With a handful of accessible, nutritious ingredients, you can bake Broccoli Tots that are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. They are SO good and easier than you might think. And…they taste like broccoli tater tots!
Broccoli Tots
Broccoli tots are a staple of the freezer aisle, but making them at home is as simple as blending up ingredients and baking the tots. I do sometimes love paying for convenience, but I also love turning basic ingredients into this delish toddler meal.
This recipe comes together quickly in the food processor and quickly turns a handful of healthy ingredients into a tots batter. And once you use a tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out the tots, all that’s left is for them to bake up in the oven.
These are great warm and my kids like them dipped in ketchup, ranch, or sour cream. And I do too!
Ingredients You Need
To make these homemade tots you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Fully cooked brown rice: This forms the base of the batter (and adds nutrients).
- Fresh or frozen broccoli: Either option works here.
- Egg: This helps the tots hold together.
- Cheese: Any shredded cheese you prefer will work well.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use Italian-flavored breadcrumbs (my preference), plain, or even cornmeal. And gluten-free ones work too.
Step by Step Instructions
To make this recipe, here’s what you’ll need to do. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full info.
- Chop the broccoli into small pieces. Pour hot water over and let sit to soften. Drain the broccoli well.
- Add the ingredients to a food processor and grind into a uniform batter.
- Portion out tots onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake and serve warm.
TIP: I like to use a tablespoon-size measuring spoon to portion out the tots.
Are these homemade broccoli tots healthy?
These broccoli tots have fiber from the rice and broccoli, a little protein from the eggs, and cheese, and are made with recognizable ingredients so you can be sure that your toddler is getting the good stuff. Plus, they are an excellent way to use up leftover rice and broccoli should you have some lingering in the fridge.
Frozen Broccoli Tots to Make-Ahead
You can make these veggie tots ahead of time and store them, once cooled, in the freezer. To serve straight from the freezer, simply warm in an oven briefly. They’ll crisp right up in no time at all for a quick toddler dinner.
Are there any tricks to making really good homemade broccoli tots?
The only trick to this recipe is to make sure your rice is very soft and fully cooked. This will ensure that the interior of the tots is soft and easy to chew, while the exterior gets a little crunchy. I like to use rice instead of potatoes since it’s a little easier to work with and it’s such a good use for leftover rice.
A short grain rice works best here, but you can use brown or white rice, depending on what you have and your preference. I like this short grain brown rice from Lundberg.
TIP: If your batter doesn’t seem to be holding together well, add another tablespoon (or two) of breadcrumbs.
Dairy-Free Broccoli Tots
To make these without cheese, simply omit the shredded cheese and the Parmesan and use just 1 egg instead of 2. (You will get a slightly smaller batch of 14 tots.) You can try adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast if you want to add a little more savory flavor.
Gluten Free Broccoli Tots
To make this recipe gluten-free, simply use gluten-free breadcrumbs. I like the flavor and texture of Ian’s breadcrumbs and have used both the regular and Italian-flavors.
Egg-Free Broccoli Tots
To make this recipe egg-free, simply omit the egg, use 1 cup grated cheddar cheese and add 1 tablespoon coconut oil. This creates a nice mixture that holds together really well without the need for an egg to bind it. Do be sure to grind everything well to help with the consistency. And know that these are a little softer in the center and need to be baked a smidge longer at closer to 30 minutes.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer bag, in a single layer, with as much air removed as possible for up to 6 months. To reheat from the freezer, place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and warm in a 375-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. (Or in a 375 air fryer for 3-4 minutes.)
Best Tips for Success
- Use fully cooked and soft brown rice.
- Chop the broccoli before measuring it, using mostly the fluffy florets (rather than the stems).
- You can use frozen broccoli if you prefer.
- Be sure to dry the broccoli thoroughly.
- You can use Italian-flavored breadcrumbs, plain, or cornmeal. If using plain or cornmeal, you may want to add a pinch of salt and/or Italian seasoning to the batter for additional flavor.
- Expect the batter to be wet, but the tots should hold together when you put them onto the parchment paper.
- If your batter seems very wet and the tots don’t hold together in little mounds on the parchment paper, stir in another tablespoon or so of breadcrumbs or cornmeal.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Homemade Broccoli Tots (Better Than the Freezer Aisle!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup broccoli florets (roughly chopped)
- 1 cup fully cooked short grain brown rice
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup Italian-flavored or regular breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning or cumin (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil and pour over the broccoli in a heat-safe bowl. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Add the broccoli, rice, cheese, Parmesan, eggs, and breadcrumbs to the bowl of a food processor. Add salt and either Italian seasoning or cumin to add a little additional flavor if desired.
- Grind very well to make a uniform batter. (If your batter doesn’t seem to be holding together well, add another tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.)
- Portion into 1-tablespoon size ovals and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly golden brown. (Or cook in an Air Fryer at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes on a greased tray.) Let cool slightly and serve.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Reheat in a 375-degree F oven for 6-8 minutes (or 3-4 minutes in a 375 air fryer) to get them warm and crunchy.
- Serve with a dip such as ketchup, salsa, Ranch, or guacamole.
- Dairy-free: Omit the cheese and use just 1 egg. Bake as directed. (Makes about 14 tots.)
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs. Use 1 cup shredded cheese and add 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Bake as directed, leaving them in the oven for 27-30 minutes. (Makes about 19 tots.) Or, use a liquid egg replacer such as Just Egg.
- Use fully cooked and soft brown rice. Cooked white rice also works if that’s what you have.
- Chop the broccoli before measuring it, using mostly the top of the florets (rather than the stems).
- Be sure to dry the broccoli thoroughly.
- You can use Italian-flavored breadcrumbs, plain, or cornmeal. If using plain or cornmeal, you may want to add a pinch of salt and/or Italian seasoning to the batter for additional flavor.
- Expect the batter to be wet, but the tots should hold together when you put them onto the parchment paper.
- If your batter seems very wet and the tots don’t hold together in little mounds on the parchment paper, stir in another tablespoon or so of breadcrumbs or cornmeal.
Nutrition
This post was first published March 2018.
My batter was very sticky and not easily rollable into ovals like it looks in your video. I tried adding more breadcrumbs but it still was very sticky and messy. Any suggestions?
I’m going to try this for my picky tots. One is obsessed with hash browns, so I’m wondering if you’ve experimented with an air fry or, heaven forbid, deep fry method for these little guys?
Air fryer works great at 375 F for about 10-12 minutes. I haven’t deep fried them but I bet they’d be delish
Any suggestion of how to try with frozen broccoli? I’m thinking partly thaw/cook, but certainly undercook before adding to processor. We don’t want them soft/mushy!!
You could rinse with hot water or briefly submerge in hot water to thaw but not cook them, then pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
Needed to compose you a very little word to thank you yet again regarding the nice suggestions you’ve contributed here.
Hi, can I use oats instead of bread crumbs?
I haven’t made them that way but it may work similarly.
Can these be frozen?
Sure!
Hi, do you think it will work if I make them in a blender instead?
Thank you 🙂
These are amazing! My 9 mo loves them, my 4 yo (who has basically never eaten broccoli–she knew these had broccoli in them) loves them, and I love them too! I’m going to make a double batch next time. I didn’t have breadcrumbs so just blitzed up a thick slice of sandwich bread and ended up using double the amount (1/2 cup).
Love that!
Would frozen rice work? Like the Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice?
I haven’t tried that specific one but if it’s thawed first I would think so.
Can I use Italian Panko instead of breadcrumbs?
I think so, the texture just may be a smidge different. Enjoy!
Love this recipe for its versatility. I’ve made it as is and also used the ratios provided for various substitutions (quinoa for rice, spinach, carrots, zucchini, whatever veggies I need to use or my toddler won’t otherwise eat) and the end result is always good. I always have a stash of some version of these in the freezer to add to meals my toddler might not be very into and she always gobbles them up.
Looking forward to making these for my little one. Could sweet potato be substituted for the broccoli? Or do half broccoli and half sweet potato? Just trying to this of other veggies to use so he doesn’t get tired of the broccoli.
Thanks!
I haven’t tried that and I’m not sure if adding sweet potato would change the texture. To use the same proportions, I might use grated raw sweet potato (not cooked mashed). Let me know how it goes!
Mine was so sticky and loose no matter what. My guess is it was because my rice was hot. I tried adding extra breadcrumb, but to no avail. Will try again with cool rice and see if it works, but that might be a point of note for others.
Thanks for the feedback and I hope it works better once it’s cooled.
Absolutely delicious! I added garlic powder for an extra kick. Made the whole house smell delicious.
Can I make this recipe for my 8 month old? Is there anything I should do differently if so?
Yes, it can be a baby led weaning food. You can omit the salt and leave the rest the same. Hope they enjoy it!
Made these tonight with frozen broccoli and used the small food processor attachment for my immersion blender mixing in batches. They came out fabulous and oh so tasty! My 2yo who won’t touch a vegetable ate 5!!!!
Substituted cooked couscous for the rice and it came out great!
5 stars are not enough! ❤️❤️I was wondering if you could use things like pearl couscous instead of rice?
I just used regular couscous and they came out great! A great quick option if you don’t already have cooked rice on hand!
My 19 month old is devouring these! I only had Arborio rice and no Parmesan but they’re still so good! Next time I’ll make them as written and I’m sure he’ll love them just as much and get some extra nutrients to boot!
Made these twice today because the first batch disappeared so quickly! Worked very well, though second time around I added more salt and almost doubled the amount of breadcrumbs (was using GF panko). Great recipe, thanks for all you do to help us feed our families!
Can you use quinoa instead of rice?
Yes, I think so, though you may need a little more since it’s not as sticky as rice.
Can these be made with panko instead of breadcrumbs?
LOVE all your recipes!!!
I bet they could be!
I made these with Panko crumbs and they were delicious 🙂 Thanks Amy for this quick but tasty recipe!
I found the panko breadcrumbs made them too crispy – regular bread crumbs worked great!!!
Delicious!!!!!
Very easy to make. My 14 yo couldn’t stomach them but my 3 yo seems to love them. Fine with me because this is “yummy toddler food”, and that’s what matters. Thanks!
Is it possible to substitute rice with quinoa?
Yes, though it’s not as sticky as rice so you may need more bread crumbs if the batter seems wet.
My three year old loves them. To mix it up I i added half cup of cooked ground chicken and ground it even further with the rest of the ingredients in the food processor. I had to sneak a few from her plate as they came out so yummy.
I’m new to cooking and baking – only really started to bake and cook following recipes when my daughter started solids. So I’m a little out of my depth…
The breadcrumbs- are they store baught or can you make your own with leftover brown bread? We always have extra bread in the fridge and it would be great if I could use it for something.
You can use either. You can make your own, but look up a recipe to ensure they are dried out and ready to absorb the moisture in the recipe.
Hi there! These turned out great. Do you think they would do well freezing? Thanks!
Yes, freeze in a zip top freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. You can reheat them from frozen in a 375 degree oven for about 6-8 minutes
Can these be air fried?
I bet that would work well- maybe 400 F for 12-14 minutes and turn in the middle? I haven’t test it, but I bet something like that would work
My one year old can’t get enough of these!
Is there any way to make this without a food processor?
You night be able to if you cook the rice really well so it’s very soft and sticky and then mince the broccoli very, very finely.
What temperature do you bake them?
The full info is at the bottom of the post.
If I have leftover white jasmine rice in the fridge, would I be able to substitute that? Not sure how it would change the recipe.
It should work similarly!
Making these every week, they’re so easy to give to my 2 year old, either as a snack or part of a meal! The cauliflower and quinoa ones were just as successful!
Would frozen broccoli work the same? Excited to try these with my crew!
It should work similarly, I’d just thaw it first!
Can I substitute long grain brown rice?
Yes, I think so, but make sure it’s cooked well and you grind it up thoroughly as it may be less starchy than short grain rice (which is helpful for holding these together).
I made these last night (the egg free version). I shaped them into tots but in the oven they flattened out like latkes. Still tasted great but I would love to have them hold their shape. I can’t think of what went wrong except that I used long grain brown rice?
Short grain brown rice usually has more starch and is a little sturdier, so I bet that is the reason.
These were easy to make and really tasty. My toddler is so fussy so I’m always looking for different healthy things to make him to mix it up a bit. Thank you x
Can I use an egg replacer like a flax egg?
I haven’t tried that and I am not sure it would work. I do have an option at the bottom in the Notes.
These are so good!! I made this for my toddler but everyone at my house loved it! There were no leftovers 😆
Can I add meat to these??
Ground chicken??
I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure but I bet you could add ground chicken.
Love this recipe and so do my girls.
To make this more efficiently, you can pipe the mixture (using a Ziploc bag with the corner cut out) onto the parchment/Silpat in long strips across the sheet pan. Bake according to the recipe and once they’ve cooled a bit, slice into 2-inch tots. It’s a lot easier and cleaner than trying to shape the unbaked mixture.
The recipe is also easy to swap out the vegetable (kale, spinach, really any single or mixture of similarly-textured cooked veggies). I’m guessing beans/lentils could be traded for rice for added protein too. I plan to try that on my next batch.
Such a good tip, thanks for sharing that!
Can I replace the brown rice with quinoa?
I think you can, but quinoa is usually moister so you may need additional breadcrumbs to make sure the batter isn’t too wet.
Everyone, toddler included, loved these!!!
I’m so glad!
These are great! I rolled the breadcrumbs on the outside as well to keep them together a bit. Quick and easy and my little one loves her “nuggets”
Awesome!
I don’t have a food processor, what are my other options? Can I hand mix?
If the rice is super, super soft and you really mince everything well, you might be able to do it by hand. I might overcook the rice a bit to ensure it’s sticky and very soft.
I’ve made this recipe several times, and it’s one of the only ways I can successfully get my kiddos eat broccoli. Most recently, I added a couple tablespoons of pesto to the mix (and a tad more breadcrumbs and Parmesan), and those seem to be a hit! Pesto is my go-to for sneaking in green veggies! ? Thanks for a great recipe that can be easily modified.
Amy! I made these tonight and I loved them!!!! My kids, well they knew there was broccoli in them so they were biased against them from the start, however my husband (a self proclaimed broccoli hater) was shocked that he liked them!! Personally I don’t even care if anyone else likes them! I did and will be eating my fair share throughout the week!! What do you think about serving them to a 6 month old? She hasn’t really had dairy yet, I’m nursing but have started giving her cereal and fruits.
Can I sub jack cheese for mozzarella? Just trying to use what I have on hand!
Sure!
I tried the egg-free version of this recipe and the tots turned out completely flat. I double checked to make sure all the portions were correct and baked them for as long as suggested. Not sure what went wrong!
They do not look exactly like the photos since the ones shown here are the regular ones. I hope they tasted okay!
This happened to me too. They didn’t “fluff” like a tot…what did I do wrong? I used an egg replacer. The batter was also extremely dry (not wet) so I added milk. Taste was good but I was hoping they’d fluff more. Any suggestions?
Perhaps the egg replacer resulted in a different texture somewhat? You could add a smidge baking powder if you want to see if that helps
All your recipes are SO good!! I was making pizza rolls so often it was beginning to show on my waistline (lol) and I just made three broccoli fritters today, so easy and so good! Another winner in my house. Thanks for all you do!
Made these with cumin and without.
My identical twin boys (20 months) liked the ones without cumin better.
But these were definitely a hit!!
I’ll be trying more of your recipes this week.
Thank you!!
I’m the meal planner and volunteer cook for a Christian school in my community. Ibe had some parents ask for more vegetable options. I’m thinking of making ahead and freezing to serve to our students.
🙂
Cant wait to see if it’s a hit !!
Great! My Veggie Muffins and Pizza Muffins may be an option too as they have veggies in them!
Is it a cup of cooked rice or a cup of uncooked rice? Thank you!
1 cup fully cooked rice
Can you make these with long grain basmati rice? I just realized I’m out of brown rice and I’ve got everything else I would need.
Yes, just be sure it’s cooked until very soft! It tends to be a little less sticky than short grain (at least in my experience) so you may need to blend it up a bit more.
Do you store them in the fridge or just left out in the airtight container?
In an airtight container in the fridge.
Hi. Wondering if you use rice cereal instead of brown rice?
I haven’t tried that and don’t know that the texture or consistency would be the same.
Can you use flax-eggs or some other egg type substitute rather than excluding altogether to make egg-free?
I haven’t tried it that way but let me know if you do!
Made these today with flax-eggs (my 1 year old has an egg protein intolerance) and they turned out great! I added some extra seasonings (pepper, garlic powder, onion powder) with the cumin. The batter held together perfect. I’m sure my son will think these are as yummy as I do!
I’m so glad to hear that and thank you for letting me know!
I love them!!! I made 3x the recipe so I can freeze them ahead! Best to go with the squash or cauliflower cheese sauce!
Awesome!
Can you freeze left overs?
Yes for up to 3 months in a zip top freezer bag
I’ve made these three times for my kids, and they consistently eat them without complaining! Therefore, I love this recipe! It is definitely my kids’ favorite way to eat broccoli!
So I don’t have a food processor so I blended them in my Vitamix (which made a sort of paste) and then squeezed them out of a bag with the tip cut off (made it pretty easy!). So the texture was a little weird but that’s not why I am rating a 4 stars. I think it needed a bit more salt or an additional herb. They were a little bland for my taste. I know my 16-month-old will love them though.
I tried. I added salt and pepper and some thyme. I prob wouldnt make again. Id prob want to try something more like a cheese and brocoli balls. More cheese let brocoli 😛
Can this be made with white rice?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it should!
Hi! Dumb question, but is it one cup cooked rice or one cup dry rice (cooked)?
Not dumb—cooked rice!
Thank you!
I used this recipe as a base for many many other things. Baby falafel. Kinda. Thanks so much.
Great idea!
Can you tell me what the cheese adds to the tots? Is it flavor, texture? I have a baby with dairy allergies so trying to think what I could substitute. Thanks!
It adds flavor and it helps the batter hold together. There is a dairy-free option though: To make dairy-free Broccoli Tots, omit the cheese and use just 1 egg. Bake as directed. (Makes about 14 tots.)
Of course now I see the dairy free instructions. I’m so sorry about that! Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Can’t wait to try these!
These turned out wonderful! Thank you for the recipe.
Yay!
My 18 month old loved these. And so did I ?
We ate with out ketchup at first, but ketchup brings them to the next level of yumminess haha!
These will be a staple in my freezer. Going to double/triple batch next time and may try potato like a comment or said.
Thank you!
I’m so glad!
Loved this recipe thanks. So easy to make. Used tasty chedder instead of mozarella/parmesan (because that’s what I had in the fridge). My 20month ate 2 immediately they had cooled enough, the cheese flavour did the trick, didn’t even need to add ketchup 😉 So pleased to be extending his diet. Fingers crossed he likes them even when they’re not as fresh. Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks.
I’m so glad to hear that!
Would I get the same results if I mix by hand? I don’t have a god processor
If you really, really chop up the broccoli that could work!
Hello
Thank you for the recipe. I am looking for meals to prep in advance so I can defrost and put her backpack for her lunch. The question is can this be eaten cold? I am not sure her in home childcare will use the oven to warm just few of them.
I am trying to find few ideas meal packed with veggies so I can freeze and defrost for her lunch (she is 21months). Either to be warm up in microwave or hot water.
I am Not sure how this broccoli tots taste cold…
It can be eaten cold but I’m not sure it would taste as good (though often little kids don’t mind temperatures that we might). Do you have a thermos you could pack them in? These would work at any temp: https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/easy-zucchini-fritter-muffins/
can i bake these in the grill section of the oven? but not using the grill setting but the normal over setting?
also, are the bread crumbs dry or can i make breadcrumbs with fresh bread?
tahnk you
I’m not familiar with the grill setting so I can’t say for sure. Dry breadcrumbs work best.
Used potatoes instead of rice and turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Can I mix the batter in a nutribullet rather than a food processor?
You may need to stop and scrap down the sides/move the mixture around to get it to blend well, so keep that in mind if you try it that way.
I used sharp cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella and my 2 year old loved them… with ketchup of course! Quick lunch to throw together with some fruit. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that they were a hit!
I really liked this idea but they came out completely tasteless. I would use a sharp cheddar instead and add more herbs/onion/garlic/etc.
You can totally add more flavoring if you think your kids would prefer them that way! (Many wouldn’t, which is why I let the flavor be more mellow.)
Amazing!
So to make it egg free, will the total cheese be 1 cup: 1/2 cup mozarella and 1/2 cup cheddar. Will I also add 1 tbsp parmesan?
Yes, 1 cup total shredded cheese and the 1 tablespoon Parm.
Can these be frozen?
Yup! You can make these veggie tots ahead of time and store them, once cooled, in the freezer. To serve straight from the freezer, simply warm in a 375-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. They’ll crisp right up in no time at all for a quick toddler dinner.
I was really excited about this recipe, but unfortunately the inside of the tot was still wet after 27 minutes and 35 minutes… I’m not sure what went wrong… any advice?
Hi Heather! I’m sorry to hear that you had this issue. Did you make them too large? Was the broccoli wet when you mixed it in? Either of those could cause the filling to be wetter than expected.
I did not have broccoli handy and I used cauliflower instead. Also, instead of rice I used quinoa. I really liked the result. Thanks for the great idea!!!
I love the sound of those swaps, thanks so much for sharing your results!
Trying these for sure!! Our little guy is still egg-free and has been rejecting broccoli lately. Fingers crossed ?
The broccoli flavor is pretty mild (if at all detectable) so fingers crossed for sure!!