You can use any rice cauliflower or a mixture of rice cauliflower you prefer. I’ve seen some rice cauliflower mixtures containing sweet potato, broccoli, or even peppers.
- Egg: helps to bind these cauliflower tots together
- Cheese: you will need grated cheddar cheese, you can do this by hand or use pre-shredded cheese. Feel free to sub mozzarella, white cheddar, or your favorite blend.
- Breadcrumbs: you can use plain, flavored, or even gluten-free
- Spices: dried onion and garlic powder
- Salt and Pepper: optional
Tip: You can easily make these cauliflower tots gluten-free by subbing almond flour, cornmeal, rice Chex cereal, or another gluten-free breadcrumb brand for any wheat-based breadcrumbs. To make this recipe egg-free, you can substitute a flax egg. To make without dairy cheese, omit the grated cheeses and try adding 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast if you want a little bit of savory, ‘cheesy’ flavor.
Cauliflower Benefits
Typically, white foods don’t have much to offer in the way of vitamins and minerals, but this is not the case with cauliflower. Much like its cousin broccoli, cauliflower has tons of nutrients.
- It provides tons of vitamin C, which is needed for iron absorption and immune support.
- Contains choline, which is essential for brain development.
- A good source of fiber to help keep your kiddo regular.
- High in antioxidants for cancer prevention.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven and spray or line a baking sheet.
- Place riced cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, or if using frozen, you can place the bag directly into the microwave. Heat on high for 4-5 minutes.
- Wrap the riced cauliflower in a paper towel or kitchen towel and squeeze out any moisture. You want the cauliflower to be on the dry side so your tots can become crunchy. I had to use several different paper towels for this step.
- In a large bowl, add in all of the ingredients and mix well.
- Take roughly 1 tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture into your hands and form it into tot shapes.
- Place the tots on a baking sheet, and repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes, flip and bake for another 8 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool and serve with your favorite dip.
Great Add-Ins
One of the best things about these cauliflower tots is the ability to get creative with add-ins. Here are several of our favorite ideas for variety!
- Carrots: you can substitute 1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots for 1/2 cup of rice cauliflower.
- Broccoli: you can substitute 1/2 cup of finely chopped broccoli for 1/2 cup of rice cauliflower.
- Cheese: you can use what the recipe calls for – cheddar, or substitute in grated mozzarella, gruyere, gouda, colby, a Mexican-style blend or even pepper jack for a more spicy tot!
- Spices: feel free to use an Italian-style blend, mild curry powder, ranch seasoning, bbq seasoning blend, or even a taco spice blend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! These cauliflower tots are made with a simple ingredient list and contain nutrients and fiber from the cauliflower, as well as protein and good fat from the egg and cheese. In addition, they’re baked, not fried.
Anything your heart desires! (Well, maybe not ice cream…don’t make this weird.) We love both the classics and non-traditional dipping sauces, including ketchup, honey mustard, ranch dressing, barbeque sauce, hummus, guacamole, spicy mayo, or yogurt.
Absolutely! These tots will freeze well up to 3 months.
How to Store and Freeze Cauliflower Tots
Store any leftover cauliflower tots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them a few different ways. Our preferred method is to reheat in a toaster oven or air fryer for a few minutes, but you can also microwave them for 15-20 seconds or until warmed through.
To freeze these cauliflower tots, let them cool and place them in a freezer bag in a single layer and freeze flat.
Baby-Led Weaning Cauliflower Tots
These tots are a great finger food for baby-led weaning. Since they do contain some of the top allergen foods (wheat from the breadcrumbs, dairy from the cheese, and eggs), you’ll just want to make sure that you’ve already introduced these foods to your baby prior, without any reactions.
Depending on your baby’s age and skill level, you could play around with forming the cauliflower mixture into longer rectangles (similar to hashbrowns) or patties to help give your baby a bit easier way to grasp and self-feed.
Cauliflower Tots for Toddlers & Kids
Toddlers and older kids love these cauliflower tots too! Introducing a few different dipping sauces when serving these tots can help pique the interest of a toddler who is in a more selective (aka picky) eating phase.
Older kids can help pick out other veggies they might want to include in the recipe with cauliflower. They can also get involved with meal prep by squeezing out the moisture from the cauliflower, mixing ingredients together, and helping form the mixture into tots or patties.
Recipe Tips
- Use a cookie dough scooper to help make your tots uniform in size, and to cook evenly.
- You can use frozen or riced cauliflower too. Just squeeze out the excess liquid after defrosting and add the remaining ingredients.
- You can also cook these tots in an air fryer. We suggest air frying at 375-400 degrees F for 15 minutes, shaking the basket about halfway through cooking.
Get the recipe: Favorite Cauliflower Tots
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups riced cauliflower , or a 10oz bag of frozen rice cauliflower. I used a riced cauliflower medley mix.
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: preheat oven to 375° F and spray or line a baking sheet.
- Prep Cauliflower: place riced cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, or if using frozen, you can place the bag directly into the microwave. Heat on high for 4-5 minutes, or according to package directions. Let cool slightly. Wrap the rice cauliflower in a paper towel or kitchen towel and squeeze out any moisture. You want the cauliflower to be on the dry side so your tots can become crunchy. I had to use several different paper towels.
- Ingredients: in a large bowl, add in the cauliflower, egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Mix: with clean hands or a spoon, mix ingredients until well incorporated.
- Form: take roughly 1 tablespoon of the cauliflower mixture into your hands and form it into balls, tubes, or patties. Place tots on the baking sheet.
- Bake: place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes, flip and bake for another 8 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve: let cool slightly and serve with your favorite dip.
Notes
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8 Comments on “Easy Cauliflower Tots”
I try this tonight omg is so good 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed these cauliflower tots! And thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Weve had a hard time getting my 14 month old eat veggies. Made these and he loves them! They are delicious.
It can definitely be a struggle! So happy to hear that he loves these tots! 💕
Could these be made in an air fryer?
I haven’t tried them in the air fryer. I would recommend adding the cauliflower tots to the basket, making sure not to overcrowd the it. 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until the cauliflower tots are golden brown.
Is it possible to prepare the ingredients for the tots and then freeze them and pull them out of the freezer and make them as needed?
Yes, you can prep them and freeze them in the ’tot’ form (bake time is 15-20 minutes or baked all the way through) or bake them and then freeze them (reheat time is 12-15 minutes or warm all the way through). Either will work.