Baked Veggie Tots

5 from 1 vote

These easy Baked Veggie Tots are one of my favorite ways to get my kids to eat both broccoli and cauliflower in one bite. Since they’re baked instead of fried, they’re a healthier and super tasty option that babies, toddlers, and even older kids really enjoy. I always serve them with my creamy chive dip, and definitely helps encourage even the picky eaters to give them a try.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped cauliflower
½ cup potato , about 1 medium peeled potato
½ cup white beans
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon minced onion , either red or yellow/white works
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Creamy Chive Dip (optional but recommended):

1 ½ cups cashews
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ cup chopped chives

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 205 C
Boil potato for about 6-8 minutes, until just able to put fork in it. Blanch broccoli and cauliflower by dropping them in the boiling water for about a minute. You could also cook the potato in the microwave, and blanch the broccoli and cauliflower. Or cook them all in the microwave. See notes for instructions on using frozen veggies.
While this is cooking, you can use the stems of the broccoli and cauliflower by cutting them into sticks or rounds. Mix with a drizzle of olive oil, dash of sea salt and black pepper. Put on a parchment lined cookie sheet and set aside.
Strain the potato, broccoli and cauliflower and put in a food processor with the other ingredients.
Pulse until mixture is crumbly and sticks together.
Form into tot shapes. I used about a heaping tablespoon for each.
Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are browning. Also put the cookie sheet with the stems in the oven at the same time. Bake these for about 20 minutes, or until you get the texture you like.
While baking, if making the dip, put all ingredients except the chives into a blender and blending until nice and smooth. Add in the chives and pulse to incorporate.
When the tots and stems are done. Serve with the dip!

Notes

My #1 Tip for making my baked veggie tots is to make sure the veggie mixture is not too wet before shaping them. I always take the time to really strain the broccoli, cauliflower, and potato well after cooking because too much moisture makes the tots fall apart in the oven. If the mix still feels damp, I just stir in a little extra breadcrumbs until I can roll a tablespoon into a tot that holds its shape.
Don't over-process: I like to pulse the mixture just until it’s crumbly but still sticks together when pressed. If I blend too much, the texture gets too smooth and the tots don’t hold up as well.

Don't overcook the potato: I boil the potato just until it’s fork-tender, usually around 6 to 8 minutes. If it cooks too long, it falls apart and makes the mixture too soft.

Make the dip ahead of time: I often make the dip the night before because the texture gets even better after it sits. But if I’m short on time, it still turns out great when I make it while the tots are baking.

Nutrition