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These kid-friendly cauliflower tots are a great way to get your picky-kids to eat more vegetables! They make a great side dish and are easy to make.
Cauliflower Tots
Last year I fell in love with zucchini tots, and since adapted the recipe using cauliflower instead during the colder months when zucchini isn’t in season. I also had issues with them sticking to my mini muffin pan, and found making them on a non-stick baking sheet the perfect solution. My older daughter loves these, but my toddler still prefers to eat her vegetables raw (go figure!). I’ve also made broccoli cheese tots, they turned out great!
How To Make Cauliflower Tots
Cauliflower Tots
If you need a way to get your family to eat more vegetables, give these a try. These kid-friendly cauliflower tots are so good, they won't realize they are eating cauliflower. They are great as a side dish and are easy to make.
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 8 tots
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked cauliflower florets, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, can substitute with gluten-free bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
Instructions
- To cook the cauliflower florets, steam a little over 2 cups raw cauliflower florets in a little water covered for for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy, then drain well and dry on paper towel. Using a knife, finely chop and set 2 cups aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture in your hands and roll into small ovals. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes, turning halfway through cooking until golden.
- Makes about 32 - 34 tots.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 8 tots, Calories: 148 kcal, Carbohydrates: 16 g, Protein: 10 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 57 mg, Sodium: 397 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 3 g
Excellent – thank you, Gina. Do you think, as you morphed one of your crab cake recipes, these tots (as well as your other tot recipes) would work as crispy waffle iron fare?
Can you make ahead and freeze until ready to use?
I made these with cauliflower rice and just make sure to squeeze out all the water. I added garlic powder and onion powder. They held together fine and were really good. I ate them with ranch and hot sauce.
Question, I made these today and the mixture was so sticky I had to wash my hands after every 2 I formed,. I followed the recipe exactly,, is this supposed to happen? If not, any idea what could have gone wrong? They were delicious, but very time consuming to make having to do that!!!
I love cauliflower and these tots were addictive. I may make them as patties or roll them in wax paper and slice them off to bake.
Made these today and they were a hit! Absolutely delicious!
Would like to try this in my air fryer. What temperature and time would you suggest? I also want to try rolling them in Panko instead of incorporating the bread crumbs into the mix. Has anyone tried this?
Why do you say “without cheese and breadcrumbs” on Pinterest and when we come over to your blog recipe, both are listed??
That was not my pin, anyone can change the words.
I love this. I make is as a casserole to make it simpler and provide more food for the family.
👍👍👍👍
Anyone try using goat cheese instead of cheddar?
I tried to make these today, but they turned out really mushy and fell apart easily (after baking). I’m not sure why this happened – should I have put more breadcrumbs? Another egg (I only used one)? Maybe I got my proportions wrong somehow. I’ll probably try it again.
This looks delicious!! I was wonder could you use frozen Cauliflower rice or is it better to use fresh?
I always use frozen riced cauliflower. Just cook it according to directions, Then empty the bowl on paper towel covered newspaper to absorb the water. Let it air dry. Then proceed with your recipe.
Can I use frozen instead of fresh cauliflower?
I used frozen, thawed to room temp and diced with my onion chopper.
How come the recipe’s don’t show the amount of saturated fat? Thanks!
my older ones don’t
Not only are these delicious, they’re easy and super forgiving. My 2.5 year old and 10 mo old are both loving them as I write this. My husband just informed me he wants to eat the whole pan.
This time I added spinach bc I didn’t have any parsley. They were perfect.
I have this recipe printed in my book for months and finally gave it a go yesterday. To say they were a hit would be an understatement. My friend is a tater tot addict and she is trying to eat healthier. I made these for her in my air fryer and she honestly couldn’t stop eating them.
I must be really slow because no one else seems to be confused like me! The recipe says to set aside 2 cups of the chopped cauliflower, but never says what to do with it! Is that the amount I put in the mixture, and the remaining extra is used for something else?
Any sub for the cheese or just leave it out???
Not sure how well it would work without as it helps bind.
Use a vegan cheese like Daiya if it’s a dairy issue.
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I made these last night and used whole wheat panko instead of breadcrumbs. It came out delish. My family loved it so much. Has anyone used an airfryer to cook them?
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I made these last night for dinner. Oh goodness….yum! Even my kids ate them and they tend to be pretty picky. The only change I had to make was with the breadcrumbs. I didn’t have any, so I used chicken flavored stuffing mix and omitted the parsley since the mix had seasoning. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
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If you add some sticky rice to the tots they’ll hold together great !!
If you add some sticky rice to the tots they’ll hold together great !!
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Question – could you use the packaged cauliflower that is already riced? If so, would you have to cook it first?
THis is the second time I’ve tried this recipe. It just doesn’t work. It’s lousy. They just fall apart. There’s no way to turn them 1/2 way. They just fall apart. I even tried to increase the egg, hoping that would help them stick. This recipe is a bust!
None of Gina’s recipes are a bust!
Mine did not stick together either. Spread the mixture on a parchment covered cookie sheet, baked at 400, 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Delish!!!
Sorry, it didn’t work out for you. I used chicken stuffing mix and omitted the parsley since that has a lot of flavor already. The stuck together fine, but I may have added a tad more cheese too. That probably helped. 🙂
Could you freeze before cooking? Or cook first then freeze to reheat later?
I think I would cook first then freeze.
These were so yummy!!!! I used a nutribullet to pulse the cauliflower and onion to a chop – I didn’t feel like pulling out the food processor. If you do this method, you will have to keep opening the jar to scrape the chopped vegetables out on the sides of the container or they will be pureed to a pulp. I also used an extra egg in this recipe because it didn’t seem like it would stick with one. It really depends with a recipe like this – I wouldn’t trust the macros because likely you will have to go by instinct if you need to add more breadcrumb or egg. I cooked mine on parchment paper and went for 20 min – 10 on each side – because I like my tots crispy. They came out fantastic and I could have eaten the entire batch! Will definitely be making these again!
I also just used frozen cauliflower and defrosted it in the microwave. After that I pulsed it in the nurtibullet, put it in a clean dishtowel and rang out all the water. Very easy this way! 🙂
I made the mixture and they just won’t stick together. Any suggestions? I might try food processing the mix to see if that works.
I refrigerated the mixture for an hour and then used the food processor – made a big difference and I was able to form into little tot shapes. Liz
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I would love to make them, but what can I use instead of the eggs. I am vegetarian. I do not eat eggs. Thanks, Tj
Not sure, perhaps more cheese would work.
You can use chia seed and water, to make an egg sub. Someone posted a link above.
You can use couple of table spoons of plain flour. It should work as flour binds or you can use besan chickpea flour instead.
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What temperature do you recommend baking them?
the recipe says 400f
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Has anyone tried this recipewiththe frozen riced cauliflower from Trader Joe’s? It seems like if it was heated up, it’d be perfect for this!
Yes, just did that, very convenient. I put two cups in a bowl with a little water and steamed covered in the microwave for 2 minutes, then drained the water. Also added some garlic powder and cayenne powder to the overall recipe for a kick! These came out great. I upped the temp halfway to 425, maybe helped with the browning and crisping.
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Will this still work if i use almond meal instead of the bread crumb if so how much should i use
I made these for dinner and loved the idea of incorporating more cauliflower in a delicious way. Thanks for the recipe, I will use it again!
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this suggestion, but my mixture was also very choppy and loose, and would not hold together (as many have said above). As a solution, I took about a quarter of the mixture and pulsed it in the blender until it was mashed potato consistency. I then added it back into the rest of the mix, and voila! the entire thing came together perfectly, still containing lots of texture and chunky cauliflower. That's my tip! 🙂
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-make-egg-substitute-chia-seeds/
You can use Chia seeds to make an egg replacement, I included a link above.
I cook frozen cauliflower with about a quarter cup of water in the microwave for 10 minutes, drain it with a flat cheese grater against the bowl, and mash it up a little with a Pampered Chef Mix N Chop. It doesn't need to be finely "riced" like you'd get from a food processor. After adding all the stuff, I divide the mixture evenly between the 24 cups of a Pam-sprayed mini-muffin pan, stick them in the oven, and flip them after 10-12 minutes. If it's hard to flip them, they need a little more time in the oven. When the edges are pulling away from the pan, they're ready to flip. I make these all the time. So easy and so good!
I made these last night for supper and everyone raved about them. I steamed my cauliflower first in a rice steamer and then used a grater to shred. Instead of bread crumbs I crushed bacon puffs (Canada), A.K.A. pork rinds, in my food processor before adding to the shredded cauliflower. I did have to increase the amount to about 3/4 of a cup. I will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the recipe!
I was trolling the comments to find out if anyone had tried using pork rinds! Can’t wait to try this exact thing!
hi all, its does state how to steam/cook the cauliflower in the instructions/recipe
*to cook the cauliflower florets, steam a little over 2 cups raw cauliflower florets in a little water covered for for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender but not mushy, then drain well and dry on paper towel, then using a knife finely chop and set 2 cups aside.
I roasted my cauliflower first, that is my favorite way to prepare it. Then I used gf bread crumbs. I added an extra egg white to keep everything sticking together. It can be hard for it to "stick" but that helps. Mine turned out amazing!
I got 8 points for 4 servings?!
I just put it through recipe builder – the only things with points are the bread crumbs and the cheese, which totals 12 points. 12 divided by 32 is .38, so a serving of 8 pieces is 3 points.
Hi,
So I made these yesterday and were gone in 5 minutes….so today I have just a smidge left of my cauliflower and I'm making them again. Since I only have about 1.5 C cauliflower I thought I'd give it a try with filling the rest of the second cup with carrots. Has anyone else tried this? I think it will go over well still but we will see! I'll let you know. – Jenna B
Hi,
It seems good and I will try it tonight. What's more, I love the recipes on your blog.
I completely forgot to put the cheese in and these were still very yummy. My 4 year old gobbled up several.
I use a total of 2 egg whites in the recipe & they hold together nicely. These are absolutely DELICIOUS!!
I use Pepridge Farms herb stuffing mix in place of the bread crumbs. Awesome!
I made caulk-tots tonight in mini muffin tins. I grated half of a raw cauliflower in my food processor, mixed it with 1 egg, 1/2 c. grated cheese, 1/4 c. cornmeal, and seasonings, baked on 400 degrees for 20 minutes, and they were delicious. Mine worked so well with raw cauliflower that I think I'll make these with raw grated cauli as we'll.
Can I use croutons instead of bread crumbs?
I absolutely love these! Just wondering if anyone has tried to freeze them or have any idea if they would freeze well or not. Thanks
I freezes them. I reheated at 425 for about 18 min, flipping half way. They were still great!
Only substitution I made was to crush 2 Wasa crackers with the back of a butter knife for crumbs…. you'd never know they weren't Tater Tots! I'd add more onion next time for flavor… but these were as advertised. Also cooked mine in a mini-muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray… after cooling for a second ran a plastic knife around them and they popped right out.
Great Idea. I am going to crush up my whole wheat creackers and add some of my own spices. I can cut out some sodium and get whole wheat in at the same time!
I just made these and love the taste! Had a hard time getting them to stick together – I suspect because my cauliflower and onions weren't minced finely enough. They stayed together when I really squished them… Sort of… But then would fall apart when I tried to take them off the pan. Inspiration struck me and I got perfect tots when I SERIOUSLY sprayed non-stick spray (like, a lot) on top of parchment paper. Then it was ON! I'll be making these again! (with parchment paper and finer chopped veg) 🙂
Use your food processor, works great but make sure to just use pulse so you don’t purée it. I did that with another recipe and it worked out great????
They didn't stick together very well. Any suggestions?
this look great.Instead of baking can I deep fry them?
Okay, I am not sure I understand how the points are worked out. The only things with points are the bread crumbs, egg and cheese. How can that work out to that many points for each one? Do you include points for ALL ingredients in your calculations? I know this is still great but just wondering overall for all your recipes which I do love! Thanks for your help….keep up the great recipes!
A serving size if for 8 tots which means that for 8 tots, there is a points value of 4
8 tots have 148 calories? or one tot have 148 calories ? I'm lost in this :p
a serving size is 8 tots, and for each serving size, there are 148 calories. so the 148 calories are for 8 tots
I've started to like cauliflower just recently, and this recipe seems the right one to try.
Thank you
Made these this week… I added a tablespoon of corn starch to the chopped cauliflower and tossed it well before continuing to the next step. I then shaped them and placed them on the cookie sheet and let them sit for about 30 minutes. While the cornstarch didn't have a lot of affect in helping them stick together for shaping (I envisioned 'rolling' them in my palms but really you get a spoon full, plop it on the sheet and then 'form' them with your fingers so don't expect them to stick together when you're forming them) I do think it helped it all stick together during baking. And they were quite crisp and crunchy outside which the cornstarch may have contributed to as well.
I just found this site and want to say that it is the ONLY site/blog/publication that has inspired me to try new recipes on a consistent basis. And I find I am eating better because I'm enjoying my food more. Your recipes are unique, innovative, practical for the weight/health conscious and so far, quite delicious! Thank you so much!
Is that WW Points+ count for one serving? 2 Cauli Tots for 4 points seems steep. Or is it 4 points for the 8 tots?
I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! I don't have the best cookie sheets, which makes everything stick to them…I made this in my casserole dish as more of a mashed potato substitute rather than the bites. Still extremely good, and got 2 thumbs up from the rest of the family. Thank you!
Also i used panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs. (seasoned of course) delicious!
I made this into a kind of "cauliflower casserole" and my family loved it and so did I — THANK YOU!!! I didn't have the time to make "tots" – I needed dinner on the table in 30 mins. So I steamed 4 cups of cauliflower, chopped it small, threw it in a casserole dish, then tossed in all of the other ingredients along with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. I substituted mizithra & romano cheese (that's all I had on hand). It was amazing!!! THANK YOU for the inspiration — it was super fast, super easy, and super healthful!!! THis is a meatless main dish we will enjoy for many years, I am sure.
These are great! I loved them, my husband loved them and most importantly, my 20 month old loved them! I love your site Gina!
I did these with frozen cauliflower, Really squeeze water out and might have to bake a few minutes longer. We loved them!!!! They were a great side to baked chicken wings. Still wondering if anyone has frozen them?
Hi, I didn't have the patience to read through all of the comments because there were so many, but, I was wondering if I frozen cauliflower would work?? Anyone go that route??
Oh my gosh these look so good and easy to make. I saw the comments about using Daiya cheese. I'll have to find a store that sells it but I'd love to give it a try with this recipe.
Use a mold / your favorite deep scooper. They'll stick together!
I'm going to try these, and not even tell the girls what's in them! If they ask, I'll pop one in my mouth and give an inaudible answer. Does that make me a bad dad?
Are these freezable. Like the zuccini tots?
Just as yummy as the zucchini bites! We like to use Italian seasoning and/or jalapeños to add some flavor.
I just made these and they were outstanding!! What a great alternative to tater tots!
I just tried these and they came out fabulous. I made some slight flavor changes – spicing them up a bit and using a mustard seed gouda cheese that I picked up from a specialty cheese shop but thanks for this base formula – I plan to try them with some other veggies too!
I'm eating these right now, with the salmon cakes recipe and the avocado cilantro dressing its sooo good all of it!I actually have alt of cauliflower so I'm going to make these for an extra appetizer on Christmas eve, along w the avocado dressing I'm going to make it as a dip for veggie tray. Great recipes#
Love your blog! Hope you don't mind, I gave them a whirl g-free for my blog. Loved them!
Made these tonight, they were ok….really not much taste to them. Need more spices or something.
Sorry Gina, however I do love a lot of the other recipes on your blog.
I really enjoyed this recipe. I made it with no cheese and had no parsley either but used the leaves of a celery as a herb instead.
1 cauliflower
2 small eggs
2 stale slices of white bread
1 small finely chopped onion
seasoning.
They bound and came out great.
I'll try parsley next time and try to use 'No-egg' to make a vegan version.
🙂
help! I followed directions exactly and they did not even remotely stay put together to make little ovals?
I want to make these, but I'm a little unclear on the directions for cooking the cauliflower. First it says steam, but then it sounds like you actually put the cauliflower into the boiling water? Not sure if I'm actually steaming or boiling?
It has been a skinny taste kinda day! I made pumpkin muffins, cookies, breakfast cookies, refrigerated oatmeal, lime, cilantro cauliflower rice and the cauliflower tots! all were fantastic. I could not be bothered steaming the cauliflower, then chopping as well as doing what was needed for the rice so I combined tasks. I used the food processor to rice the cauliflower, followed the directions for the rice, cooking the cauliflower in the fry pan with onions and garlic. Took out the 2cups needed for the tots, then finished the rice recipe! and all turned out great!
These were great! I did use a food processor but was careful not to pulverize the mix… I'm not patient enough to get a fine mince with a knife 🙂 I also used two spoons to make the tot shape instead of my hands, to make it less sticky for me. Thanks so much for sharing.
I made these with broccoli, sooo good. My toddler loved them, and I have a hard time getting her to eat her veggies. I always find great recipes on your blog!!
Oooo using the broccoli is a great idea!! I will definitely try that!
I'd like to freeze, should I freeze them before or after baking, for best results? Also thank you so much for Skinnytaste. I found it while doing WeightWatchers, and have learned to cook after 29 years of marriage : )
These are baking in my oven right now and smell AMAZING. I used a food processor and threw in the whole cauliflower and big pieces of onion with everything. The mixture was a little wet (I increased the cooking time to 10mins/side to compensate) so next time I'm going to mince the onion before hand because I think the excess water came from that. I also left out the parsley and added garlic powder – delicious!!!!! Thank you SOOOO MUCH for this recipe Gina – you have the BEST ideas!
Love this idea. I have made pizza using a cauliflower crust. It was a hit. Will try this next.
for low carb substitute ground flax for the b crumbs, I would use parm cheese and maybe roll in a seasoned almond flour as a coating before I put in a pan with grape seed il or coconut oil.
I made these a week ago and they were WONDERFUL!!! My husband REALLY LOVED THEM!! I'm getting ready to make another batch right now!! Thanks Gina!!!
I made these last night and they were sooo yummy!!! I brought some to work and reheated in the toaster oven and I think they are even better!!! yum!
Do you think these could be made with broccoli? I have some extra broccoli to use and it sounds good with both!
I made these as a side dish for dinner tonight. I made a recipe and a half hoping to pop some in my lunch for tomorrow. My 4 year old just gobbled the remaining tots (I think he ate 8)–no ketchup necessary. Sadly, none left for lunch, but so happy to have a veggie dish the adults and kids love!! I used panko crumbs and liked the extra crunch.
My husband made these the night this recipe was posted- we loved them! They were even better the 2nd night- which I did not think was possible! Thank you for the great recipes!
These are amazing! I just pulled them out of the oven and am amazed how good they taste. Thanks for the recipe!
Made these and the zucchini tots for a family get together Saturday night. The adults loved them. The 4 and 5 yr old were having too much fun playing and didn't eat much. My daughter asked me to make then again for Thanksgiving. I made them in regular size muffin tins, filled just the bottom, so they looked like little pancakes. I think I will just put them in a casserole dish and cut in squares next time.
Sheree
Is the cauliflower two cups before or after chopped?
2 cups after chopping
Tried these today, and while I do like them, your zucchini tots are still my favorite.
Thanks for the recipe Gina!! my husband, who hates cauli, eat them and ask for more!!! yupy!!! after 20 years of marriage he finally eats cauli!!
I'm making these tonight with whole wheat breadcrumbs that I seasoned. It lowered the points to 3!
Thanks Gina !! Love Love your recipes . You inspire me 🙂
Holy crap these are good. I mean so good my vegetable-hating brother said he could eat them all day long. We had a family friend over for dinner and he said he would have never guessed they were cauliflower. I made a Sriracha Dipping Sauce with them and it was perfect (1/2 c mayo, 1/2 c sour cream, 2tbsp Sriracha) I might just pan fry them in patties next time. The tot part was a bit more time consuming than I wanted it to be but was it ever worth it!
Love that!!!!
I ended up giving everyone the recipe! The family friend said he wanted to go home and make them for his wife as a surprise. 40 years of marriage and he can't remember the last time he cooked for her. Now you KNOW you're an inspiration Gina! And my sister-in-law is just pumped to have heard my bro say he *wants* to eat vegetables.
I made these tonight, but I did half broccoli and half cauliflower. They came out great. My one year chows these down, along with your zucchini tots. So yummy.
Such a good idea! Cauliflower is amazing- you can pretty much make anything with it <3
Mmmmm, this looks like a really yummy side dish to change things up. I love new ways to try veggies on my sometimes picky twins. Thanks!
I used a combo bag of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. I steamed them and then used the food processor. I also rolled them in bread crumbs after. My 14 month old ate two (mine were a good bit bigger than yours, I think).
Oh my, what a great way to make these and not let your children or grandchildren no. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.
Thanks
Has anyone tried to prepare these and freeze ahead of time? Before or after cooking? Trying for a super quick way to sneak in veggies on a hectic day 🙂
I froze some. I'll let you know how they reheat.
I just made these and my boyfriend could NOT stop eating them. He loved them. Thanks! Finally he's eating his veggies LOL.
I have super picky kids. I wonder if they'd eat these. I think I'll try them! Keep the awesome recipes coming.
would frozen cauliflower work?
I don't see why not.
Yes, I made these and used frozen cauliflower and had no issues. I cooked it per the package instructions then chopped it up.
How is this blog popular…. Cauliflower tots?
Take it from a portly guy, that sounds awful. I love food. But no.
I understand we are trying to eat healthy here, but just no.
Maybe just don't Paula Deen your food: cut back on the butter and oil by half,bake instead of frying, maybe go on a walk from time to time, not need to resort to the scurge of cauliflower tots.
I think you identified the problem in the intro.
Some of us actually LIKE vegetables. You haven't made them yet dismiss them; those who have say it's delicious.
Sooooo…. yeah. You don't win the internet today.
This blog is popular because Gina has wonderful, delicious recipes. Nothing better to do with your time?
Why even comment on this blog if you are going to hate. Her recipes are great, and its not just about cutting back on butter and oil, I actually have never in my life cooked with either. I for one hate cauliflower, so am grateful to find a way to get veggies into my diet when I hate them. YOu obviously don't have a toddler either!!!
Um, try it. They are actually quite awesome!
Yeah these are really good have had something similar in the past will try this recipe also thanks for the post!
Hey Tom…don't knock it til you try it!! Amazingly, when cauliflower is cooked it gets a very mild flavor and really you only taste the flavors of what is with it, NOT The cauliflower. My boyfriend hates cauliflower and I made him pizza crust made with cauliflower and he loved it!!!
I don't know if this will help or not those with trouble of things holding together. I haven't tried any of the recipes I've saved to try for Cauliflower tots, but on the site: 'Your Lighter Side' she recommended freezing the tots before baking them. Theory is it holds it together until the outside firms up.
Interesting as my hubby said next time he makes them he may freeze them first- thanks!
Thank you so much for all your hard work providing delicious healthy recipes! I'm really trying to get my hubby and I on track and provide great fun tasty snacks for our boy too 🙂
xoxo
Megs
these sound great cant wait to try them. Thanks Gina for the great recipes.
Do you know if these do well after freezing? Would like to make a big batch and use as needed…
Going to make these this weekend for my girls night get together.
I made these last night and they were delicious! My husband and I are thinking of making them as an appetizer for Thanksgiving.
I don't cook with cauliflower enough. I'm going to try these the next time they are on sale at the store.
I made these last night and they were delicious. I couldn't get them to stick together like they show in the picture. Any suggestions?
I am getting cauliflower in my CSA today and now need to decide between tots and cauliflower mash. 🙂
I made these last night along with Chicken & Avocado burgers. While the flavor was delicious I had trouble getting them to stay together. I was wondering if I should have processed the cauliflower instead of finely chopping? I did have to add another handful of bread crumbs to help it stick together. I'll definitely make these again. Carol
Do you think that using a chopper to "rice" the cauliflower while raw, then popping it in the microwave for a few minutes would work? I wish I was graceful with the knife, but when I chop veggies, little bits end up all over the place so my chopper is my best friend for smaller chopped things. Thanks in advance, can't wait to try!
Could you use sweet potatoes instead of cauliflower?
What a fun idea!
Wondering about freezing as well!
I'm going to give freezing these a shot. I'd bet they will be fine. I use Gina's recipe for chicken tenders (the nuggets recipe) and freeze those. I cook them, cool and then freeze on a cookie sheet, and then put in a ziplock. They re-heat perfectly and that way I can give my son real chicken on a moment's notice rather than some yucky packaged kind.
Also wondering about freezing – I'm a working mom of 2 under 2 and can only prep something like this on the weekends. 🙂
What type of Bread Crumbs do you use?
Did anyone find out if these freeze well? Do the zucchini tots freeze, too?
I was also wondering, to have on hand like fisjsticks as a non meat meal starter
The zucchini tots freeze and reheat very well. I haven't tried these yet but I would guess they do also.
I'm grain/gluten free…do you think these will stick together ok without the breadcrumbs?
Oh I see someone suggested ground flaxseed!
I made these and replaced the bread crumbs with grated Romano cheese (or Parmesan could also work). They held together just fine.
Wonderful! I often resist spending 4 points on a snack…unless it's a really decent serving size, and I'm guessing 8 of these tots is a very satisfying serving. I look forward to making these, Gina…and sharing the recipe with my WW class! Keep up the good work. Your recipes are really keeping me motivated!
I am guessing this was intended as a side dish. If you want a snack size, just have 4 and it's only 2 points! Win Win!
Wondering about freezing as well.
I wonder if you could freeze these….
These look wonderful! I love cauliflower and will have to try this soon.
What is that sauce next to it? I'd like that recipe too.
Looks like ketchup to me. That's just a guess though.
Ketchup for the kiddos, but I don't think they need anything for us adults.
Could one sub in nooch (Nutritional Yeast) for the cheese without sacrificing the binding element?!…Any "additions" to make them bind without dairy or the daiya vegan cheese?…Thanks for any insight!
I think it would be ok with the egg and crumbs
Do you think you could use Panko Bread Crumbs?
omg, that looks so freaking delicious! CAn't wait to try this!
Genius! I don't even like cauliflowers but I'd eat this any day of the week!
Not sure why my comment was deleted but I'm just curious if you squeezed the water from the cauliflower after it steamed or just lightly drained it?
I steamed the fresh cauliflower 4 to 5 minutes until just tender but not mushy, so no need to squeeze. I am going to adjust the recipe above to include how I steamed the cauliflower.
Thank you! 🙂
I added some diced jalapenos and chili powder and these made a fantastic appetizer…a de-constructed popper. YUM!
I steamed my cauliflower, used only egg whites and no cheese. They were a little too moist, but still delicious! Might try them as fritters with a spicy aoili too!
This looks amazing. And I bet it tastes even better. Thank you for sharing from 3girls1apple.com
I made these tonight and they were great!
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed them!!
These look soo good and I can't wait to make them. I love your blog!
Why oh why didn't I buy that cauliflower?
These look great! Kids are funny when it comes to vegetables. Some veggies I would never eat raw and they do. My kids don't like cooked veggies either.
Yeah, when I saw my daughter munching on raw radishes, I was baffled!
Exactly! I dont really prefer radishes but of course eat them with a smile to not oass on the aversion. My 2 and 4 yr olds eat them with lime and a touch of salt! Like candy!
Could I make these without a egg? My son has a severe egg allergy.
I haven't tried it, but it may work
Yes, you can use egg replacer or put a little flour in your mixture.
How could I make these Gluten free?
use ground flax seed
I buy gluten free bread crumb that would be perfect for this recipe…I always use it in my meatballs and they still taste just as good!
You can crush Chex cereal for a gluten free breading alternative, too. I like to mix the rice and corn varieties for "fried" chicken (breaded with Chex and baked) and my kids love it. I haven't tried it with this recipe just yet, but it's now in my menu plans. I can't wait to try it!
I grind quick oats
To cook caulifower – just place in microwave-safe bow, cover with plastic wrap and zap for about 5 min.
I finely chopped the cauliflower in the food processor and then microwaved it for four minutes. Once it cooled, I put it in a clean towel and wrung out most of the liquid. Easy Peasy.
Is the cauliflower boiled first? Roasted? I know it says "cooked" but… how?
I steamed it until soft.
Gina clearly states in her recipe to "steam, covered, for 4-5 min. til soft but not mushy".
WOW, musta just missed it….sorry
So what's the best way to cook cauliflower?
Sorry I should have mentioned I steamed it about 5 minutes or until soft but not too mushy
I just made these tonight – they were really great. I grated the cauliflower on a cheese grater, which made it kind of rice like. You can then microwave it for five minutes and it will be fully cooked. There is so much moisture in it that it does just fine in the microwave. I use this method as a rice substitute all of the time.
I use cauliflower for fried rice all the time.(1 head) discard stems and Shred in the food P and then micro for 5 to 7 min. Sounds like I can do the same for this recipe
I put it in a microwave cover dish. cook with no water since you rinsed the cauliflower there is enough water on it. cook for 3 min. intervals till cooked but not mushy. This way you don't have to drain it. Then I used a fork to break up the cauliflower by mashing it to the consistency the recipe calls for. Easiest way to do the cauliflower. Try it.
Cindy, the recipe calls for cooked cauliflower.
I'm just curious after only 18 minutes in the oven is the cauliflower still hard?
The cauliflower is already cooked.
I wonder if we can substitute CarbQuick instead of the breadcrumbs for the low carb peeps?
Try it, perhaps more cheese to help them bind.
I was thinking myself how to make these low carb and thought I might use grated Parmesan in place of breadcrumbs.
I use psyllium husks instead of bread crumbs – they can't be digested, yet hold things like egg and butter. I use them to batter things as well.
Fantastic idea Anonymous…I actually have some psyllium husks in my pantry..and that sounds like just the ticket for a low-carb/gluten free solution to the bread crumb dilemma!
Where do you find psyllium husks?
I have been substituting flax meal (sometimes mixed w/sesame seeds & a little extra seasonings) for bread crumbs to make it Paleo. That's my plan here. I only have Parmesan cheese, so gonna use that for cheddar.
Perhaps seasoned almond flour or almond meal would work as a substitute for bread crumbs.
Another idea would be to run dried pork rinds through the food processor to use in place of the breadcrumbs. I've used this trick in a few recipes and it's always worked for me.
Yes, ground pork rinds are a perfect replacement for bread crumbs! I use them all the time.
I'm so excited to have another option for how to use cauliflower!! Yum! Any ideas for cheese substitutions since I am dairy-free? Or, can I just leave it out without compromising the binding of the tots?
I haven't tried without, perhaps add another egg and more crumbs? If you try please let us know.
Daiya cheese is dairy free (vegan) and it might work with this! It melts really well 🙂
Or try some nutritional yeast
I was going to make mashed cauliflower with a little potato mixed in for dinner tonight, but am doing these instead. I use Daiya cheese (good flavor) but not it's too soft to grate, you will just mix in little pieces. Panko is now making seasoned breadcrumbs!
Like Courtney said, use Daiya. Very good vegan cheese. That is what I plan to use.
Nutritional Yeast
Those look yummy!
Did you chop the cauliflower in a food processor?
I used a big knife
I've found that it's too easy to turn cauliflower into powder in a food processor. Best to use a knife as Gina suggests.
I made these last night….so tasty, but not as pretty looking as yours…I kept spraying my tablespoon to help them stay together. Any ideas for next time??
I couldn't get them to stick either when I was making them. I threw it in my food processor and hit pulse 3 times. They stuck together after that. (Great recipe, Gina!)
I made these last night as well. They were really tasty. I also found they were a little hard to keep them stuck together. Perhaps I needed to dry the cauliflower a little better before mixing it in. Also I would try a chopper for the onions next time and cook them a little longer.
I used a muffin pan and they held very well. I used the muffin paper cups.
I used my cookie scooper and they came out in a nice bite size!
anyone tried running through a potato ricer?
These were very good, I also used my cookie scooper to form.
I trimmed off the leaves and wrapped in foil and baked it whole in the toaster oven. After it cooled for a bit I used a large hole cheese grater.
I just made these and I riced my cauliflower so that they would hold together better. It was perfect! I also used half bread crumbs and half panko.