Cauliflower Tots Recipe

overhead view of cauliflower tots on a white plate

Crispy, cheesy cauliflower tots are an easy and healthy snack or side dish. They’re so delicious and simple, yet packed full of flavor! Plus, this recipe is very low carb so you can feel good about having it on the table.

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cauliflower tots

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings tots

Calories 42kcal

Author Olivia Ribas

Ingredients

Cooking spray or olive oil
4 cups cauliflower florets approximately one large cauliflower head
1 egg
1/2 cup onion diced
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup finely ground breadcrumbs use almond flour for the low-carb version
Salt and ground fresh pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with cooking spray or olive oil.
Steam the cauliflower florets. Fill a large pot or skillet with 1 to 2 cups of water and place a steamer basket in the bottom. Bring the water to a boil, place florets into the basket and cover with a lid. Steam for approximately 5 minutes.
Drain steamed cauliflower florets. Place them in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds (you want to get the consistency of “rice”).
Transfer pureed cauliflower to a kitchen towel or cheese cloth and wring it out. Remove as much moisture as possible. Once, I made this recipe without squeezing out the water and the tots were not as crispy. This process is very important!
In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients and mix until well combined.
Spoon 1-2 tablespoons (depending on the size you prefer) of the mixture and use your hands to make a tot shape.
Place tots on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the process until you use up the cauliflower mixture. The tots should be set 1 inch apart.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Turn them over and bake 10 minutes longer, until crispy.
Remove from the oven and serve with ketchup or any other dip of your preference.

Notes

Slightly adapted from the Just a Taste recipe.
To save time, you can buy cauliflower rice or pre-cut florets.
You must squeeze as hard as you can to remove any moisture from the cauliflower. This ensures you get the crispiest tots.
Try to make your tots even in size for uniform cooking.
Leave space between tots while they bake so they cook quickly and brown evenly.
Add different spices to your cauliflower mixture if desired.
To store: Allow leftovers to cool and place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 4 days.
To reheat: Reheat tots in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through. Microwaving can cause mushiness. You can reheat them from frozen, no need to thaw first.
To freeze: Freeze cooled tots individually on a baking sheet, then transfer frozen pieces to a Ziploc bag and freeze up to 10 months.

Nutrition