Kid friendly veggie tots are easy to make using broccoli and cauliflower. They are baked in the oven for a healthy and delicious treat!
This is also the perfect way to get extra veggies into your kids. Adding some dips gets kids excited to try new things!
This post was originally published on April 14, 2019.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Earthbound Farm Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
We all struggle with eating enough veggies, especially with our kids. We love to pair these veggie tots with dipping sauces like the dip in this recipe below, my vegan ranch dressing and vegan thousand island dressing!
I figure my best strategy is give them the veggie in the form they like best, tots. The love affair I have with broccoli tots runs deep. I'm not always a fan of "kid food" due to how unhealthy it can be, but this kid food turned veggie vessel has me all sorts of heart emojis.
Here is why I love them:
- You can sneak in veggies for ALL types of veggie haters (think cauliflower for the ultimate sneak and all things green for the easy eaters).
- They are super easy to put together.
- Your kids can help.
- They don't have any fancy ingredients.
- It's a no waste recipe, using the entire veggie is easy to do.
Ingredients
Since kids are so simple, you need to make sure you don't over spice things, veggies in particular. Exposing them to the natural flavors that most veggies bring is a good thing, especially those that are mild in flavor.
These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make these veggie tots:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Potato
- White beans
- Breadcrumbs
- Onion
- Seasonings
If you're making the Vegan Sour Cream and Chive Dip, gather the following:
- Cashews
- Lemon juice
- White distilled vinegar
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- Chopped chives
How to Make Veggie Tots
My kids help me make these all the time. They are simple, without a lot of ingredients or steps. Involving kids in the process helps them feel empowered with food and they are more likely to eat it!
Also, teaching them how to cook in an earth friendly way teaches them creativity in the kitchen and helps them understand how their choices affect our environment.
Here is how simple it is to make these broccoli cauliflower tots:
- Pre-cook the veggies.
- Pulse ingredients in a food processor.
- Form into tots.
- Bake and serve with your favorite dip!
To make the dip:
This dip is made very similar to my vegan ranch dressing we eat weekly.
- Blend the base until creamy smooth.
- Add the chives and pulse.
- Serve!
Serving suggestions
In addition to the vegan sour cream and chive dip, we like to pair these veggie tots with any of these dips:
Substitution tips
A great way to reduce food waste is to use up what you have. Veggie tots are perfect for this because it's super easy to customize them.
The main thing to keep in mind is that you need to stick to the same veggie/potato/breadcrumb ratio. You also want to make sure your veggies aren't too watery.
Here are some of our favorite subs:
- Spinach- I pulse this to make it easy to mix in
- Sweet potato- a great addition or sub for regular potato
- Zucchini- make sure to salt it first to allow some of the water to come out
- Carrots- grate them before use
The options really can go on and on. If you happen to get a mixture that feels a little too wet, then you can always add some breadcrumbs to soak up the moisture
Can you use frozen veggies?
They key thing about veggies is to make sure the flavor is good. We love using produce by Earthbound Farm Organic because the flavor is on point.
Their produce comes fresh and also frozen. We use both fresh and frozen veggies, depending on what we are making. For these broccoli cauliflower veggie tots, I used the fresh form but also tested the frozen version and they work just as great.
Frozen veggies are a good alternative especially when you don't have access to fresh produce. Many people think because they are frozen they aren't as nutritious. In fact, most frozen and canned vegetables are frozen and canned at peak ripeness so you're still getting all the nutrition.
Preparation tips
As I mentioned, these veggie tots are so easy to make even the kids can help! Here are a few extra suggestions to help you out:
- Making the dip the day before is best as the texture gets better with time. You can also make the dip while the tots are baking if you're short on time.
- Boil the potato for about 6-8 minutes, until just able to put fork in it. You could also cook the potato in the microwave.
- Use about one heaping tablespoon of the mix to form each tot.
- Cut the raw broccoli cauliflower and potato into larger chunks and measure roughly, or use the weights given
- You can use frozen veggies if you prefer. Just measure out the same amount, defrost slightly in the microwave or countertop, then strain out any residual water.
- These tots are best fresh, but you can also freeze them!
Storage and Reheating Tips
These healthy tater tots are best enjoyed fresh, but you can also prep extra to have on hand for easy snacks and meals!
- Refrigerate the veggie tots in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- You can also store them in an airtight freezer safe container for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheat in the oven at 400°F for about 15 minutes for the crispiest results.
- You can also reheat these veggie tots in the air fryer.
Tips for no food waste
I love when I figure out ways to get the most bang out of my buck when it comes to veggies. Ultimately this means no wasting.
These broccoli cauliflower tots are ideal, because the heads go into the tots and the stems become delish little rounds and sticks that you can dip into anything from ketchup (or is it catsup?) to creamy chive dip!
Broccoli and cauliflower are some of our favorite veggies and a huge reason why is that I am able to use the entire thing and waste nothing!
Here is how we use the entire veggie:
- Cut the stems off.
- Use the head in whatever way we need.
- Slice the stem into sticks and rounds (because of course we don't agree, insert eyeroll).
- Roast them with salt, pepper and a touch of olive oil (or broth for oil free).
Common Questions
Yes! They're a delicious way to get in your vegetables. As long as you stick to fresh ingredients and bake them instead of deep fry, they're healthy.
Traditionally, tater tots are potato based. These veggie tots are made with potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. Potatoes are a great filler, and helps them stick together.
Broccoli is full of nutrients and are mild when mixed with other veggies. Cauliflower easily takes on the flavor of other things and mild when served with simple flavors.
It depends what you put in them! These veggie tots are mild in flavor the way they are prepared. The broccoli and cauliflower are balanced out by the potatoes and beans. Plus, served with the most amazing dipping sauce!
Pre-cook the veggies slightly, then pulse them in a food processor, shape into tot form and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet.
More Vegan Kid Friendly Recipes
Feeding kids can sometimes be...a challenge. But, with these tasty plant based recipes you'll have smiles all around:
Veggie Tots (with Broccoli and Cauliflower)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped broccoli , save the stems for baked sticks/rounds
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower , save the stems for baked sticks/rounds
- 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
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
- Cut the raw broccoli cauliflower and potato into larger chunks and measure roughly, or use the weights given
- You can use frozen veggies if you prefer. Just measure out the same amount, defrost slightly in the microwave or countertop, then strain out any residual water.
- Sub in other veggies to clean out your fridge. Carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, and spinach all work great! Just make sure to strain out any extra moisture.
- Makes about 36 tots, with serving size being 6 tots.
- Dip makes about 2 cups.
- Nutrition facts shown are for the tots only.
- Nutrition facts for ¼ cup of the dip are as follows: 136 calories, 10 g fat, 7 g carbs, 4 g protein, 264 mg sodium
- Prep the veggies ahead of time.
- Make the dip.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Ella
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them out. What are some good substitutes for white beans?
veggiesdontbite
Thanks Ella! The white beans help bind these so if you don't use them they won't stick together as well. You could try another bean, maybe garbanzo, but the flavor will change and you may need to add more liquid if the bean you choose is dryer than mashed white beans. If you are allergic to beans overall, then you could try adding some liquid and flour to bind them.
Jaime
I usually buy the store bought ones for my daughter but since I’m home for the summer I plan on stocking up on these! How long would they last in the freezer?
veggiesdontbite
Hi Jaime! They should last for a while in the freezer. I'd cook them, wrap in parchment paper then foil and then put them in an airtight container or bag. I would say they'd be good for at least a month.
Ziyi
Something new for me instead of my usual stir-fried cauliflower and broccoli! Thanks for the recipe:)
veggiesdontbite
I'm so happy you liked it!!
Andrea Wiener
I'm turning 60 on Sunday - and I still have a moody palate (though I think I'm beginning to finally grow out of it 😀 )
veggiesdontbite
Haha!!! It's better late than never! You have many years ahead of you still.
steviefbillman
This is such a healthy way for kids to get some extra vegetables! Everyone loves tots, and this looks like the perfect dinner side. Will be trying this out!
Robyn
Can you do this with riced broccoli & riced cauliflower. And how would u cook it with no microwave. Thanks very much
veggiesdontbite
Hi Robyn! Yes! Just measure out the same, maybe a touch under. I did it with riced cauliflower yesterday and it turned out great! If you are using riced and don't have a microwave then I would use a fine mesh strainer to blanch the broccoli and cauliflower rice. You could also saute it in a pan until just cooked.